The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-08-16
POSTAL TELEGRAPHY.

The Cincinnati Chamber Of Commerce,
IN disposing of the report OF its dele
gates to the late meeting Of the National
lion of recommendation to Congress
In faver of or against postal telegraphy.
This is a subject of great Importance
to the commercial community, for, as
the report very properly says, the tele-
graph is to the business man Of to-day
what the mall was fifty years ago.
Whether this great interest involving
as it. does SO much for every man who
has business of any magnitude, no
matter OF what kind, is entitled to any
protection at the hands of the Govern
ment or not, is question well worthy
of the most careful consideration the
members OF our Chamber can give 1t.
There are but two objections that can
be urged againb postal telegraphy. First
That it would be Government interfer.
ence in private business; and second,
that the Government could not SO man.
age the telegraph lines as to make the
system a success, Would it be an in
reference in a private businessi 1t is
one of the duties of Government TO afford
the most complete protection to all the
legitimate business interests Of its peo.
pie. To dc this 1T must see that NO
classes are unnecessarily oppressed by
the centralization of undue power in the
s ho nf faw man
Much has been said, about the monop.
ply of the railroads; and lawyers, who
rank among the ablest jurists of the
country, have advocated the right of the
Government to purchase all railroads,
and make them national highways, giv-
Ing to the companies the right to run
their cars over them under restrictions
prescribed by law. Yet there Is NOT and
never can be half the danger from Gen.
tralization of railroad power as that
which now threatens from the consoli.
dation of the existing telegraph lines.
The tendency of rail- Dads Is to multiply,
while that OF the telegraph is to consoli-
date. One of the leading capitalists OF
the country has nearly, il not complete,
control OF both the telegraph lines, and
the change OF a few shares of stock
would any day put it into the hands OF
jay Gould to. dictate telegraphic rates to
every business man in the country, and
exercise kind OF censorship over all
telegraphic correspondence. Clearly it
10 not the right of any man or corpora
lion to hold such power over all the
business affairs of his associates. 1
But there is another ground on which
The system OF postal telegraphy appeals
To our consideration with even greater
force. Governments have assumed the
power OF managing all postal facilities.
Whether this is right, or the matter OF
carrying letters from place to place
should be intrusted to Express Compa-
nies and other public arrangements, is
not now question. Governments do
and will continue to manage these mat
sers,- land movement to make change
In this particular would receive but q
poor backing. This being the case, it is
the duty Of the Government to perform
this service in the most speedy and best
manner possible. When our Post-ofhce
Department was organized the saddle
bags and stage coach was the best means
~ the command of the authorities for
transmitting the peoples communica-
lions. When steamboats, came into use
they Were made available, and as fast as
railroads superseded the stage-coach the
Government made them the means OF
transmitting the messages tntrusted to
its care. And now that the telegraph as
q means Of communication has super.
seasd the railroad IL is the duty of the
Government to adopt IT.
What would people have said If the
fost.oflce Department had continued to
ssnd letters by stage coach after the
railroads were in successful operation,
ana they could have been thus sent
IN one-tenth OF the time? Yet there 10
The same reason for complaint now II
the Government continues to afford no
more speedy method Of transmitting