Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-12-04
THURSDAY. DECEl
Strong Argument Against q
Postal Telegraph.

The postal telegraph idea does iloi
seem to have gained mucl, ground in
public esteem since Postmaster General
| Howe argued in favor of it in his aInu-
al report two years ago. This is large
ly due to the fact that the scheme has
received no encouragement from Presi-
dent Arthur With few sensible and
| well-chosen words the President set
| aside the recommendations of Mr. Howe
in 1882, and last year he repeated his
objections to a postal telegraph operat-
ed either as Government monopoly
in connection with the mail service, or
in competition with private enterprise.
Last year, too, the Postmas ter General,
Mr.. Gresham, while holding that Con-
gress had the constltut ionai right to as
sumo control of the business, shared
the Presidents conviction that it would
be bad policy to adopt any of the plans
for the establishment of postal tele-
graph.
There is no reason to suppose that
President Arthur has changed his
views on the subject since his last an
nual message went to Congress. Right
ly or wrongly, however, the present
hean of the Post Office, Mr.. Frank
Hatton, is credited with an ambition
to dis tinguisls himself as the Father of
Postal Telegraphy in the United States.
If that is so the fact will probably ap-
III, fn,fh ", 10,
is MIR. Hatton's first, last, and only
chance to give his opinions tie weight
Of official recommendation.
Events since election day have add
ed another very strong argument
against Government control Of the tel
egraph wires. A Government tele-
graph monopoly means the absolute
control of the system by the party in
power, and the dangerous opportunity
to use it as a political instrument in
delaying or falsifying the returns after
a close election. In order to make clear
the possibilities in this direction it is |
not necessary to expose the absurdity
of the wild charges brought against
the Western Union Company and the
Press by the friends of AR. |
Cleveland duringthe recent excitement. |
1t is enough to understand what might |
in fact, have been accomplished had
there been powerful disposition on
the part of those controlling the cham
nels of intelligence to withhold the
e,,. Of al or
er and better-founded suspicion of foul
play on the part of the managers of
the telegraph might easily have led to
serious trouble. There is no doubt
wires absolutely IN the hands of des-
Derate partisans. Republicans or DEM
,crats, the telegraph system could be
20 used as either to defeat the popular
perhaps precipitate civil war.
Does anybody believe that Govern
nent telegraph would not be used for
III that it was worth by the party in
possession of the wires, batteries, in
'trum ents, and bulletin boards? Sup
bose that Grant and his creatures had
,een intrenched in power at Washing
ON at the time of the recent election,
md that the management of Mr..
3laine's interests had been in the hands
# bold, desperate and constituencies
nen like the conspirators who, with
he aid Of tie NeW York Times, de-
iantly proclaimed the election of Hayes
m the morning after November Z. 1876,
md followed up that false claim by the
cries of crimes that resulted in the in
uguration of the defeated candidate.
suppose that the apparatus for report
ng the returns had been entirely un-
Ter the control of the party whose hold
n power was threatened by a plurality
{ a few hundred votes. With the
ews of probable defeat at first exclu-
lively in the possession Of the defeated, I
With every opportunity at their dispos-
/ for Withholding or falsifying the fig :
res until manipulation and corruption
ad done their work, with every agent s
f the telegraph service Republican
whose continuance in office
expended upon the success Of the con- ,
piracy to overthrow the true result of |
he election, does any body doubt that
he attempt would have been made? :
,ne of two things would have happen i
Il. We should hav. had another e
President, OF we should
lave had fighting in the streets. !
Let every patriotic American be /
thankful that the perils already sur
our electoral machinery have
ot been increased by the addition of +
his great element of danger. All of {
he benefits that the people could pos
IDLY derive from Government mo-
opoly of the telegraph would be q
as compared with the dam Il
sc which such an institution might I
,ork in single night after doubtful !
Dntest at the polls. .
BuckIen.s Arn1ca SaIve.
The BEST SALvE in the world for Cuts, e