Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-03-05

The PACIFIC R. R. TELEGRAPH BILL
Passed by the House by a Large
Majority.

Majority.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-Henry C..
seymour successor to Seth c. Motratt, Of
Michigan, deceased, appeared before the
bar Of the House, and took oath Of office,
Mr.. Grain, ofTexas, from the Committee
on the Election of President and Vice
President, reported back his Joint resolu-
ton proposing constitutional amendments
charging aha time fer the commencement
OF the Presidential term, and changing the
date for the annual meeting Of Congress.
House calendar.
The House then resumed as the special
order the consideration of the
Pacific RAILROAD TELEGRAPH BEL.
Sir. White, Of New York, took the floor
In opposition TO the measure. lie thOurht
that all remedial legislation should make
he punishment fit the crime" and that
before numbering up tie statutes with
~yOiUraIDOus enaCtmsuts legislators should
assure themselves that these enaclmeuts
would have the desired effect. This bill
afforded the Government 10 new remedy
There was bUCl5ubC in il, but there was
no legislation IN it. II ABUSES there wee.
lE the management OF the Pacific Telg-
graph lines, the existing laws afforded q
complete, adequate and speedy remedy.
Instead Of hanging the victim first and
trying the question OF his guilt OF iug0-
ccuce, afterwards, it would he better to tIv
the question first and punish CT acuult
afterwards.
He could not see the necessity Of encum-
herlng the statutes with page after page Of
legislation when a better result could hs
accomplished by a single section, the ne
crssity OF loading q C~OluIubiad to shoot a
cauyuS~-bJCk. He then proceeded N.th q
legal argument, in which he coutended
that under the terms of the contract be-
tween the Union Pacific Company and the
Western Union 4 vested right had been ere
atcd which could not, under the decision
of the Supreme Court in the UniCu Pacific
sinking fund case, be inter.ercd with by
Congressional action. lie wished he said
to present some
STATISTICS IN REGARD To TIE WESTERN
UNION
Telegraph Company. This ogre, this octa-
pus gjgAniirus, this dsyil-ish, which had
been brought before the bar OF the House
for having ureyed upon the blood Of the
country AID sapped the vitals. The st.
tissues covered - years, ard showed that
while in l~67 the Western Union had wires
enough 10 20 three times round the globe,
and made IN average charge per message o:
81 Oh, IN l->7 the wires could e~uc,rcle the
world q times and the average rate per
message was 80 cents. No other country,
he said, enjoyed such facilities for tcle-
graphing as 10 cost. The figures showed
that biography was cheaper here than in
Europe. The minimum rate in Eug-
land Tor 80 mixes was 33 cents
for - wOrdS. the rate from
Jacksonville, Fla, TO Oregon, the longest
distance in this country, was s .2l tor ten
words OF message and the entire address
and signature.
AJr. H0lden, of New York, asked why it
was that a higher rate was charged between
Washington and Cortland, y. Y, than to
Syracuse, q mere distant point.
Mr.. White replied that that was . mat
ter O, the Inter State Commission.
Mr.. B0lden replied that the fact was that
l'e "ts'e'" MOI I"'s'u rates WIKI" "
w VI W. w. otPfS'' -, 'I -. Ln,5 ,.,a.Ha,n,
- g., a-ssrsr ~ ~ - S,I ~ Ms" 80 - -,
,.,s wf,iTg ~ rgs.
In conclusion ne said that h. was here
TO protest against an Anarchists and Com
mu&i-,jc legislation, which would seek 20
l~egislotc away the property Of a man re
ann rod I,n,rIhIv and honestly rnGer tn.
forms of law.
NJ. Sgms, OF Colorado, said that the bill
was merely 10 comPri the suus5l.z'" !"i.
90. ~ SC o5 -. nr,n,s r~rc,,inT tb@m
rre r.ntr,r,. L..,v9rn tha T.oioY and Con-
- -, -,rr,,f .~,.,,,,;.s ,rI G".
w.. -n I-,irr TaIc,r.n5 Com,,ry ryor.
.,;I a-l -o I.vy.r IN Amer, Erc,y il
- to-, ", vi