Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-10-27


November prox. there is > strong article
by DR.. Norvin Green on 'sThe Govern.
ment and the Telegraph" He presents
the subject well analysed and discusses
it clearly. A brief summary Of his argu-
ment will not be out Of place, as the
question Of . Government telegraph is
occupying the public mind to . consider.
able extent already, and will very proba.
bly, come up for investigation by Congress
at its next session in December.
DR.. Green inquiries first as to the power
of the Government to engage in tele.
graphing. He argues that it would be
contrary to the Constitution of the
United States. in which no such right
appears delegated to the General Gov
eminent. He considers these two grants
of power in Section s of Article l of the
Constitution:
ITO establish Postofices and post
roads,"
$40 regulate commerce with foreign
nations, and among the several States,
and with the Indian tribes"
He deems it inconsistent to assume
that the Government may build and
equip telegraph lines under such . grant
IS the first quoted-a right which no one
has ever yet claimed for it in the present
system of postal service. But if the
Government entered into telegraphing it
would Of necessity come to this, a. it
would absorb the entire business, no
private enterprise being able to compete
with it. The telegraph and . postal
service are widely dissimilar in . number
of respects, hence the former cannot be
considered as falling under the grant Of
the latter.
As to the grant contained in the second
clause, the Supreme Court has decided
that Congress has ''only power to regu.
late with foreign nations and
among the States" But the great mass
Of the telegraph business is done within
State lines. As to business Of this class
the Supreme Court has held that it is not
Subject to the regulation Of Congress"
The principle, if carried out to its legiti-
mate conclusion, would end in this: That
the Government may carry o. railroad
traffic, keep for trade warehouses and
grain elevators, and open baker shops ~
well.
The power proposed for exercise by the
Government is contrary to the Act Of
Congress of 1866. by which q contract
was made with those telegraph COM
panies that built their lines over the pub.
lie land. In consideration for certain
privileges Of timber for building. ETC.,
granted them, these companies bound
themselves to transmit Government mes.
sages at greatly reduced rates, and
always ahead of private dispatches. The
Government has had the full benefit of
this contract for the last sixteen years,
and in order to avoid it now it must pur-
chase the said telegraph lines according
to the conditions of the statute Of 1866.
The next head under which DR.. Green
presents the subject is that of policy.
He claims that the present system oil
telegraphy in this country is superior in
every way to telegraphy under any gov
eminent administration. He offers in
evidence this table of mileage of tele.
graph lines:
In Great Britain ............. 2 5000
Au 0otmeuy 4l,UUU
In france $4,000
In Austria and Hungary ......... 81 10000
In the United States. ........... 180, O00
From which it appears that in this
country private enterprise has caused
the establishment of about $4,000 miles
Of telegraph lines in excess Of the ag-
gregate mileage in all these great Eu.
ropean countries. A comparison demon.
strates that in wire and office facilities
for conducting the business of telegraphy
the people Of the United States have
. very great advantage generally over
those of any country having . Govern
ment telegraph system. The service in
this country he claims, and seems to
show pretty satisfactorily, is superior to
all others in expedition, low rates and
accuracy.
n. 49, Att .