The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-10-31
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
TELEGRAPH.

AAAS0 VIC LOU eA0S AA0uy VVASOuS O.
not q few influential newspapers a
now advocating a government tel
graph" The article in question
devoted to a consideration of tt
proposition. He takes the negati,
side of the question and adduces a
array of facts and figures in suppol
of his position a. convincing as the
are c0ndid. He asks: "Can th
Government acquire, own, and opel
ate a general system of telegraphy ft
commercial uses under the Unite
powers of the constitution If sc,
there any necessity for, or probabl
advantage to be derived from, sue
undertaking by the Govern
ment? And are there nc
grave political reasons VIII,
the Government should not assum
and control this important medium
of ready and rapid communications
He then proceeds to answer them il
the order in which they are put
While admitting that European gov
ernments monopolize the telegraph
within their respective dominions
except the oceanic cable service, hs
contends that it does not necessarily
follow that the United States may
) lawfully do so. On the contrary he
holds that the grants of power under
which il is claimed that the govern
ment may assume and control the
telegraph simply empowers it Ito es-
tablish po=tofices and post roads,
and ito regulate commerce with
foreign nations and among the sew
eral States and with Indian tribes"
He further holds that if the power is
assumed under, the postal grant
the most the government car do
is to hire the transmission of mes
sages taken ut and delivered from the
postoffices, as it hires the carrying of
mails by contract. It can do no more.
The Government, he says, does
not carry the mails. 1t hires others
to carry them. 1t has never claimed
the power to build or own railroads,
or steamboats,, or even stage coaches
or to appoint employees for their op-
Grafton to carry on the postal service.
And it never has claimed this power
because it does not possess it. He
then argues that the telegraph is not
a postal service. 1T does not trans
NIT sealed packages, or original com-
munications; nor is it by any means
generally used by the people," He
then cites a decision, of the Supreme
Court Of the United States to show
that the telegraph is essentially a
part of commerce. that sits business
is commerce ITSELF" and therefore it
cannot be postal any more than the
railroads that carry the letters are
The Doctor further argues
that "the power to regulate com.
merce" does not mean, and was
never intended to mean, the power
to own the plant and carry on
commercial business between
the States; and much less to con-
duct a local traffic within. a State !
He takes the ground that was taken
by this Journal several weeks ago,
that if the Government can aprro-
pirate the telegraph and enter upon
traffic, it may also assume
TO own railroads and carry on rail-
road traffic, build steamboats, and be-
come a competitor for river and lake
'reights and enter into other enter
orises which are now controlled by
Individuals and corporations. The
Doctor further treats the subject from
! constitutional point of view and
Exclusively proves that the Govern
nent has no authority under the
sederal constitution 10 build, own,
control, equip, and operate telegraph
ines.
He then views the question from
n economical standpoint and by a
comparison oftelegraph rates between
European countries, which own and
'ontrol the telegraph, and the United
he shows that the rates
n Europe are nearly four times
tn IN they are in this coun-
~, and that messages are not trans.
nitted with the same accuracy or in
o short q time in foreign countries as
hey are here. AS evidence that the
ountries in which the telegraph is
ontrolled by the government are not
$ we'll served as here he shows that
ne aggregate mileage of telegraph
mes In Great Britain, Germany,
rance, Austria, and Hungary is but
10000 miles, while in the United ,
tates it reaches 8 5000 miles. High
ates Of toll, inaccuracy, slowness of
and an indisposition to
xtend lines are features of the Eu- /,
opean postal telegraph as carried on
y the governments, while the re-
erse is true under the American p.
of operating the lines by cor .
oratiOns p,
In referring to the dangers with >,
'hich the people of this country ,
'ould he threatened by government ,
ontrol Of the telegraph, Doctor ,
Freen says: "The argument for the ,
lonarchical governments of Europe T.
'ntrolling the telegraph was, that as
q element Of power it was a great
rejection against the plots and !
,hemes of d~isaf1ected and opposing r.,
|ements or parties. These elements. q
,reatening the stability Of the goy- 7
'nment, could not be allowed the !