New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-13
TYRANT IND SLdTE.

The telephone is wonderful lnVentlon III Is
ghostly, mysterious, and to some minds perma-
nently incomprehensible. 1t is fifteen years
DID, and still novelty. No person gifted with
imagination can remain unconscious OF its weird
and aweSome powers. Romance invests Its
early history 1t had a restricted career as a
miraculous toy before it found it's vast CONNER
cial sphere. Pretty girls used to consult it and
then turn pale and say "Oh, myP' few men
OWNED its destiny and it has repaid their faith
thousand-fold. Aladdin's lamp was not moro
prolific and it was far less safe and steadfast.
But how miserably has its devoted service
been rcquited 1t has never been allowed to
develop its natural capacities. Its growth has
been stunted and it's ambition represSed 1t has
been hampered, confined, deformed Every
reasonable longing to be well thought OF has
been crushed. Its cruel masters have subjected
it to constant modification, have made 1t the
undeserying victim OF unpopularlty, and OF
curses in all the languages OF the earth. IN
stead of being a welcome inmate of every ONCE,
shop and home, it is resOlutey excluded from
millions and only tolerated in the rest Through
no fault of its own it is compelled to appear
rspacious ind0lcnt and untruStworthy. Its
natural function and propensity are to save
time and trouble and expense, but it is not al
lowed to employ its capacities and follow Its
mclinatons. 1t would respond with alacrity TO
every Just demand and accomplish every suit
able task to perfection if it were only treated
fairly.
We sympathize profoundly with the tens Of
thousands who are daily and hourly "eaned
and inconvenience by the capricious service OF
this poor slave, endowed with such splendid
and beneiicent gifts but forced to wear heavy
and CALLING shackles year after year. Ihey
nay an exorbitant price for its attendance be-
cause they believe that an occasional emergency
will make its intervention imperative. But
constant worry and delay ard disappointment
sap their vital powers and hasten their progress
to the grave Many have concluded that they
arc il-recompensed for all they suffer from
morning to night by the prospect OF some re-
mote advantage, or even by the inflequent re-
alization of some important gain. The slug
gishness and Indifference of " Central" the dis
tracing buzz of fellOw-Sufferers, the impenetra-
bility of the suburbs, the raSping jingle OF
friends and foes the undeserved contempt OF
the unhappy creature at the other end, the IN
tonsve conviction that the Sl0west messenger
on legs would have saved time and temper, and
the final maddening sense Of betrayal and de-
feat-all these things are hard to bear and to
forgive They would be so under any circum-
stances, but the knowledge that they are all
unnecessary, that selfish and avaricious policy
is alone responsible for forcing them upon the
community, makes the burden doubly gIievous.
But deeply as we feel the wrongs we suffer we
mist not fail TO discriminate between the guilty
and the innocent The poor, matreated telc-
phone is not at fault. Condemnation is Tor tho
MASTER not the slave