Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-25

Mr. Edmunds on the Postal Telegraph.
On Thursday of last week Senator Ed
munds appeared before the Senate committee
on post offices and post roads and gave his
views on the subject of the postal telegraph
IN his usual clear and forcble way. Mr.. Ed.
munds is perfectly satisfied that Congress has
the constitutional power to do what is pro.
posed in the way of establishing postal tel
cgraph, and in any of the forms that have
been proposed. He therefore did not waste
any time in arguing the constitutional ques
ton, but proceeded at once to consider
whether government telegraph service
would promote the general welfare and inter
ests of the people. On this point the Sena-
tor has no doubt. I'm this age of the world. -"
he said, the telegraph is essential so far as
it respects military operations, the welfare of
the country, the happiness of the people, ill
Simultaneous communication between citizens.
relatives and friends in distant parts of the
country on subjects of domestic solicitudr,
like sickness and death, and every species of
family intelligence. The expediency of the
government providing for this means of COM
muncaton, he thinks, is beyond doubt He
believes that sit is essential at this time, and
growing more and more so in connection with
great social questions and the aggregate of
vast sums of money under corporate power.
that this business should be taken in hand
by the government" Senator Edmunds holds
that the best plan is for the government to
build its own lines, and this plan is embodied
in the postal telegraph bill introduced by him
at this session of Congress- What is wanted
is healthy competition, and the Edmunds
bill wisely provides for this by declaring that
nothing in this act shall be construed to
prohibit individuals or corporations from car
rying on the business of operating telegraph
lines" Mr.. Edmunds would begin lust as if
there were not telegraph line in the world
and build four trunk lines. Provision il
made in his bill to take property, where it is
refused, under the force and forms of law. 80
that there could be no Injunction and no
blockade. Edmunds said that probably in
the first six months an effort would be made
to block the government by every variety of
legal proceeding, but if the trunk lines are
once established, the existing companies will
be willing to sell their branch lines at reason.
NbAp BAAbNn having buhl OLA thousand miles
of line Mr.. Edmunds would be willing to ne.
gotiate for the purchase of the remaining
rights of tine companies with their patents
etc. "The telegraph companies" he said
"do not think it is possible to get postal
telegraph bill through Congress. They do
not mean to let you do it, and they do not
expect that you are going to do it. Thew
think that they have their hands on the tbrot.
tie, so that it is impossible for Congress to
move without their consent But the wav N
do is to begin. To run the postal telegraph
will not increase the present number of GOV
eminent employees more than one third. The
civil service provision of the bill takes these
operatives out of oil political channels" II
found necessary or desirable Mr.. Edmunds
would take the telephone AID use it in con-
nection with the telegraph. A strong senti.
ment in favor of postal telegraph is unmis-
takably developing, and it is to be hoped that
Mr.. Edmunds and the men who share his
views will be able to give it definite form.