The Labor enquirer., 1888-03-10
Many Reasons Why The
People Should Con-
troll II.
CAN Be DUPLICATED CHRApLY
And Put Under the Control OF the
General Public, lts Rlghtful
Owner.

by the laborlng men in the move
ment now on foot to secure con-
troll Of the telegraph facilities in
the United States. either by con-
demning the existing lines and
paying what they are actually
worth, regardless of hcticious
values, or constructing entirely
new lines.
The fact that hypocritical, back
sliding, pope-worshiping, cowardly
Powderly is identified with this
crusade against the gigantic tele-
graph monopolies, should in no
way dampen the ardor or make
indifferent honest workingmen re-
garding this agitation.
There are many false ideas con-
cerning economic questions that
the public mind must be disabused
of before socialism is possible,
None are more generally repeated
than that ut is contrary to the
genius Of our institutions to null
tiply the functions ofgovernment;
that the government has no
right to interfere or carry on a
private business. The discussion
of a subject that seems to tie av-
age conservative mind as practical
bic and which brings gently before
his cloudcd vision the schemes OF
robbery which he is ignorantly
acccding to is preparing him for
radicalism.
The value of a daily socialist
paper in the Rocky Mountain re.
gion would be of inestimable value
as an educational measure. This
however is wholly impossible be-
cause of the excessive charges on
telegraphic matter by the Western
Union telegraph system and of the
great liability to boycotts which
the associated press would un-
doubtedly be guilty of regarding
socialistic news.
The telegraph monopoly on the
Pacific coast refused to furnish
news matter to the Portland Nfsc,
for some alleged misdemeanor
cffectually crushing it out of ex'
istcnce. The OTgonian however
which became its willing tool, up
holding any outrage which the
telegraph monopoly choose to in
ilict upon the peoplc,-was petted
and caressed by il till now It is
one of the wcalthiest, most dis
reputable and the ablest edited
paper on the Pacific coast.
lfthe government were controll'
ing this important means OF com
munication press news would be
sent for less than 5 cents per hun
dred words and the idea of OBJ
structing messages to anyone
would no more be thought of thar
would the obstructing of ou'
United States mail, to-day.
Were this vehicle of communi
cation managed for the benefit o
the entire people the many petit,
annoyances would be considerable,
diminished and in many cases en-
tirely removed.
There are at present about rs,
600 miles miles of telegraph lint
in the United States. The averag,
cost of duplicating this would b.
Sloo per mile. 1t would therefor
cost SI7,soo,ooo to duplicate ever.
mile of telegraph in the Unite'
States. Should the government
borrow this amount at 3 per cen
per annum, the interest woul'
amount to $4,000. 1t would re
quire a contribution of about $
cents from every person in tn
United States to build the line
paying cash. and If the none,
was borrowed with interest, abou
10 cents extra per year. No
such a terrible burden that tn
taxpayer need despair.
1t is exceedingly disgusting t
me to think of having to accep
the chewed up. hashed over an,