Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-29
FUNERAL CEREMONIES
CONTINUED from First Page

| should have equal facilities over the roads
| built by the people under the various Pa
| cific railroad acts, or whether they must
pay tribute to the Western Union from the
| terminal points he had named. There was
still another observation-disclosures his COM
panty could even be allowed to put their
own lines along these roads. The price of
| message from New York to San Fran
cisco was 81. 1t was also 81 from Omaha
to San Francisco. All his lines could do
would be to send a message to Omaha
and then pay 81 to have it
transmitted to San Francisco, so that they
would not be on an equality with the
Western Union, unless we could do the
business for nothing between New York
and Omaha at a profit. Having by this
arrangement been driven out of the
United States territory, these lines had
made connection via the Canadian Pacific
with the Pacific coast, and had built from
British Columbia down to San Francisco.
He cited authorities to prove that the
Pacific road had no right to make a con-
tract by which the Western Union
had monopoly of the telegraph
facilities and no right to refuse to transmit
lines. He said that there would always be
two great telegraph companies in this
country. The people would not submit to
have the entire telegraph owned by one
company and that company owned by one
man.
DIR. Green asked if after the statement
he fGreen) had made Mr.. Ingersoll could
still say that the Western Union was
owned by one man?
II know" Mr. Ingersoll replied, ''That
you have stated that one man only owns
so much, but | know something about that
one man. | know that he is not IN cor
poration, and never will be in a corpora
ton five minutes that he does not control
it. Whether he does this by his money or
by his intelligence think him very
intelligent man-no matter how he does
it, but he does ii"
The railroad company had lines that
should be open to the public and Compel
ing companies. He did not want the
Western Union to stand in the bars at
Omaha like a contrary steer and say we
have all these rights, all this right of
way belongs to us TO use and these
railroads built for the people shall treat
us in a certain way. 1t shall haul poles
and wires and do our other service and II
any company tries to build a line it shall,
by exhorbitant charges, prevent 1t: 1t
was like making bargain with soldier
that he should not load his gun. The
Western Union had a peculiar phllan-
thropy of it's own. 1t did not wish any
body to live if it could help it. 1t did not
suppose that his company could make
contract with the Canadian Pacific or that
it could raise the necessary funds to build
line from British Columbia to San Fran
cisco. While the Western Union was
in doubt as to the absolute health
of competitor, it sat down to wait until
it died, and if it did not die in a reasonable
time it proceeded TO do what it could to
hasten its demise. Monopolies had de-
clared that they were public benefactorS-
they cheaper products. The Standard on
company said: eve are a blessing. We
give you oil cheaper than you can get it in
any other way" The postal and united
lines was a promising company, 1t was
healthy and could not be swallowed. The
Western Union had followed for years
the practice of swallowing up new
companies but it could not swallow
them quite as fast as they were
Matched If the postal could secure equal
facilities with the Western Union in trans
portation of poles and supplies and in
right of way over Pacific railways it
would be satisfactory to it, If the people
and the government were satisfied.
General Swayne said he desired to call
to the attention of the committee that
what had been said this afternoon related
to three different subjects: First, as to
the amount which Col. Ingersoll had paid
for sending his messages from Omaha to
San Francisco; second, as to the degree of
facility Colonel Ingersoll ought to have
for building-a rival line if he wanted to;
third, as to the legality of the
contracts. II Colonel Ingersoll paid too
much for his message the Western
Union company had consented to the en-
actment of a statute which gave to three
impartial persons selected by the United
States, the power to make the rates rea-
sonable and just. Colonel Ingersoll want
ed to build line OF the Pacific railroads
he did not need the help of congress to do
it. There was On the statute book author
ity for any individual to compel the Pacific
railroad companies by mandamus to do
anything which they were required to do
under statute or common law.
Adinnrned