The Washington critic., 1888-02-11
WASHINGTON, FEB. II, 1883.
TnE POSTAL rnLEGRApn.

THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
In his paper upon Government
Control of the Telegraph" read be-
fore the Association Of American Pub
fishers, in session at indianapolis,
Mr.. Jones Of the Florida Times Union
makes the extraordinary statement
that ''the mere suspicion that news
had been subjected to Government
inspection or censorship would reduce
by at least one-half the value Of that
news TO newspaper publishers and the
general public"
There is nothing in the discussion
OF the postal telegraph question that
we can tolerate with so little patience
as this violently unreasonable if not
wholly pretended apprehension of
what is called the censorship" of
the Government, rs though the Gov
eminent, once having wires of its
own, would sit up all night to make
note of or Inspect" the messages
transmitted over them.
The people of the country have
never had reason to complain of the
administration of the PostofIice De-
partment. They intrust to it their
most confidential correspondence
without any fear that its seals will be
broken; they know that however inn
portant letter may be, its contents
aie safe against piracy. Even a postal
card may be sent through the mail
and its open secrets be not divulged.
A government that should be un-
faithful to its high trust in this regard
would speedily be disgraced and
elected from power.
Yet some men seem to have an idea
that a Government telegraph would
not be run on the same principle as
the mats are carried, but be made an
instrument for the gathering of sur
reptitious information and the con-
slant betrayal of its patrons.
Why the Government should prove
any more derelict in this respect than
noration is something we
~.s,iIou ,.-.derstalRl
Mr.. Jones intrusts his message to
Jay Gould and entertains no doubt
that it will be wired through without
any violation of confidence. He APP
pears TO imagine that if he should in
trust it to the Government he would
have no guarantee of its inXiiolability.
A man with such asnDonnssibiIitv q Dnsi Of bis
.,ie niYient and such abiding faith
uose'e immaculate integrity of the
-'nost soulless of all monopolies must
)e curiously constituted.
AS to the particular point made by
Mr.. Jones, we will suppose that cer-
tain quotations of stock or certain re.
turns Of elections are telegraphed from
New York to Washington some night
Does he really believe that the figures
would be of less interest to the reader
of the morning newspaper, from the
fact that the operator who sent the
message was in the employ of the
Government instead of the Western
Union? Does he believe that the
Government would have its repre-
sentative at the telegraph Office tc
manipulate the figures to suit itself
Or that it would establish Censor
ship" in every town and city of the
country to regulate the character oi
messages sent?
We must confess that we cannot
see the force of Mr.. Jones's argumen
as TO the depreciation of the value Of
news because of its being transmitted
over Government wire. Weare con
fident that as rule the Western
Union does its business honestly and
faithfully. At critical financial OF
political periods it may avail itself o.
the great advantage accruing from {
foreknowledge of events TO promote
its own purposes. We are not sure o
even this; but that a private corpora
ton, not inclined to be Away
scrupulous, would be far more likely
30 diverge in this mercenary direction
than a great Government, holding ID
power from the people and directl,
answerable to the people for its prope
exercise, there cannot be a question
IL the Government is not to b.
trusted, then there is nothing what
ever this side of Heaven on which tn
people can rely. If the news canno
be dispatched by a Government
telegrapher and retain its freshness
reliability and value in quite as grea
a degree as though dispatched by on
Of DIR. Norvin Green's operators, thel
is our republican experiment a failure
and the sooner the Government is lie
out TO contract the better.