The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-08-22
POSTAL
Senator'S Edmunds. Sherman, and Platt
Advocate It-What it Would Cost
to Establish the System.

W IA . fSlcH
under the control of the Postmaster Gen
eral. The question was discussed in tht
Senate last session while the postoficf
appropriation bill was being considered
Senators EdmOnds, Sherman, and Plat
advocated the scheme with a great dea]
of earnestness. They regarded it as of
more Importance to the public than q
reduction OF letter postage to two cents,
Mr.. Edmonds promised to bring in q
bill next session to deal with the sub
ieCt. His remarks are of especial inter
est at this time. They did not contain
one grain of comfort to the stock iobbers
in New York, whom Mr.. Edmonds
warned he was not Ia fuUor OF buuia0
eristing lines bit Of the Government con-
Structing its oaOn lines by degrees, until
every post-office in the country should
have Geographic facilities.
What the United States, said he. in
regard its postal affairs and the welfare
of its people needs to do more than any,
thing else is the construction Of a postal
telegraph, beginning moderately, be-
tween the great points in the country
and all intermediate points, and then
extending it just as we have the mail
system, as the needs of the community
and fair economy would require, until
every postoffice in the country should
have or be within immediate reach Of a
postal telegraph. That is what aught to
be done and what will be done within a
very few years, beyond all question.
But | beg the stock operators in New
York not to suppose that I, said he, am
in faver of the United States buying QUO
any, telegraph company anywhere. |
am in favor Of the United States build
inp Its own nncta1 fa1arran nj o,,J ,,,on
ageing 1T IN its W way, and leaving
the gentlemen who are engaged in pri-
vate pursuits to pursue their operations
in their W way as private pursuits.
We introduced into the postal system
not long ago a provision for carrying
merchandise, but we did not think it
necessary to buy up the operators of the
Adams Express Company, OF the South
ern Express Company, or the Union
Express Company, or the United States
Express Company, and so on, although
what we did very seriously diminished
their profits and impaired their business.
Every thing that the United States does
operates III that way upon the interests
OF its private cltizens-every thing eX-
pect the appropriation for money direct
ly. We cannot build a ship, we cannot
build q postoffice, we cannot do anything
in the way of 1urthering the material
interests of this country that does not by
just so much interfere with the opera
lions of the people engaged in that kind
OF transactions; there is no doubt about
that. Therefore [ do not wish anybody
to take up the idea that when CAS- / hope
| shall be able to do if somebody else
does not at the session of the next conf
gress [ propose the initiation of a postal
telegraph for the United States that en-
wolves not in anyway dealing with any
existing or to exist telegraph company,
but envolves the simple proposition Of
authorizing the Postmaster General to
buy the poles and the wires and the ma
chimes and set up his first lines along the
great post routes of the country, north q,
and south and east and west, and then
as time goes Oh, and economy will war
rant it, the extension of them to every
hamlet in the country. Electricity is !
just as much a part of the Force of Ma (
ture and Of this world for the transmits
SION of intelligence as a locomotive is or !
as the old post-horse was, and it is too +,
late at this day to say that because the !;
world has advanced in the means of dis :
semlnating intelligence, the telegraph, .
under the Constitution of the United .
s,tates, is not an appropriate means of :
ae postal system just as much as it is to =
transmit letters. y
Senator Plat said:
The telegraph to-day is the rich mans t
mail. The time is coming, and it is t
|1astening rapidly, when people shall \
demand that it shall be brought within :
me reach of every individual in the !
land. Fl
senator Sherman looked the q postal Il
lelegfaph as gilmore importance than the .
opposition to reduce letter postage. :.
me government, he said, might du- II
aplcate all the wires and all the means of b
"a radhHsYportation by electricity for about RI
Ig,V9O 900 to $25, O0O, 900, yet there is i
Law levied upon the people of the Unit "
\ States over $40, 900, 900 a year for tel o.
AsIaphlc purposes. This sum could be b.
Aned to the people if the government ia
Tanollshed a postal telegraph. -
ne urged p%ostponing the elimination =
Puollc revenue by reduced postage p'
uul the question could be considered hi
broader sense and they could see &C
Inetner we could not by use of a little be
H %ney 40 a great good by assuming the !
TTgfaphlc business of the country. IA
n nae strike and its consequent evils dc
4s%sl nave a great influence on those III
Ssnlen who have opposed such a pro- he
Inob ia the ground that it placed too -
mi power in the hands of the ruling pe
1%. Uncle Sam, as experience Of the On
Mew days has abundantly proved, is ez
II i 70 be trusted than the magnates of M
1ISsseet. He is a liberal paymaster, he
mnmefe would be no strikes under his III
~se1ent. If a comprehensive mea- no
\ brought forward next session e.,
8snn9 little doubt of its passage in spite h1
HaTo;. ~ liat wv all SIfoeC ca1O fSan- q 4