The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-02-06
STATES POSTAL GELEaRApH:

We have received the prospectus, charter
and bill before congress, of the United
States postal telegraph company, with the
request that we would examine the same and
If we favor the movement aud The legisla-
ton asked for, to give it such prominence aa
will populsrizs it in the minds of our readers
We propose to give the matter some little
prominence, but we are not prepared AS vet
at least, TO "popularize itin theminds of our
readers" There Is much that can be said
for and against this proposition. Since tho
threc great rival telegraph companies of 'ho
country have consolidated and formed a
huge monopoly, there is no question but
that any movement toward competition
ought TO be encourage. The commercial in.
teresls of tho country are of too vital i'm.
porianoo to bo in any wiso or measure at the
mercy of any monopoly, and that biography
is one of the grand adjuncls of commerce., one
OF its most valuable servants, is beyond doubt
Then II any measure can DO iuaugurated 10
prevent this valuable servant" from assum-
Ing position where il can DO insoent or in
tractabe. why it ought by all means to be
done, But we have doubts about postal
telegraph company in any shape it may tske.
We cannot oopcede that there can be any
emergency, any circumstance or combination
OF circumstances save perhaps in time of
war, that will justify the federal
government in usurpng m author-
ty. According 20 our conception
OF the letter and spirit of tho constitution,
congress cannot establish postal telegraph
owned and operated by the government. We
do not believe that the federal government
Is authorized to do anything in tho line Of
internal Improvements, TO appropriate sin
gle dollar of the public money Tor any pur-
pose MT expressly end explicitly got forth in
the constitution. If thore is anything in
that much abused md outraged instru,
ment that even SOU authority
on the part of the United States
government to invest the public funds in a
railroad, or cacal or telegraph line then
wedo not understand plain English or the
import of the English language. This
scheme in question, however, on lis face has
the appearance of a private enterprise. 1t
Is chartered by tho s.ete of Iowa, and the
legislation the company asks of congress, is
authority to construct It's lines in all the ter
ritory forming the United States, aud owned
byis,etc;to run itslincs into all postofllces and
to mske II a part of the duty of the post.
mastsr'general to control and manage the
service of the country, fourth assistant
postmaster general to be created for this i'm
mediate daty; to fix the rate Of tariff, which
Shall not exceed twenty cents for each mes
sage OF twenty words, and as bar TO its dis
posal of its franchises or property by sale or
leise, 1t shall donate to the United States
government one-hslf its capital, as II NAV
from time to time issue the same. The com.
pany does not ask cent of appropriation
from nor dollar of expense by the United
States government Where the postal mari
ofthe concern comes in, is the interesting foa.
tura of the measure. Any person can send 8
messagethrough the post-ofIlce, for which he
is.chsrged two-cent postAI telegraph stamp
and one cent for drop delivery, and the gov
eminent then as'umes the responsibilitv of
the correct transmissal of the delivery and its
safe delivery. We cannot SEQ how this will
benefit the postal service of the
I ountry any, or where tho benefits arc
TO come from to the government II as.
sumes avast deal of responsibility; grants
right OF way throughout its length and
breadth; makes numerous guarantees; fur.
nishes Office room in its various postoflces
and all the benefit We can see that tho gov.
eminent itself can derive is in the sale of not
excoeding three cents worth of stamps on
20 G message that person may elect 10
sepdt rough the postofIlce and assume, the
responsibility Of the correct transmissa,
and safe delivery of the message. Nov
howis the government to be responsible
jim this thing If "a" sends through the
Ipostolhca message TO ''B" five hundred
miles away that cotton is worth 10 cents for
fniddling and orders thousand bales pur.
chased At that price, and when ''B" receiyes
'ho message It eais 10 cents and he buys at