The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-04-14
4 GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH.
The People Robbed by the Present Ex-
brilliant Rataa.

A GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH.
The People Robbed by the Present Tx
brilliant Rates.
Among the objections met at the
threshold OF the comparatively recent
sincere effort for the enactment of a
genuine postal telegraph-one OF the
numerous objections that did not,
and, in the nature of the case, could
not, s'answer itself" Gas some Of the
hedging organs of the monopolies
have lately characterized objections
to a postal telegraph) an objection
most audaciously, strenuously and
effectively urged by the telegraph
monopolists aud their newspaper pro-
prietor slaves. all over the country,
was founded on alleged cost. ssOh,
such thing would wreck the gov
eminent! Do you want another war
debit" Ringing in the changes on
this string with great volume and high
pitch of editorial defamation. When
the earnest contest began, and the
good service of patriotic men was
brought to bear in this cause, this
objection had to be confronted and
answered-for uncounted thousands
believed it to be we'll based It did
not ''answer ITSELF" says the San
Francisco Star When pushed for
particulars and figures, the monopo-
lists, even SO late as 1928, under
took to make congressman believe
that complete postal telegraph could
not be constructed for less than $780,
600, 900! Pushed further for itemiz-
ing and reliable detail, they talked
OF the $80,O00,000 of capital stock of
the Western Union company, and the
then alleged fifty or sixty millions of
capital stock of the Johnny Mackey
company. Which they said added up
SO and SO. And then much diffusive
talk about their royalties, etc. The
newspaper organs that now wish to
claim consistent support of some
kind of postal telegraph, as well as
those more honest journals that per-
sist in direct service without hedging
editorials, diligently spread abroad all
these false statements and limitations
as to the cost of an electric mail.
But in 1883-84 these enormous
figures, which majority of congress
men had believed to be true, were
shown to be inflated beyond all pre-
vious proclamations of monopolists
in railroad and other monopoly mat
ters-shown up in their utter falsity
before committees of congress.
The monopolists had imposed upon
some OF the brightest statesmen in
the country by this "objection,"
adroitly put and carefully insisted
upon by their newspaper organs in
New York, San Francisco and else
where. From $3.50, 900, 900 the lawyers
aud lobbyists of the monopoly had to
make a .'cdme-down" confession that
first sounded at $4,000, 900, and
shortly touched the sum of 500, O00.-
600. This is all a matter of public
record at Washington. Then they had
to drop to $50, 100000. Later on, Gardi-
ner G. Hubbard-who had long favored
a rental system-put the figures at
$50, 900, 900. But the challenge was
kept up before the committees Of the
two houses. until the senate bill emery
ed with accompanying committee re-
port, fixing the cost of complete pos
tel telegraph at not over $50, 600, 900!
When Mr.. Sumner first suggested
the sum Of $25,O0O,O00 as adequate,
he was called visionary, and some
did not hesitate to use more derisive
epithets Indicative of his alleged
idiocy. But no less a conservative
and dignified body than the senate
committee on postoffces came down
within IS, O00,O00 of his figures after
q two years term for examination.
And now with all the multiplications
of Offices and general public demand
for telegraph facilities in the legiti-
mate postal establishment, we say that
$35. 900, 900 is an ample sum for the
construction of sufficient net work of
telegraph wires reaching every post
Office in the union this side of Alaska,
with full complement of instruments
of the best kind and latest pattern.
1t must be remembered that the
question of cost has been raised by
the monopolists to the forefront of
the fight in recent years; it was not
one of those objections-we repeat
that answered ITSELF" if there ever
were any objections that answered
themselves. And those who are inn
patient on account of the considera-
ton we give to this objection must
reflect upon the propriety of cutting
away some, if not much, of the under
wood that has been cultivated before
the ramparts of the telegraph mo-
nopolists-before the meats and forth
fications behind which these particu-
lar "robber barons'' are entrenched.
For these extortions are ensconced in
the rear of bulwarks that they think
will enable them to bid defiance to
attack. There is q battle to be
fought, in the most aggressive sense.
We shall never have fair field; but
we want to get up to their walls of
defense clearly and evidently to all;
that all may take note of the fact that
the victory is complete, in an argu-
mentative and practical sense, when
our statement and deductions are en-
tirely submitted, or indicated with
reasonable fuflness and precision.
So late as February Is, 1885, Charles
E. Buel, one of the most experienced
telegraph-line managers and instru-
ment-makers in this country. wrote to
MIR. Sumner that, at that time, it was
believed by him and others competent