The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-21
4nfuund Nispaifh.
TUESDAY AUGUST 81, 1888.
The Telegraph.

,,on recently submitted to II by the Cham
Ter Of Commerce OF New York clty-name-
IL. whether the former Chamber OF CON-
mcrce agrees with the latter In favoring
national telegraph system TO be owned and
under the control Of the General Govern
ment.
This Is large question. There are GER
tsiuiy two sides to II. But we do no. pro-
pose to discuss 1t fully to-day. ii II were
not for the fear OF the bad results OF IN
creas;ng so greatly the number OF the Gov
ernment employees there would, we De-
lieve. be such a preponderating public
oninion in favor OF the scheme as would
compel its adoption by Congress NJ once.
How many new Federal employees would
be added In Virginia? This lnterrogatory
is not so hard to answer as might at iIrst
blush be supposed. There are about two
thousand postmasters in Virginia. ana even
II their paid clerks, the letter-carriers. &c.,
he included, less than twenty-five nun
dred postal agents. There might not
be needed for long time as many
telegraph operators. But let us con-
cedc that there would be. Then
five thousand postal and telegraph agents
would be employed in Virginia, 1t will be
said: and that the number OF these agents
Is too large out Of a voting population OF
3t0. 600. Is IL? Then let us remember
that this number would be reduced by al
most half by making the postmaster and
the telegraph operator one and the same
person. For if the Government estao-
fishes national lines Of telegraph. 1t viii
make them part of the postal system, ana
viii, as far as possible, impose the duties
Of telegraph operator upon the postmaster
or cice versa.
To the Post-Oflice Department every OBJ
lection can be made that can be raised
against the proposed scheme. We cannot
think OF a single real objection to the one
which viii not apply as well TO the other.
There are among the Democrats OF the
country many who favor this scheme for
stlll further extending the monopolistic
powers ofthe Federal Government. There
are among the Republicans many who OPP
pose IL. our own belief is that national
telegraph system, controlled and owned by
The Federal Government, is certain to be
established in this country at very early
day, and, therefore. that to fight against it
is to fight against the inevitable.
i is question whether the Government
shall purchase the present lines or estab-
lish new ones. Ii seems TO us that ii would
be wlsest and best to purchase the present
lines, but to pay for them, not the amount
which watered stock might seem TO indi-
cate as fair price, but sum equal to, or
exceeding bya liberal addition, the sum
which il would cost to construct new lines
along the same routes. This question,
however. viii come up later. "First catch
your hare"
Government employees never strike for
higher wages. That is one fact to be taken
into consideration. On the contrary, they
hold on to their places with grip which
nothing but death can unloose. "Few die
and none resign" said Mr.. sJEFFERsON.
The public, therefore, will, after the Gov
erument takes charge OF the telegraphs,
suffer never again as it did during the con-
tinuarce of the recent strike. The reason
why Government employees do not strike
is, first and foremost, because the Govern
ment pays its employees literally; but, Sc
condly. because there is nobody to strike
at or against, Congress being the body
which appropriates all the money expend-
ed I'm paving Government salaries or other
Government debts.
The Federal Government is able and
willing to send telegraphic messages, as 1t
senls letters, all distances for one and the
same price. 1t is a sort Of patcnalism that
we see exemplifed in the most beneficent
institutions in the land-ramely, the postal
system and the public-school system. Rail-
roads are a different sort OF thing. and will
probably for a long time remain as now in
private hands, but even railroads will soon
be CARRYING passengers for one cent per
mile. and eventually still more cheaply.
We have said that this is a large ques-
ton; and we do not pretend to have dis
cusscd il thoroughly in this article. Far
from it. 1t woald require columns to SET
forth the arguments which could be adj
duced for and against 1t. But since we
hold that The adoption of national system
OF telegraphs to be owned and controlled
by the Government is unavoidable, and
therefore cannot be prevented by discus.
sion, 1t is not necessary from our point o.
view to discuss the subject exclusively
We appreciate its dangers, foresee its ben
efits, and are prepared TO accept the latte
and to try to avert the former.