The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1877-01-06
GOVERNMENT PITS


a. we notice petitions in circulation pray
ing Congress to make provision for the pur-
Chase w the 'eYisting telegraph fites
throughout ths United States, for tie con-
struction Of others needed and for operat.
ing all lines at the expense and under the
control Of the Government, in 4 similar
manner to that in which the mails are now
operated. tits claimed that the advantages
= of the telegraph will become more difused
through all classes Of our people, and be
+; T. far more economical in their expenses and
0 Jet be self-supporting, or at least be no
9 more burdensome to the Government than
= the advantages the Government will derive
q from such an arrangement and in any event
b not moro burdensome than 10 the present
postal system. The telegraph lines as now
iopersted arevery unreliable means of in
o formation to the public. They are very ex-
9 ,pensive to those who make use of them for
Q communicating intelligence whether upon
{ matters of business or general news. Per-
esons may send dispatches over the wires to
~ distant part of the country, which may
! not contain particle Of truth, and be fully
screened from public knowledge of their
identity by. the use of some fictitious sigma
\ tuee, and bythe. arranged secrecy Of dis
patches, between the author and the oper-
/. ator. Even pow Congress is finding much
embarrassment to, forcing the telegraph COM
!. panies to disclose dispatches which were
sent over the wires to effect certain results
in the late elections and the canvassng of
the late returns We might cite numerous
evils growing out Of the present manner of
the use Of the telegraph. r'" 'oa.'f'1 .@9
4 But would not some Of these evils be met
Q with, II the Government controlled the
iinesq and have we full guaranty that other
evils would not be N ct with were all the
/ &slsgraphing under the control of the Gov
9ernment2 These are questions which ought
TO be we'll considered before the Govern
amept assumes to DO all the ,telegraphing
for the people. Suppose to-day all tele-
: graphing waa abaoldtslynnder the control
of the Government and thatevcry telegraph
operator was an appointee of the President
and dependent upon his favosof for bis posit-
"ion and support. Suppose further that the
sffeSident was ambitious 70 centralize the
government Of The people under ono head,
oand had the command OF the army and
navy rs he'has now, would not the tele-
graph under his control be powe rful en-
CINE in his hand to bring about the end he
destined? We think itwould, and we further
think HAT a Democratic or Republican gov
, ernment for the people would find it a labor
ulto COM teract the influence of the telegraph
ain favor Of Capitalization, il, it were under
shsyeoatrol Of the. President as indicated.
ylE'the Government is to control the tele-
sgrAph we should favor the plan of having
alt operators elected by the people of the
respective locations where they were to op-
crate. This would greatly operate as a
check to rehabilitation. The telegraph
then would be more Of an institution Of the
people and more for their benefit. We are
mitch inclined towards the policy ofhaving
the. Government own and control the tele-
graph lines and operate them. But we
want all proper checks TO prevent usurpa-
zion Of power over the people through them.
for i must be apparent to every man that
mo more powerful engine could be used by
ANY one man OF, oligarchy Of men to sub
vert the iiberties ofths people, than the
ssxelasiye control Of the telegraphingIn the
country, with the army and the money of
the notion already at'their command The
,slements Of discord are too rife in the land,
not to furnish strong temptations to ambit-
ious men in power to make struggle to