Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-03-04
JAY KNOCKED OUT.
The PACIFIC R. R. TELEGRAPH BILL
Passed by the House by a Large
Majority.
The DEBATE ON The MEASURE.
Mr.. Post Retains His Seat in the
House.

mouse.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-Henry c.
Seymour successor to Seth G.. Motlatt, OF
Michigan, deceased, appeared before the
bar of the House, and took oath Of office.
Mr.. Grain, Of Texas, from the Committee
on the Election of President and Vice
President, reported back his Joint resolu-
ton proposing Constitutional amendments
changing tbs time for The commencement
OF the Presidential term, and changing the
date for the annual meeting Of Conyress
House calendar.
The House then resumed as the special
order the consideration OF the
Pacific RAILROAD TELEGRAPH BILL.
Mr White, Of New York, took the floor
in opposition to the measure He thought
that all remedial legislation ,hould make
the punishment fiji the crime and that
before numbering up the statutes with
volumlnOus enactmcnts legislators should
assure themselves that these enaCtments
would have the desired effect This hill
afforded the Government no new remedy
There was buucOmbe in it, but there was
no legislation in it. If abusrs there were,
in the management OF the Pacific Tele
graph lines, the existing laws afforded a
COmpletc, adequate and speedy remedy
Instead Of hanging the victim first and
trying the question OF his guilt or inno-
cence afterwards, it would he better to Try
the question first and punish or aoquit
afterwards.
He could not see the necessity Of enCum-
berlng the statutes with page after page Of
legislation when a better result could he
accomplished by n single section, the ne
crSsity OF leading Columbiad to shoot Il
canvas back. lie then proceeded with a
legal argument, in which he cohtcnded
that under the terms Of the contract he
tween the Union Pacific Company and the
Western Union a vested right had been ere
ated which could not, under the decision
OF the Supreme Court in the Union Pacific
sinking fund cl,r, be nteriyred with hy
| Congressional action. lie wished he aaid
! to present some
IsTArISTrS ~ REGARD rU THE WESTERN
UNION
| Telegraph Company This ogre, thig orta
pus giganticus, this deyil-Gsh which had
hcen brought before the bar OF the House
for having preyed upon the blood of the
country and sapped the yitals The sta
! tistiCs covered ~ years, and showed that
while in lsG7 the Western Union had wires
enough TO 90 three times round the globe,
and made an average charge per message OF
| II Of, in l--1 the wires could CncirCle the
world II times and the average rate per
message was 20 cents No other country,
he said enjoyed such facilities for tcle
graphing as 20 cost The figures showed
| that tclegraphy was cheaper here than III
! Europe. The minimum rate in Eng
! land for go miles was 33 Ccut-
| for - words the rate from
| jacksonville Fla, to Oregon, the longest
distance in lhis country, was Sl2l tor ten
words Of message and the entire address
and signature.
Nh Bolden, OF New York, asked why il
| was that higher rate was charged between
| Washington and Cortland. y. Y, than 10
/ SYrarusc, a mere distant point.
Mr.. White replied that that was mat
| ter OF the Inter State Commission.
Mr.. Bolden replied that the fact was tia!
the Western Union raised rates within q
week after opposition ceased.
Mr. White said that he had statistics at
hand TO answer for him, and upon them he
was willing to rest.
In conclusion he said that lie was here
| to protest against an Anlrchi-iic and Com
muni,tic legislation, which would seek 10
legi5lotc away the property Of a man ac-
4nircd honorthly and honestly under the
forms ot law.
Mr. Syms, 0l Colorado, said that the bill
was marcly 10 compel the subsidized Tail
roads TO comply with the conditions aud
provisions Of the grants creating them
The contracts between the Union aud Cen
| trail Tac,lir railroad companies and H.
Western Union Telegraph Company were
/ void, and no lawyer IN Am,ric, knew 1t
better than the gentleman from Ncw York
White.
After
JAY GOULD AND Hl- RING
had conducted the Union Pacific rs long
as he could make anything out OF IT, he
| h7d walked oil leaving the company bank
rupl and taking with him. among the as
ssts, The telegraph line. with which he
| levied discriminating tribute from people
west OF the Missouri livcr.
Mr.. DocEery, Of Missouri, said that
under the granting octs the Pacific com
pahies were required 20 construct not only
| railroad line but also Il Telegraph line.
| Instead Of doing "a they had assumed to
div,st themselves of their obligations by
couirar, with the Western Union Tclc.
graph Company conierring upon that
COMPANY the exclusive right Of way
along the railroad line. The acts
Of Congress required that the telc-
graph lines along the Pacific railroad
should receive all business without dis
elimination were uuIliiied by this unlaw-
! tul coatractwitE the Western Union Com
plny. Upon these unlawful ,ontfaris the
! Gentleman from New York Mr White.
had erected ~upeustructuro OF vested
! rights. Naultiug ambition WAS liable to
overleap itself and
Lay GOULD HAD RFTrEE TAKE DurSI
2AN'E
Of that fact
Let Congress pass this hill and Say 10
/ Mr.. Gould that if hr lid business IN this
country he must do 1t on nusnc s. pimrl-
pile, recognizing the right OF c"mp,ti"r-
/ 10 exist.
Mr.. White then Offered his substitute,
which was rejected without division, and
the hill wa4 passad. Yeas lD,, nays !,
Pills. Ecf,herl. MerIiman and White, Of