Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-01-05
TELEGRAPH OPERATORS TO
BE MADE ARMY OFFICERS.

Is it possible that Gen. Eckert and
Mr.. 0rton are careless Of the rights Of
the telegraph operators OF the Atlantic
and Pacific, and the Western Union
lines They certainly have not ap-
piled TO Congress for the promotion of
these hard.workcd men TO lieutonancies
in the army, with large pay, rations,
fuel, and commutation of quarters
But Gen. Myer, the manager of the
Government telegraph, has just made
his annual moan for his Signal Service
line, which he piteously says exists
without laws providing for the pcrma-
nent employment OF its officers, or the
promotion Of its enlisted men," These
enlisted men are telegraph operators,
telegraphingabout the weather. Every
operator on the Western Union lines
is as much entitled to be made q lieu
tenant in the army as are the opera
tors of the Signal Service lines. Moth
ing could better illustrate the decay Of
the military spirit in the regular army
of the United States, and its rapidly
growing tendency to change soldiers
into mere officeholders, than this OBJ
stinate purpose of one of our generals
to build up huge system of Govern
ment tclegraphy, into which officers
and privatcs can escape from garrison
duty and frontier service. and get bet
ter pay and promotion than if they
were fighting Indians.
There is nothing military whatever
in the Signal Service telegraph system.
Its chief is not q soldier. He was a
patentmedicine manufacturer. lie
never commanded soldier in his life.
He is not q graduate of West Point.
He did not enlist as n volunteer in the
war. He never carried muskct for
an hour. His work is wholly that Of
dii'using news. lie tells through the
newspapers what the weather is to be,
and at stated intervals publishes what
it has been. The Signal Service serves
the owners of vessels, the shippers Of
property, those who would harvest
crops or commence outofdoor labors,
the large number who would not begin
journeys in snow or rain, and all who
for any reason are curious to know
whether the weather will be good OF
bad, hot or cold. Gen. Mycr is news
reporter. Yet he has his news office
established in the army, and insists on
having it built up into permanent
military system, with himself as com.
manding general for life, and uniforms,
rank, rations, and promotion for his
operators Hchasaudaciously planned
a scheme Of national tclegraphy which
shall cover all the States and Terri.
tories with his wires and offices, and
end in establishing the Government in
} the business of the Western Union and
the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph
companies which Congress has over
and over refused to go into under the
various postal telegraph schemes that
have been pushed in Washington. His
scheme includes employment for q
! large number Of army officers, with
their existing rank, pay, and cmolu'
mcnts, and largo-body of specially
enlisted soldiers, which shall eventually
exceed in number that of an infantry
division in the war
Congress will stultiiy itself if it does
not soon aud eilcctually dispose of Gen
Myer and his impudcnt purpose. The
entire Signal Service should be jerkcd
out of the army and put into thc Post
; Office Department A law should be
passed authorizing the sale OF tho Sig
nal Service telegraph lines TO one OF
the existing telegraph companies, and
instructing tho Postmaster General to
contract with one or all of them M
the daily transmission of the weather
reports. A vast sum of money would
be saved by this lcgislation.--N. y Sun
Washingfona a IN m,lv carriaoc nearlv