Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-20
PHIL SIIERIDAN'S NO."
HE PUTS HIMSELF souARELY ON THE
PRESIDENTIAL RECORD,

And Makes His Position So Plain That
There Is No MistakinG Hills Birth
Abundance of Postal Telegraph Measures
Hopkins Unique Proposition.
WASHINGTON Cry, Feb. -Govsrnment
telegraph and regulation Of the telegraph
business of the country has already come in
for considerable share OF attention from
congressman this session. Five senators
and seven representatives have introduced
bills relating to these subjects. Edmunds was
in early in December with his old bill of last
session, pressing the construction of four
trunk lines to connect Washington with the
northeastern, northwestern, southwestern
and southern paris of the United States by
a postal telegraph system. He proposes an
expenditure OF 100000 on the plant dur
ing the FIST year, directs that the lines be
built by the engineer corps of the army, and
places the system under the care and man
agement of the postmaster general
Dawes in the senate and Hayden of Massa-
! chusetts in the house have introduced iden-
tical bills, by which it is proposed to estab.
lish an extensive postal telegraph system
throughout the country. This is to DO done
either by contracting with existing compa-
mics to handle the business at low rates pre-
scribed in the bill, by purchase Of existing
lines, or, in the event of failure to purchase,
the construction by tho government of the
trunk lines proposed by the L imunds bill.
On the other hand, Senator Sawyer and Rep
resentative Rogers of Arkansas have iutro-
duced bills ombodying the Dawes plan with
out the Edmunds features of that bill Gull
| lom in the senate and Anderson in the house
have introduced similar postal telegraph
| bills Both propose the construction of gov
| ernment lines, and an extensive plant that
will extend the postal telegraph system to all
| first, second, and third-class postotiices. Gull
Ion proposes to expend $4,000, 90 and An
derson $40, 00J, 900 for the construction of
| those lines
| Weaver of Iowa and Smith of Wisconsin
have introduced similar bills in the house.
| Both propose u government telegraph pure
and simple to be constructed entirely by the
! government; no lines to be purchased from
existing companies The system is to extend
to and furnish telegraph offices in every
| town Of 400 inhabitants or more. Weaver
wants $25, 00O0 900 and Smith $40 0OO, 900 to
carry out their respective projects. Nc
Comas of Maryland has introduced bill
proposing to establish a postal telegraph
service by contract with existing lines, or the
purchase of lines and facilities from existing
lines. Hopkins of Virginia has introduced a
bill in the house to establish postal telegraphs
that is simplicity and brevity combined
Section | authorizes the postmaster gen.
eral to establish telegraph and tele-
phone service, either or BOTH soon as prac-
ticable upon all available post roads within
the Jurisdiction of the Initial States: section
makes it a felony. after the postmaster
penpral announces that this service ia in on
GRAFTON, for any person or corporation to
transmit messages: section authorizes the
nostmaster general TO fix rates at about tho
cost of operating the service; section ap-
pronriates the uublic funds necessary to carry
this net into effect section 8 the last. repeals
all lnws in conflict with this bill. and Directs
that it 90 into effect when approved.
I'm tho suhiact of telegranh superyision or