Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-17
Popular Expressions on an All
Important Topic.
The Purchase Of Existing Lines
Will Not Be Tolerated.
Postal Telegraphy a Necessity.
Froa The Public. New York.


plan is that government shall estab
hsh lines st first between the princi.
pal poSeothses, and Sfterward TO other
points as taSs a. may be consistent
with s reasonable economy, until il
shall eventually De enabled to send
any letter to its destination BY wire il
the sender chooses 70 pay s moderate
additional charge. AT = great number
OF places the same persons could act
as pestmaSterS and telegraphers, ex>
ira expense for Offices wOnld not be
required; the right TO establish post
routes would be invoked to secure
rights OF way 1T very low cost. and
thus, without interfering with exist
ing lines for telegraph or railroad pur
poses, the public would obtain 4 sep.
arate telegraphic system in no way
connected with the jobs of the stock
market and forever preventing a
monopoly in telegraph service.
Constitutional objections to this
plan are hardly to be considered, since
lawyers so sound and conservative as
Senators Edmunis and Sherman have
committed themselves to it. Senator
Platt, of Connecticut, also q lawyer OF
high rank, advocated the same meas
ure very ably, but with the notion
that, in order to establish a postal
system, the government would pur
chase the lines of the existing com
psnies. That plan would meet and
ought TO meet, a determined opposi
ton The great merit of Mr.. Ed,
munds' proposition is that it secures
the country against q monopoly. We
want no monopoly in this business,
whether in the hands of the govern
ment or Of corporations. There is
safety only in preserving permanently
two competing systems, either OF
which must depend for its revenues
and its very existence upon rendering
service with promptness and fidelity.
The government itself absolutely
needs a telegraphic system for its own
protection. This will not seem the
language of exaggeration when it is
considered that the ordinary enforce
ment of laws, the capture of offenders,
the success of fiscal operations, the
Of the country against do
nestle insurrection or foreign invasion
have come to depend in these days
upon the instant transmission of in
telligence with certain and absolute
secrecy. 1t may at any time come to
pass that the private interests Of those
controlling a telegraph system shall
require the non enforcement of tie
law, the escape of criminal, the pres
vention or delay of a financial opera
ton, or the partial success OF domes
tic outbreak or a foreign inrOad. 1t is
nonsense to say that this cannot hap
pen If Mr. Gould could suppress for a
few hours or days news Of an outbreak
on the Pacific coast, or of the depart
ure OF hostile ironelad from Europe,
be could make millions by it The gov.
eminent las 20 certainty that he would
give up millions. 1t hes no certainty
that its orders bearing on great fnan-
eisl operations may not be betrayed
aud its aims thwarted. When the
government was hunting for Star
Route offenders how many would
have been caught if its dispatches had
been secretly betrayed? An import'
ant witness happened to be govern
ment director OF the Union Pacific
railroad, and it has always been mys
terious fact that the officers in search
Of him could never catch him. The
has been blamed for
that Who knows that the administra
ton was at oil 10 taHl9 On the other
hand a monopoly in the hands Of the
government would be equally danger
Gus to the people, There is no need
Of arguing this point-Amerieans in-
stincliVely realize its force. Ameria
cans do not mean TO give power TO any
onG party 10 such shape that they shall
never haze an equal chance to take it
back il they eh0ose. Therefore they
will not tolerate a government monop'
oily Of telegraphic service.
More broadly, the people in their
political capacity absolutely need two
complete systems. Phis country needs
two parties, 10 o5dsr to make the
government pure aud healthy. But
it will soon be seen that there cannot
be two parties with a chance OF sue
aass for either, il there are not two
competing telegraphic systems neither
OF which can eyer buy. absorb or
crush out the other The government
will have no temptation to earn lsJge
dividends on watered stock. and the
competition will at oil events keep
down the charges for telsgraphic SER
vice 10 reasonable figure,
The main reason for a change is not
economy. nor relief from the POSSIBLE
ity Of strikes; it is the public safety.
A double system of telegraph lines,
that can never be consolidated, secret
ly bought up, conducted for Gtockjob-
bling ends, or crushed out in compcti-
ton, has become q national, public
and political necessity. We do not
agree with Mr. Edmunds that the
postal system should be constructed
little By little. Government can sell
three per cent bonds at par, and the
revenues from the wires will pay the
interest as fast as the system can be
extended. II there is need, thsFe is
need now. lit Is the right OF the
people in their capacity asa nation
and as individuals to have their choice
of two servants, with respect to secre
cy, certainty and speed, the sooner
they have that choice the better.
The ArhansaW squash.