Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-25
SENATOR EDMuNDs on A GOVERNMENT
TELEGRAPH

SENAlOH EbMt MIS- w a Wv bhH NEN |
TELEGRAPH.
Senator Edmunds appeared before the
Senate committee on posollices, Thursday,
and made an elaborate argument on the sub
iect of government telcgraphy. Being ''pcr-
fectIy satisfied that Congress has the con-
stitutoual power to do what is proposed, and
In any of the forms that have been proposed, "
Senator Elmunds proceeded at once 10 con-
| slider whether government telegraph SET
vice would promote the general welfare aud
interest of the people. On this point he has
no doubt "ln this age Of the world he
said, "thc telegraph /, essential SO far as it
respects military operations, the welfare of
the county, the happiness Of the people,
| instantaneous communication between cti-
zens, relatives aud friends in distant parts of
the country on subjects of domestic solic-
itudc, like sickness and death, and every
species O! family intelligence The eX-
lpcdiency Of tie government providing for
this means Of communication, he thinks, is
beyond doub Senator Edmuuds main
tanned that the best plan is for the govern
n'on' !" "u'i' Tvs ''"' ""N'' "''''o
ton is permitted BY provision that "noth.
ing in this act shall be construed to prohibit
individuals or corporations from carrying on
the business of operating telegraph lines.
Senator Edmuuds does not believe that the
government could now buy out existing
,r,,o,;oso or,. roir or rcoe,rohIn u,icn
,.-,.,.,,..,,.
anu therefore lie o'i'e'e' 'lHV II s''''''u Jun"
its own lines.
Senator Edmunls's argument occupies
1.-Two, oIoso,v-ori,,.l ,,,un,rs of ,br New
Wv
ork Herd@. Inc lnHpWlhH IS AZ aoS'rac'
of 1t:
Senator Elnunds said the study he had
. given thc matter for one or two years had
, Led him tn tho conclusion that Congress hac
-, the constitutional rlwer to do what is PRO
noscd and in any one of the several form.
| nronoscd In rrnlv TO the question; Is il
Q cynedicnt for tLe Interests of the peoplc ? Mr.
Edmunds held that the government, na,iona
and Sta,e combined. was. AS the Constitu
tion snys ..institu,cd to promotc the genera
e welfare" and whatever was wlthir
e the scopc of the objects that wcr,
, given 10 the control Of Congress
either INDEPENDENTLY of the States OF
copcurrcntly with them all look, of course
e to lis general welfare. lie thought il unnec
;. essorv TO spend time in order to convince thu
committee that the telegraph in this are o
,, the world was more essential to the safety o
Il The country time OF war or in time Of
o ncace than any other service. "Thc pe0pl
engaged IN tejerraphic operations he said
"nrr1e to inc that il is unjust to them tina
Congress should enter the field or what the,
Il call competition with private business, bat i
C | I am right in what have said RESTRICTING tn
y Inherent constitutional power Of Congress
~, that sort of business fpllsto he nroUnd.T
Il did not nnncar n him tha, there was an,
r inst ground for the corporaticu-cI vii
II saw c0rnoration." he ad,lei "becauso i
y if comes TO tbat-ihere il only one il
fine counirv amounting to ANYTHING. and lll
Aaron. rod. il swallows M all other rod
l. thai anncar on the surface OF the carth") +
# COMPLAIN that Congress is doing somctIin
lioiurious to its nriyatc interests Not in tn
slightest. His proposition was not to prl
hi6it the transmission of telerraphic com
l, munication nv any p,iya,e persop. but t.
n Inavc all as they are establishei in the bust
= ness and TO 90 and compcte and carry o
II their operations exactly as they have bee
n doing lie EXPLAINED that under his bill tn
N government could take propclty whic
"a could not he bought. 50 as not t
=. have any blockade OF iniunctions on iii
l. mart Of ANYBODY. he tbounht that
a # the government couId buv III
n nroDerty OF the Western Union com
u surface Of the earth, it would be an exec
1