Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-10-11


WASHINGTON, Oct. 9.-Postmaster
General Wanamaker tonight made pub
lie the letter recently addressed to the
chairman of the house committee on post
offices, enbodying an elaborate argument
IN favor Of his limited plan of postal
telegraph. Appended to the letter is a
mass of matter pertaining to the subject,
making altogether 223 pages, closely
printed.
The postmaster general in the letter
says, in part: after standing for the
year past in the midst of a controversy
over postal telegraphy that for every
forty years has gone on with a sharper
tone and widening range, I am more
than ever convinced OF the wisdom and
practicability of restoring the telegraph
to the postal service and making it what
it was originally intended to boa part
OF the postal system. I say this after
closely studying the arguments against
the bill made so vigorously by the great
telegraph company, which IS now its
only visible opponent. L don't believe
1t Is possible to argue this question down.
There is deep and far-reached convict
ion among the people that the telegraph
service is by right part Of the postal
service.
The measure is to give the country
vast enlargement Of the postal system,
and bring home to the people the cheap
use of one Of the most powerful agencies
of modern commerce and civilization"
AS to the constitutlonality of postal
telegraphy, the postmaster general says,
in part: ait has been argued BY learned
lawyers for a score Of years that govern
ment telegraph is unconstitutional
The motives Of these gentlemen have
been one of two in all cases. Most have
been the paid attorneys Of those corpora
tions whose special interests have de-
manded that the monopolies should in
no way be interfered with. The other
opponents were these who imagined
that the constitution would be exposed
to every sort Of outrage were they TO fall
sick for day. The courts OF the high
est appeal have settled this question.
Congress settled it, in the assurance of
judicial action, by making the United
States the owner aud the postoffice de-
partment the manager OF the first line of
wire constructed for commercial and
public use.
THE old government telegraph
schemes were constitutional. What
shall be said then Of the limited postal
telegraph plan, which [ have been
criticised for bringing forward? There
is no doubt that it is constitutional.
The attorney general for the department
has assured me that the conclusion that
the scheme is constitutional can not be
resisted"
In concluding, the postmaster general
says that he has always invited the
most rigid scrutiny and criticism of the
measure. "It is not" he says, "a prop
osition 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
which is not at present great and danger
GUS where it is. 1t is a proposition
simply to doyetail together two great
machines, so that one shall do business
equitably, and by that means make more
money-which shall willingly be ac-
corded to it by the people-the other
utilize skill and faithful energy to help
supply the people with still better
means of communication, furnished still
more rapidly. It is not proposition to
buy the railroads or coal mines, the saw
mills or baker shops OF the country.
IF others speak out for the telegraph
stockholders, someone must stand for
the people in the interests Of the cheap
er teIegraphy that they want. [ belieye
it belongs to this department TO take
this stand and [ propose intelligently
and persistently to keep this subject be-
fore you in the strong confidence that it
will not be long before your committee
will take steps to give the people the re-
lief prayed for"
NOTICE TO CREDITORS.