New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-13
FROM THE PEOPLE.
FAIL TELEGRAPHY.
..,rycg or PRAUD-TUE PRoro'

Western Union Company to destroy Ill o'iuchcc NY
rand or deception may be detected after tho transmits
sou of message has created considerable exe'teneit
among business ,nen as IL will render the use OF mo
telegram unsafe as q method Of giving orders souhu
business prefer security to speed. ana INC re""
noudston Of the Executive Committee OF Tho western
Union Company be acted upon. the earnings OF the tee
graph companies wliargoy decrease in consequence as
conservative houses Will prefer executing orders ohy ny
letter signed by the principals own hand instead OF
that NJ An rrespOusib telegraph clok; fol In the event
of an out-oftown merchant repudating an orucr pur
porting to have sent 10y him, there would be no
original Oh e In tho telegraph office whereby the iruo
could bc traced and tho offender punished as sau ole
| nal would have been destroyed
Intyew of the complications which at present exist
and which may arise tho future IN connection with
the DISPLAY Of Geographic messages having bearing
upon our November elections, does 1t not seem that
we-reculatcil postal telegraph system would bo more
satisfactory to the people than tho peFcnt llranagcd
and expensive onei 1t would certainly DO cheaper
favor There Is certain class Of people IN this com
munty whose business IT Is 20 g' h c a' Of tLc
profess to IN postal elegr1phy ihe nocilcs Vi Wy
people endangered by too much Government Pltrohae:
ra;yenagei Tine few thousand employees of postal
Telegraph not, like large standing army unher tne
eirction it /. moi Impossible that mid form of 6u'
dozing used TO influence the votes OF The Wcst
err Union Telegraph employees IL So the fear OF losing
his situation wGu,d deter any man 50 situated l0i
making yolnnaly Gonos ,;, mnh inesce in that
direction az u postal telegraph system would, Ihe only
difference is. tlal tho Influence used bcihR 'hUfec''
| wOald .,r more dificaI 10 detect.
Mr.. orion nnduly conscious OF MS own power,
M oDrosiiion ana when the Atlantic and Pacific frat
Threatened prove formidable rlva he coht-iDp'H-
oisy remarked HAT il only an invitation oanoher
funeral" Perhaps il would nave been better for MN 70
have reserved ii reinaIK until nero were some i,'.,
lions Of approaching dissolution on 'ho part OF we ~
lniic aud Pacific, for chat company 7 coAllnhr' 10
live and enjoy tolcfdoe health ahd pr3apeti, ann as
possessqs strength enough To hold In cheek inc boatcd
| monopoly which ~ striving ~ oxtoronte rates TO
sunpez dividends IL ~stcrcd STOCK IN I7y'
,.iy cost fG Tae message now thanks to me A.
go! T.. hr sent ~ tho western oiiuI Io p ~" ~;
winch as compared with iecgraphi1S III Europe Is stu
cxorbant II costs less to-day TO send trnS ron
one end Of England Ia she 0Ir t1Ih IL docs 10 teospu
| a simple message OF len words from ,he FIth Avenue
Could not postal telegraph system he carried on at
rates that would yield Hand:omc rrYtnhu ana ~ Vac
same place the luxTy 81 t"!egrlphins "lhih tho
power of tie poor we'll as the men MANI u v" H.
| Aeir- i oTh, Jan. !, 1877.
There is no doubt that the Encouragement and
! extortionate charges of the Telegraph companies
| have greatly stimulated public feeling Ia favor OF
postal telegraph. Neither is there any doubt that
the postal telegraph experiment in England which
after the experience OF the first month or two was
universally believed to be failure, has now proved
in maay respects great success, and has been OF
especial advantage in lowering rates. The press in
| particular have proiitel enormously by the change.
| and the prcss rates in England now absolutely
| tritlug when compared with the most favorable
| rates obtained by newspapers III this country
Nevertheless q system OF Government telegrapby
would be exposed TO especial dangers here, and we
| still believe that the original objections urged
auainst il arc likely long 10 have weight But there
ear, he no doubt that the proposed policy of the
Western Union ~ 10 the destruction OF dispatches
would be n great injury to the public, and wOnld
amount to making the telegraph company pract-
cally irresponsible. II would even be better that
the dispatches should occasionally be Oycrhauied by
= committee of Congress-u,on5trous as we believe
this invasion Of private rights to bethan that every
man who sends Il Geographic message should be left
| absolutely without redress in case of bunder Or
malicious change in its transmission. 1t will be an
amazing thing il the business community quietly
submits to what the Western Union Com mittee has
| rropoSed-Edl
| THE PLAN TO DESTROY THE ERIE CANAL.
| FACTS From HIsToRy--T rRopOSiL To- SELL THE
| CANALS IN 1S5}-DEAN RIC!GMOND'S Prophecy.
| 10 the EdttOr or The Tribune.
| SIR: Concerning the communication OF your
Correspondent c." winch ne speaks of the design OF
the New-York Central Railroad to first cripple
aud finally DESTROY the Erie Canal, permit ne to state
fcs facts. Most ~ your older reaa will remember
that the Winter OF 253 was i da!k and critical period ii
| the history Of oar STATE canals
soon after the meeting OF tho Legislature in January
which the gloomy conditi9a OF affairs was Sc: forth III
one characteristic charcoal sketches which he
produces with such spocouS ability and such faclic
rhetoric il began bc whispered about in tiaid AID
rtve way perhaps the best ana easiest solution OF
tlr knutfy Gies tions that awaited solution would DC 10
sell the CANALS.
Atlrst. as might naturally have been anticipated. this
suggestion WAS mcniy rejected but ind! Inantiy de
nouuccd. However. the session advanced and tho
operations tie Canal Board and OF the State otctr
| were Investigated ana developed, darkness fell
upon the Governors midnight. Tire eXtrayagant waste,
siuanay nrnt, and plundcrlng OF the State Treasury
had been fearful. The Chief Engineer Of the Eastern
Division OF the Erie and OF the Champiin Canal was
lmle lchod ny the Assembly, and several OF the STATE
officers barely escaped the same fate. The Assistant
Eugnecr If the Western Division Of tine Erie Canal fell
into hands Of special committee Instructed TO eN-
anne his accounts. III proportion To NE chances they
had, this robacr Caa Ring could have discounted Tweed
! and els c0adjaIcrs at their own game.
fmlncili chaos seemci 80 imminent that the whisper
iugs OF the canal sale grew MO auiblc speech The
Chairman OF the House COnrnitt'e on NGys and Means
had introduced srfc3 Of resolutions thr outcome OF
many ANXIOUS c1h'Hitht,oi9 upon 'io Governor ; PIN
cipes OF wise bnance, which were 10 DrhS lelci 10
resolutions provided Tor tax upon oanAing capital FOR
| Tie especial benefit oi the canal fnni
Tho writer happened Ia De member OF the iouSc IN
tie minority and ga the COMMITTEE " Railroads. Under
these circumstances he received an evening cal iron the
late Air. Dean Richmond. the lIto Nj. W t. Wander
WORT and or Two other Democratic gentie,nen Tho
object view. stated to tlScs5 tue situation OF
Affairs generally, but especially {" urge tho pro-
pncy W taxing thc banks to AID tho canals After some
with dr. ilcnOnd ana MS friends INC Wrtcr
ycnt4rcd 10 suggest that while nc cond Got see any
rUpurlj III TAXING Danhs Tor INC DcncHt ~ INC canals.
rc could imhy IL might he eminrntly proper 10
sqsS I. .q %. f ts AHA G,s a. c asf
should prove To bs adequate Ia sustain both
sysem, The Language, vigorous and
| rot altogether unprOianc, with which Mr.. Richmond
comatei This idea will be readily understood by those
Tnirg al las. that h. was not likely 10 -ecu, favor
able or any OF his propositions ho ended
IA