The morning call., 1890-10-06
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
Arguments Of Postmaster
eral Wanamaker.
The Letter lie Recently Addressed TO the
Chairman Of the House Committee.
How he Championed the Cause OF the
People -ConS!itutiOnalit3 Of The
Proposed Law.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

WASHINGTON, Oct 5.-Postmaster-G Gen.
eral Wanamaker tonight made public
letter recently addressed to the Chairman
of the House Committee on Postotfices, en-
bodying an elaborate argument in favor of
his limited plan of postal telegraphy. Ap-
pended to. the letter is mass of matter
pertaining to the subject, making altogether
223 pages, closely printed The Postmaster
General in mis- letter says in part:
After standing for the year past in the
midst of controversy over postal tele-
graphy that for over forty years has gone
on with sharper tone and widening range,
l am more than ever convinced of the wis
dom and practicability of restoring the
telegraph to the postal service and make
it what it was originally intended
to be-a part Of the postal system. / say
this after closely studying the arguments
against the bill made so vigorously by
great telegraph company which is now its
only visible opponent. l don't believe it
is possible to argue this question down.
There is deep and far reaching
conviction among the people that the tele-
graph service is by right part of the pos
tai service. The measure is intended to
give the country a vast en argement of the
postal system and bring home to the people
the cheap use of one of the NEST powerful
agencies of modern commerce and civiliZa-
tion.
ITS CONSTITUTIONALITY.
As to the constitutionality of postal
telegraphy the Postnaster-General says in
part: SIT has been argued by learned law
yers for score of years that government
telegraph is unconstitutional. The motives
of these gentlemen have been one of two
groups in all cases. They have been paid
attorneys of those corporations whose
special interests have demanded that
their monopolies should in no way be
interfered with The other opponents were
those who imagined the Constitution would
be exposed to every sort OF outrage were
they to fall sick for day. Courts OF the
highest appeal have settled this question
Congress settled it in advance of judicial
action by making the United States
the owner and the Postoffice Depart
ment the manager OF the first line
of wire constructed for commercial and pub
lie use. The old Government telegraph
schemes were constitutional; what shall be
said, then, of the limited postal telegraph
plan which have been criticized for bring
ing forward. There is no doubt it is const-
tullOndl. lue Assistant AtlOrDey-GtUeEdl
for the P0StOffice Department has assured
me that the conclusion that the scheme is
constitutional cannot lie resisted"
ITS ADVANTAGES.
In concluding the Postmaster General says
he has always invited the most rigid scrutiny
and criticism of the measure. 1t is not"
he saws, :" proposition to take money from
the Treasury or employ additional civil
servants; it is not a proposition to
put any power whatever IN the hands
Of the Government. 1t is q proposition
simply to dovetail together two great
machines so that one shall do business
equitably and by that means make more
money, which sfall willingly be accorded
TO it by the people, the other to utilize its
present skilled and faithful energy to help
supply the people with still better
means of communication. furnished
still more cheaply. 1t is not prop
osition to buy the railroads or coal mines,
sawmills or bakeshops of the country.
II others speak out for the telegraph stock
holders, someone must stand for the people
in the interest of the cheaper telegraphy
that they want. | believe it belongs 10
this department to take this stand, and l
propose intrliigently and persistently to
keep this subject before you, in strong con-
fidence that it will not be long before your
committee will take steps to give the people
the relief prayed for