Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-10-09
A POSTAL TELEoRAPH

General Wanamaker has made publ,
: letter recently addressed to Repre-
sentative bingham, chairman OF ths
House Committee on Post-ofilces, em
bodying an elaborate argument in favoi
Of his limit plan Of postal telegraphy.
The Postmaster-General In his letter
says in part: "Your subcommittee or
postal telegraph informs me that all the
parties that signifed a desire TO be
heard on the postal telegraph bills have
submitted their testimony, and that II
Is in order for me to add any thing upon
the subject After standing for year
past in the m DIST OF the controversy
over postal telegraphy that for over
forty years has gone on with sharper
tone and widening range, ! am more
than ever convinced OF the wisdom and
practicability Of restoring the telegraph
10 the postal service and making it what
1t was originally to be-a part OF the
postal system.
II do not believe 1t possible TO argue
this question down. There is deep
and far-reaching conviction among the
people that the telegraph service is by
right part Of the postal service To
carry the postal service from pony riders
to stage coaches and on to railroad ser
vice, and stop all further progress be-
cause 5000 owners of telegraph stock
oppose, is not in accord with the genius
Of our people or the spirit OF the times
The will OF the people in this respect
has manifested itself Enthusiastically be-
fore Congress in public speeches and
statements during the last twenty
! years. Resistance to that great popular
demand may not be the wisest thing,
nor is it fair TO count those who urge
the adoption in some form or other Of
the postal telegraph as hostile to exist
| ing corporations We stand confront
ing public measure of no mean inn
portance or magnitude 1t is to give the
country vast enlargement OF It's postal
system, and to bring home to the people
the cheap use OF one OF the most powor-
full agencies OF modern commerce and
civilization"
AS to the constitutionality of postal
telegraphy the Postmaster General says;
1T has been argued by learned lawyers
FOR a score OF years that Government
tives of these gentlemen have been one
OF two in all cases-they have been the
paid attorneys Of those corporations
whose special interests have demanded
that their monopolies should in no way
be interfered with. They have done
tHeir business ard 'done IL werf. The
other opponents we're those who imag-
ined that the Constitution would be
exposed TO every sort OF outrage IL
they were TO fall SICK for
day, The courts Of highest
appeal have sottled this question. Con-
gress settled it in advance OF judicial
action by making the United States the
owner and the Postomre Department
the manager OF the first line of wire
constructed for commercial and public
uses The old Government telegraph
schemes were constitutional. What |
shall be said, then, OF limited postal |
telegraph, which have boon oy...~.--,.,
criticised for bringing forward? There |
is no doubt that 1t is constitutional
"The Constitution permits the Gener- !
al Government TO transmit intelligence |
for the people. The Post-ofiee Depart
ment has been doing this with the
money and the improvements at its dis
posal for 100 years 1t is proposterous
to argue that the telegraph ought not
to be utilized for the cheaper, speedier
and more accurate transmission Of mes
sages have had prepared and submit
for yodr reference an appendix which
touches upon this consideration. The
Attorney-General for the Department
assures me that the conclusion that the
limited postal telegraph plan is consti-
tuiional can not be resisted
The Postmaster-General then follows
with an elaborate explanation of the
limited plan and of its expectations,
arguing that it would pay the telegraph
companies and be more efficient as well
as make lower prces lie concludes:
81 desire in concluding, as politely as
may be, TO say one or two things that
are not understood. have challenged
the most rigid scrutiny Of the Limited
Postal Telegraph bill ! ask to have
| printed all OF the criticisms OF it which
cometo my notice as an argument in
| its favor The Limited Postal Tele-
| graph biN is not a proposition to take
money fron the treasury or to employ
| additional CIVIL servants; 1t is not a
proposition TO put any power whatever
| in the hands OF ,he Government which
IS not at present greater and more
dangerous whore it IS. 1t is a PROPOSE
tion IMPLY TO dovotail together two
/ great machines so that one shall do
business equitably and bY that means
make more money, which shall be will
! ingly accorded 20 IL by the people, the
other to utilize its present skilled and
faithful energy to help supply the pco-
| pie with still better means OF communi-
| cation furnished still more cheaply. II
| is proposition incidentally to quicken
the telegraph service by encouraging
all the members OF the operators craft
to realize that they are the better OF
| the more they are 10 devote themselves
10 one thing. and are permitted to see
some results from their inventive genius
IL is not a proposit on TO buy the
railroads or the coal mines, the saw
mills or the bake shops OF the country
| It is not a confession that American in
genuity is incapable OF keeping mp with
the march OF mercantile and industrial
progress IL others speak out for the
! telegraph stockholders, some one must
stand for tho people, in the interest OF
the cheaper telegraph that they want