Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-02-01
OF INTEREST I'D ALL.
The Subject of ~ Governments Tele-
graph Discussed.

the western Union Telegraph Company,
wrote an elaborate article for the North
American, taking grounds against the in
stitution OF a system of Government postal
telegraphing. The article was ingenious
and forcible, and presented many interest
ing facts on the subject. He argued that
it is inexpedient and wrong, both legally
aud morally, for the Government to inter-
fere in the telegraph business; that the
Government might as well embark in the
busin sss Of ~railroading or merchandising;
that TO force private parties to compete
with 1t in t~elegraphing would be to violate
actual and implied contracts existing be-
tween 1t and the Western Union Company,
under which the latter came into existence,
and on which its value depends; and
further, that the privilege Of maintaining
telegraph lines is not one Of the rights re-
served to the General Government in the
Constitution. This latter point involves
rather a technical consideration, and one
which it appears never entered into the
minds of the trainers of the Constitution
of the United States. 1t would hence
doubtless be determined by reference to
expediency and public policy. As to the
ObAA6HuAO6 Va 0AhO6So ~ oHP~N
vague and iimsy, and, if admitted, would
lead to the conclusion that the Govern
ment is inferior rather than superior to
the corporation to which it gives life.
With reference to the complaint made by
Mr.. Green, that it would be unfair and
morally bad for the Government to dis
tress private enterprises by actual compe-
tition, il needs only be said, at best, that this
is q matter of business and had better
be referred to the arbitrary rules Of
commerce than to the uncertain criterion
Of ethics. 1t must strike the ordinary
intelligence that an agent of the Western
Union Company is a thing OF brass to
invoke the sympathy Of the people Of
the United States, through their Repre-
sentatives, on such q proposition. A
s~oulless blood-sucker that grinds its TO-
900 employees down TO the starvation
point, while it pulls in remorsely a high
rate Of interest IN at least four times
its capital invested; a grasping and heart
less monster which calculates first with
mathematical nicely the maximum of
money it can squeeze out Of the people
and then goes to work systematically to
extort it. This thing whining, talking
charity, and begging its victims to- be
generous, considerate and sweet-tem-
pered. o, ye godsl
1t is high time for the Government to
show that it exists for the people by in
terposing between them and the AFRO
CANT INSCRIPTIONS few whose growth Of
power and wealth in the last twenty
years enables them to act in such a
manner that it is no longer logically
possible to assert that this is a Republic
or that the people Of the United States
are free. Freedom under the law. equal
ity Of rights and privileges, are mere
names that serve only to recall the idea
of the founders of this Government.
Do we expect that Congress, knowing
this and hearing it from their great
Master, the people, every day, will carry
out the popular wish in this instance? No;
we entertain no such expectation. The
matter will be discussed at drowsy lengths
and in tones to split the Capitol walls, but
nothing will come of it all.
Congress, as Senator Jones said in
a speech here at the skating rink
in the Fall of 1882, is controlled by the
corporations, not the corporations by Con
gress. 1t may not do any good during the
life Of the present generation to recognize
the inevitable in this, but it will do no
harm. 1t may be p%leasanter, however, for
ShukuluC pdbklOtS WIZ VII AIu Oulo II
the best Government the sun ever shone
on to look the Congressional record square
In the face. II one expects nothing he
| can't be disappointed. But as it may be
amusing in the way Of current gossip, we
| give the latest from Washington on the
| subject OF a Government Postal Telegraph:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-Dr. Norvin
Green, President of the Western Union
| Telegraph Company, addressed the Senate
Committee on Postoffices and Postroads
in opposition to the proposed Government
| control Of telegraphs. He said, unless
there was something defective in the SER
| vice rendered, there seemed no reason why
| the Government should take hold of the
telegraph. He maintained that we had
| telegraph facilities in larger proportion to
population, and q better and cheaper SER
vice than any country in Europe. He
explained the cheaper rates in Europe by
saying that there the messages were
counted once in every country through
which they passed, while in this country
| they wer ounted but once. A Senator
thought statement an extraordinary
| one, and referred to the rates Of france as
being only 20 cents for 20 words within
| the limits of that country, and an average
of half a cent within other European coun-
tries. He cited the rates from France to
Algiers, 1900 miles. which was only 20
cents for 20 words. Green replied that the
Algiers line was operated at a loss. No
company could send 20 words for 20 cents
without loss. A new tariff was in process
| of preparation, to go into effect March /,
giving the maximum rate of one dollar, for
which sun a message could be sent $500
miles, from Halifax to Washington Terri
tory. He could furnish the committee
with a cop of the contract with the Asso-
ciated Press. 1t contained a clause that
no cheaper rates should be made with any
other association without giving the Asso-
| ciated Press the advantage of the reduction.
Some papers complained that the Western
Union could not transmit their news at
| the same rates their neighbors were re-
| ceiving IL from the Associated Press. 1t
was manifest that the paper could get
| cheaper work lone by an association, and
| that the Western Union Co. could not
transmit press dispatches to a single paper
as at low a rate as it could carry dispatches
| for the association. The dispatches from
| Washington to New Orleans, for example,
were dropped at 16 different points along
the line, With reference to the capitaliza-
ton Of the Western Union Co., he said it
made no difference with rates. In conclu-
/ ~ A. y~-x--- ILL., r.