Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-12
THAT LEGRA FRAUD.


stolen through the legislature of THU
state at the late session, was o tele
graph bill which was composed Of tive
bills, one introduced by Senator Con
ner and the other by Mr.. Whedon, o.
Lancaster. Daring the labor which
brought forth what Is called q law
these two bills underwent the matri'
monial process of being merged into
one. The act Is entitled an "act to
prevent extortion and discrimination
In the transmission of dirpatches," but
this title does not express tie object
of the bill, as its contents clearly
show. II would fall and fall on this
ground alone In any court not organ
lied to Ignore IN express provision ct
the constitution Of the state, which
says that mo bill shall contain more
than one subj cot, and the same shall
DO clearly expressed In the title. We
copy the comments of the State jour.
nal upon the contents of this ''ine1-
pressibly ridiculous" law, which rid
dies the abortion 80 completely as to
leave nothing to be added, except Mr.
James NJ. Woolworth's legal opinion,
whi,h is said to exterminate 1t utterly,
as tho most hungling attempt at legis.
lation which the mob department of
the late Legislature ever undertook
Omaha Herald.
$50 far ~ anybody has ever heard, there
Is no discrimination made in telesraphic
dispatching on public lines. The railroad
companies have usually lines OF their own
and accommodate themselves first, and
afterwards carry messages for the public,
when they have their wires open. In this
private accommodation Of the railroad
lines we have heard no complaints of dig
elimination, however. But these ines are
not common carriers, 80 far as we are In
formed, and could not be without defeating
the object for which they are primarily
erected, to-wit: TO enable the officers and
employees ct every point on the railroad to
communicate i~nstantaneously with each
other at an emergency. To attempt to
force these lines to become common car.
riers, and serve all met sages as a barber
serves his customers. each. one In turn,
would be- to destroy railroad management,
as conducted OF present." y Lincoln Jour
nal.
As usual our amiable contem.
poraries have mads themselves mex
pressibly ridiculous by an exhibition
Of malice and ignorance. They affect
great contempt for the bungled tele-
graph bill when In fact they are badly
scared. DR.. Miller strikes put wildly
In charging that the bill was composed
Of two bills which were merged into
one and bungled in the matrimonial
process. As q matter of fact the bill
in question Is word for word the bill
introduced by Senator Conner. Not g
syllable was changed In 1t from the
time 1t was introduced to Its final pas.
sage.
Mr.. James M. Woolworth's legal
opinion may utterly exterminate till
legislation, because as attorney of the
Western Union Telegraph company
he may DO expected to resist its on
forcement. But James M. Woolwortt
while on the floor of the house when
this bill was up, expressed himself dc
oidedly In favor of some Legislation
that would enforce upon telegraph
companies accountability to their pat
rons for bungled delayed or lost mes
sages.
This Is the main purpose of tn,
act, coupled with proper safeguards t,
prevent extortion, Discrimination
and favoritism. But the .LAnooll
Journal riddles tho abortion whicl
would deprive 1t and Its associates o
special privileges BY boldly taking tn
ground that there Is no discrimins
ton In the telegraph business and b
the reckless assertion that the tele
graph lines belonging to Nebraska rail-
roads r private concerns, mar
aged for their own convenience
He asserts positively that they are no
common carriers, and any attempt t.
force them to serve all messages ss
barber serves his customers would b
to destroy railroad management. Fc
the benefit of these monopolists "
will quote from the national statute
that relate to the two great trunl
lines, the Union Pacific and B. & M
a. we'll as the Sioux City & Pacific.
These corporations were all cha
tered under the act Of July 1st, 1876;
entitled san act to aid In the COL
structlon of q railroad and Telegram
line from the Missouri river to tn
Pacific ocean," This act authorize
the consolidation of the then existin
Pacific Telegraph line from Omaha I
San Francisco with the ~railros
telegraph lines under condition {
the original telegraph charter. TIL,
made these lines common carrier
But the act Of 1864, amending tn
original charter, contains the follow
Ing proviso:
SECTION Is. And be Il further enacte
that the several companies authorized
construct the aforesaid roads are hereb
required to operate and use said roads M
telegraph for all purposes Of oommunici
tion, &c., as one continuous line and
such operation TO afford and secure to eac
equal advantages and facilities as to rate
&C, And It shall not be lawful for th
proprietors Of any telegraph authorized b
this act, or the aot amended by this &C
to refuse or fail to convey for all person
requiring the Transmission of ness and mel
ago Of like character, on pain of f~orfeltin
to the person iniurad, for each offense th
sum Of 500 rand such other damage ss b
may have suffered on account Of said r,
fusAl and failure, to be sued In any coul
OF the United States, or any state or terri