National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-08
EVARTS'S SPEECH.
An Argument Against the Establishment Of a
Postal Telegraph System,
Tho Right OF the Government to Make
such n System Denied.


Western Union Telegraph company. made an
argument before the senate committee on
postoffices and postroads yesterday in oppo-
sition to the establishment of postal tele-
graph system. He assumed that the three
bills before the committee must be considered
as presenting all that was thought wise or
practicable to be accomplished in the public
interest. While they were exceedingly
diverse in their provisions they contained
ono feature in common, they were all tenta-
tive aud irresolute. The promoters of either
would admit that there was to be developed
in tho attempt to set them at work difficulties
that could not now be foreseen. Should
either tomorrow become q law, the problem
of government control of tho telegraph
would not be solved. He thought he
was justified in saying that neither
measure undertook to provide for the
long interim of time that must elapso before
there was government service, and all that
time there was situation which disorganizod
the private systems. How was tho telegraph
business to be performed at all during that
interim? The conclusion must he thought
be reached that the government must abstain
from any proprietary Intervention in the
business, and limit its effort to governing tho
telegraph by law, or else, when il is ready to
undertake the work, take the unimpaired
unbroken service, without an hours inter
ruption, so that the system might 20 on and
on with the mastery and control changed
into the public administration. He took up
the three measures separately for analysis.
With reference to the Edmunds BILL he said
1t provided for governmental system with.
out disturbing the private lines. II authorized
the government to take patents aud
everything but lines. To the suggestion
why not buy the lines? you take every
thing else," Mr.. Edmunds had said there was
no tribunal that he would trust to do justice
between the United States on the one hand
and the Western Union on the other.
well, If justice could not be DONE did IL
follow that injustice should be done?' He
would agree that tho price would be larger
fixed on tho principles Of justice, than it
would be If it was fixed on the principles of
force. If fixed upon the intact property that
was sought to be preserved for the public use,
without n break. than it would be il the
property was to be shattered aud depressed
until the fragments only remained to be
valued. By force the property might be de-
pressed until it was so low that some tri-
bunal might safely be left to deal with il.
Even Mr.. Edmunds thought that ultimately
the President and his cabinet advisors might
be trusted to fix price upon the remnant.
Referring to tho Dawes bill, he said il
created q monopoly secured by law. Beside
use Of public property at a comparatively
nominal sum, it was to have the right and
the power to aggregate into its posses
sions and for its profit this entire business of
telegraphing. 1t was to be limited to per
cent. profit on its stock, and after that its
earnings were to 10 to the increase of its
property or the reduction of rates at the
option Of the company. What more had the
Western Union in the feature of monopoly
than this? All the freedom Of competition
and every impulse to perform the service to
the best advantage of its patrons was here to
be stricken down. This company OF favored
names with 100000 In cash in its till and
this immense property given to IL by this
legislation in the use of the postoffice system
cent. income and its indefinite application of
greater earnings to an enlarged capital to get
per cent. still and still.
With respect to Senator Hills bill, he said
it was a gradual encroachment upin the tele-
graph interests, like the encroachment of the
bear upon Munchahsen. 1t admitted that at
least some sanitaisle arrangement ssSslS s be
ernment interfered in the matter at all. 1t
did not take by force.
He argued at considerable length that the
government had no right of eminent domain
in tho states The war power did not confer
the right to say that n citizen held his prop
erty at too high o price, and tho government
might, therefore, take it at valuation es-
tablished by arbitration. 1t could acquire no
property for governmental control except by
consent of the states. The power to carry
the mails by rail or coach had never been
extended to the government where the ener-
gies aud resources of the people were at its
service. Whom the service was endangered
by the grasping p0wer Of railroads power had
been given the government to regulate the
matter. The feature of private contracts for
the forwarding of individual communica-
tions, to be delivered at the moment of re-
coipt under penalties for delay and violation
OF contract, was no part OF the postal system.
There was no analogy between our system
of appointments to office and those of foreign
| governments. The latter were originally the
source of power, and the people had gradually
| acquired certain rights by insisting upon
| them. Here the reverse was true. The
appointments would be complicated with
minor political oounsels as to whether change
of the telegraph operator was for the good Of
the neighborhood or of the party.
In establishing governmental system there
| were two interests to be considered construct
ion and maintenance. In illustration of the
| ability of the government in the matter of
construction, he referred to the naval depart
ment. He believed that by q concurrence
| between the discussions in congress and pub
lie opinion it was admitted that our navy had
| been built down to the waters edge.
1t was a system in which men accumulated
and men decayed. Again, the custom house
at Chicago was still unfinished, although
since it was begun the city had been burned
down and rebuilt around it by private enter
| prise. When it came to administration, IL
the government actually carried on the tele-
graph. tho people would not have the least
confidence in it. Private lines would be
started on important routes where a contract
could be made and recourse could be had to
damages for violation.
The committee will to-day hear Mr. Gard
| ner G.. Hubbard in advocacy Of governmental
control of the telegraph system. Messrs.
Garrett and Bates, of the Baltimore and Ohio
Telegrap company are to be heard on Satur-
day, and the committee will then proceed to
determine the character Of its report to the
senate.
r.,AIfr L.,Iur