Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-08-15
posrAL

The impetus recently given to the dis
of postal telegraphy has recalled
to the front all the old arguments on both
sides, with variations and amendments.
Undoubtedly the pending controversy
between telegraph companies and their
employees has not only intensified the
zeal of those who have heretofore advo-
Gated the establishment and use of what
we may call electric mail routes, but has
made many new converts to their theory
or proposition.
The strongest argument against postal
te~legraphy, and the only one which
stands in the way Of it's immediate
adoption, is that it would add many
thousands to our already enormously re-
dundant list Of public officials and en-
ployes. There is certainly great weight
in this objection, and those who hold to
the democratic theory Of q simple,
economical government, a government
powerful enough to prevent the strong
from expressing the weak. but interior
ing with the individual citizen and his
business as little as possible, must COM
mand the attention Of thoughtful per-
sons when they protest against q vast
addition to ''the horde Of ~stipendiaries
and salaried men who devour the sub
stance Of the people,"
Our theory Of government is that the
people rule through their servants; that.
inasmuch as it is impracticable for all
the people to take part directly in
making, interpreting and executing the
laws, they select agents to do this work
for them; that these agents, from the
President of the United States down to
the junior apprentice in a navy yard or
an armory, are the hired servants of the
whole people, obeying the orders of the
people as written in the constitution and
the statutes.
If this theory held good in practice-if
it we're not q delusion and a ~snare-there
would be no danger in an increase OF the
number of hired men, and we could safely
experiment; could put on or take of men
at the will of their masters. But expert
ence has shown that our public servants
are our rulers, and that it is easier to add
a thousand to their number than to take
one from it.
1t is this lesson OF experience which
makes prudent statesmen hesitate when
asked to favor any proposition which
increases the number of officials and aug
ments the power of the Federal machine.
They have learned that this mechanism, as
its strength has increased, has become
more and more anti. democratic, more
and more disinclined to recognize
that it is the creature of the people
and has gradually assumed imperial
airs and an u~ndisguised contempt for all
the true belongings Of a democratic
republic.
If the relations between the people
and those who served them in official ca
pacities were correctly understood and
faithfully maintained, government would
be run on business principles, and
changes in the personnel and number of
public servants could be made as readily
as if the employing party were one man
or a corporation. A revival of denoc-
racy in the true sense Of the word is the
only thing that can check the rapid
progress of aristocratic, oligarchical and
monarchical practices.
To those who urge that the establish.
ment Of postal telegraphy would be a
new departure, the adoption of q new
principle in our Government, we have to
suggest that the proposed change would
be but following out, in regular order.
the course started on when the first
post route was established and the first
mail carrier in the United States mount.
ed his horse or mule and started on his
road with . mailbag strapped to the
saddle. When steam was employed in.
stead of horsepower to transport mails
the Improvement was but the proper use
of improved facilities. If it 10 right for
the Government to take charge of such
private business as carrying messages
and we don't suppose this question will
be raised at this late day-it is certainly
right to do the work well; and, to do it
well. must not the fruits Of scientific
progress be utilized! Is there not un-
answerable logic in the proposition OF
the advocates Of postal telegraphy that
it is, in all respects. just a. necessary
and proper for electricity to partly 81.
persede steam ~ it wa for steam to
partly supersede the horsef Why
should the Government occupy . week
in doing = thing that can be done in an
hours Why say to . citizen: "We will
haul your message to San Francisco by
steam, and we will not let anybody else
haul it; but if you can't wait for our
slow coach, 60 to Mr.. Gould and he will
wire it there in . few minutes"
These are the strong arguments on
both sides, and they will be repeated in
. thousand shapes in the Houses Of Con-
gress next Winter. To us it seems evil
dent that there is . strong tendency to-
wards the contamination aimed at by
the advocates Of postal t~elegraphy.
When it comes its great advantages will
be . d~eep.seated and background
ed apprehension Of bad results from .
vast increase of the number of Office
holders.