The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-19
No. 10
FOR A GOVERNMENT TELE-
GRAPH.
President Butler Makes an Argument
Before Committe of Congress in
Favor of the Bill.

President Butler Makes an Argument
Before Committe of Congress in
Favor of the Bill.
Upon invitation Marion Butler. Presi-
dent of the National Farmers Alliance
and Industrial Union, while in the city
last week, appeared before the COM
mittee on post Office and post roads,
of which Congressman Henderson is
chairman, and made an argument in
favor of the bill now before that body
providing for Government telegraph.
When he entered Judge Mcclure, one
of the Congressman from California,
was addressing the committee in be-
half of the same bill When notified
that his time had expired, President
Butler arose and very gracefully re-
quested Chairman Henderson to allow
the judge portion of the time which
had been allotted him to speak before
the committee, saying that the judge
was presenting such an able and ad-
mirable argument that he not only
desired him to finish it, but was anxious
to hear it all himself. Mr. Butler re-
served only five minutes of the time
allotted him, but in that short time
presented the position of the Farmers
Alliance on this important question.
He said. that the telegraph was a
monopoly per Sc. He said that ac-
ding to our form of government every.
such monopoly should be used by the
government for the benefit of the peo-
pie; he showed that this was funda.
mental principle of our government. He
then argued that if the telegraph was
a function of the government, that
there could be no question about the
duty of Congress ia the matter. No
member of the committee questioned
his argument, but began to ask him
various questions as to details. He
said that in as much as the committee
had begun to question him as to de-
tails, that he supposed that they
already agreed with him about their
duty, and therefore he would gladly
answer their questions The follow
ing are some of the questions and
} answers:
Q Do you not apprehend, Mr.. But
Ter, that IL the government takes charge
of the telegraph that the party in
power will use it to its advantageQ
A. Suppose we admit thatsuch would
be the case; but is there not power
to day using the telegraph to its ad-
vantage to such fearful extent that
there is danger of that power owning
the government.
@ But, Mr.. Butler, think of the
large army of ohceholders that it would
create, and which the party in power
would fill.
A. The party in power, if it ap-
pointed every telegraph operator and
other officers necessary from its own
ranks, would not have a single vote
more at next election than If it had
not done so, for every one appointed
/ would probably have voted the same
, ticket any way. And besides the ex-
perience Of the county has shown that
{ an emplOye Of the government In cIeri.
cal positions like postal clerks, do not
: exercise the same influence in elections
: as the same men do when they are
{ serving private monopoly which is
3 interested in legislation to fill its Golfers
t at the expense of the people. At the
. worst, such influence if exerted in the
r interest of party instead of monop-
oily, would simply mean that one party
or another would get in power, while
to day when such influence is exerted,
D it means that some monopoly is getting
special legislation from the govern
ment. Remove the corrupt influence
D of these monopolies over legislation,
! and all parties would be better and the
people would be certain of better
) government, from any party, than we
, now have.
2 Q. How would you raise the money,
! Mr.. Butler, to buy the telegraph lines
r of the .country3 Would you tax the
? people of the country to raise it,
= A. That is simple; the people are
now paying not only enough money to
4 run the telegraph system, but enough
in addition to pile up immense fortunes
in the pockets of few. If the people
t can but save half of this, in year or
9 two the same would pay for the pres
9 ent telegraph lines or build duplicate
ones in every quarter of the country.
Our present system is not only very
expensive to the people, but it is a
faulty and unsatisfactory service. A
Z | government teleoranh Mould mt Tia