The Washington critic., 1888-02-16
WASHINGTON CRITIC
TOPICS OF THE DAY

Mr. j. o. Kerby, in an article on
military telegraphy in the Pub,ic
Serrice Rorie'o, makes the following
statement: Another historical truth,
not generally known, and printed for
the first time, perhaps, in the Reotoc,
g, that every single telegraph wire
that entered Washington city,
whether leading to the seat Of war in
Virginia or from New York, Phila-
delphia and the East, was led TO an
instrument in little 10x12 room in
the old War Department building.
Every message, of whatever character,
passing over any and all Of the lines,
was recorded in that office by the
apparatus attached to each separate
wire. An expert telegrapher was on
duty in that room during every hour
of the twenty-four. By direction of
the Assistant Secretary of War the
operator copied and delivered to the
telegraph superintendent all dis
patches bearing in the romotest
degree not only upon the army
movements, but on everything of q
political or private character that in
the Government. No one knows
how much discretion was given
or exercised by these War Department
civilian censors of the telegraph.
When General Hooker's friends filed
their numerous private kilograms at
little wooden railway shanties, criti-
cizing Stanton and praising Chase
over Lincoln, they had no idea that
the privacy Of their correspondence
was being outraged in this War De-
partment mill. Yet such was the
fact, of which the writer, as a tele-
grapher, has some personal knowl-
edge. 1t only bears upon this subject
of military telegraphs, in that it
shows the true motive of the War
Department in desiring to keep the
telegraph civil organization. have
the documentary evidence, in the
original War Department cipher, to
show that General Grant suffered
severely by this telegraph censorship,
and in his vigorous way resented it.
Much of the true inwardness-not to
say cussedness-that came between
President Lincoln and his generals in
the field, may be attributed to this
cause. The moral is, that the tele-
must become a part Of the Signal
Corps.
w.
Washington correspondence New
York World! General Sewell of New
Jersey tells a good story about Ed
munds. Toward the close of the last
sess:cA Of Congress both houses fre-
quently sat all night and the Members
and Senators would have. to resort to
numerous devices to keep awake.
General Sewell kept some very choice
whisky in his committee-room and it
was in great demand during an all
niglk ,Gssion. Meeting Colonel Cana
day, NJ Sergeant-at-Arms, in the
lobby Nne night about 2 o'clock
Sewell asked if he wanted drink
"The worst in the world" said Cana
day. They proceeded to Sewell's
committee-room and the New
Jersey Senator produced his bottle
of private stock. Before they.
tested its quality, however, the
door opened and Mr.. Edmunds
appeared on the scene. He
received an invitation to join them in
drink. NO." said Edmunds, with
grim smile, "Canaday and l never
drink" AS matter of fact, Mr.. Ed
munds had gone TO the committee
room for that very purpose, but as
President of the Senate he did not
wish to drink with another officer of
the Senate. Canaday, however, had
less scruples and took his drink,
pleading that he was sick. Mr.. Ed
munds returned to the Senate cham
{ber dry, but he soon disappeared in
Sthe direction of another committee
s,nnpn