The Press., 1884-03-06
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.

The postal telegraph bill have been pre- scented, and eminent advocates have been heard in committee on all sides. The con- sttutionality of government use or erec- tion of telegraph seems not to be serious ly contested The reasons for it which were urged last summer at the time of the strike are as strong and pertinent as ever. The objection that telegraphing is not proper business for the government is pointess when it is conceded that express ing and letter-carrying are its proper bus mess. Indeed, the true doctrine upon this subject is not theoretical, but practi- cal. The question of any particular prop osition of government aid IS one of expedi- ency, like that of the Ohio relief the other day. With our race and its traditions this will always be so, and the limited and proper functions of government are ques- tions of political casuistry which practical statesmanship will disregard. Jefferson, the father of this speculative school bought Louisiana without law or constitution, be- cause he wisely thought it to be expedieut for the common welfare. In the same way the government carries merchandise and books aud letters, for reasons of the highest public expediency.
 The public expediency must be incon- testable, however, and that is the ground upon which MT. Edmunds rests his plea for 8 government telegraph. "It seems to me for the best interests of the country that any appliance with which its welfare is so intimately connected as is the instan- taneous transmission of intelligence should be subject to no censorship, to no corpor- ate mans will, to no question of how 1t Is going to affect stocks, or the standing oi corporations or of persons, but it should be free to all men as the post-office is, and subject to no more espionage than the post-office." He said, also, that, in con- nection with great social questions and the increasing aggregation of wealth und'l corporate control, the government should undertake the business independently, ,sub- Ject to no contracts or arrangements witk other parties. As1he present company ol companies would not think of complaining if new company should be organized, SC they could not complain of the govern ment rivalry. It would be the object oi the government, of course, as in the post office, with due regard to its purpose, to place the service upon paying basis.
 Two objections have been offered to this scheme. One is that, as the government telegraph would be officeled and served by adherents of the administration at the time, it would be very unfair to expose al
 
 their observation. The remedy for this trouble is very simple. It is the exten. sion of the reformed system of the clvn service to the management of the telegraph, and this MT. EdmuDds proposes. The clerks would then be honest and efficient agents of the public service, and not ad- herents of the administrator. The otht objectson is that the management of the telegraph would involve an immense in- crease of patronage. The remedy for this trouble is the same. The reformed sys- tenn puts an end to patronage in it's offen- sive sense. Government control of the telegraph is the only measure which the country can at once adopt against the re- currence If disaster like that of last sum- mer. Tribunals of appeal for differences of opinion between employers and em ployes require the assent and cooperation of both sides. But government control of a postal telegraph, like control of the car riage of letters, newspapers, and parcels, is remedy at hand and practicable, aud it is one which the country is apparently willing wisely to apply.-Harper's Week- @.