The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-24
GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH.
a Vigorous Campaign Started and the
Attention of Con ..ressmen Is Asked


The Western Union Telegraph COM
pany is maturing its plans to fight the
Nationalist and Populist movement for q
government telegraph and telephone sys-
TEN. Articles are beginning to appear
in a>certain grade of papers showing Up
the alleged evils of government tele-
graph. What amounts to declaration
Of war on the part of the Western Union
has been issued i'll the shape Of an elab-
crate interview of Colonel r. C. Clowrv,
general superintendent of the Western
Union, which appeared in the Chicago
Inter Ocean, and which has been enthu-
siastically spread .efore the readers Of
papers like the New York Sun.
Colonel Clowry says that his company
has Offices at every railroad station in
the United States, ''and we are only too
glad" he continues, ito extend our lines
to other towns not connected with rail
roads where, as in Great Britain, the
expense Of working and maintenance is
guaranteed. This is a rank misstate-
ment. The principle of every govern
ment telegraph system is to extend the
extended, and not limit it, as private
corporations limit it, to offices where
maintenance and profit can be guaran-
teed. For example, the telegraph de-
partment in England the past year fell
behind its revenue. About $3.50. 900 Of
this was put into new plant and better
ments, giving more towns telegraphic
connection.
One might as well argue that because
the United States pOstotfice falls s. ,000,-
600 or s., 900, 900 behind its revenue the
time has come to put the whole posi-
service into the hands of private specu-
lators. The nub Of the issue is whether
communication shall be pushed to the
very corners of the country, as it can be
done if the element Of profit We're elm
mated, or whether few men shall be
chartered to build up the larger towns
and cities to the great injury of the
sparsely populated districts and then to
charge Il tariff that puts millions Of dol
lars into the pockets Of capitalists.
While the friends of government
telegraph system have the best of the ar
gument, they will be handicapped from
the start by the fact that the tribunal to
decide the matter has in the past been
using telegraph franks from the Western
Union. A MAJ ority of the members Of
congress have for years taken advantage
of the offers of free kilograms made by
the companies. The franking privilege
in the case Of letters, while not d sound
practice, is not so demoralizing because
the service is conducted by the public
and the perquisite is i'll the nature of an
additional salary for public services rem
dered. A perquisite from a private
company at a time when the congress
man is called upon to vote upon the ques-
ton whether the business Of that COM
pany is to be discontinued i'll the public
interest amounts to an obstacle to the
performance of his public duty-not
that we cannot conceive Of a public man
with such sterling qualities that he can
receive favors from a company and at
the same time vote to terminate the COM
pany's franchise.
I Our point is that the practice tends to
obstruct rather than facilitate wise legis-
latiOn. AS the government telegraph
issue promises to become acute, we trust
that congressman will think twice be-
fore they accept any more favors from
the Western Union. The public would
resent the action of a judge who would
accept credit from a grocer when that
grocer was a party in an action at law
IN the judges court. How can congress-
men expect that they will escape the
wrath of the public if they continue to
commit the same offense in permitting
the Western Union company to pay
their telegraph bills, thus throwing the
expense upon the patrons of the com
pany?
A formidable box Of government tele-
graph petitions, collected by The New
Nation upon the initiative Of the second
Nationalist club Of Boston and aided by
other Nationalists and Peoples Party
clubs, has been forwarded to Washing
ton. Henry r. Legate is at the capitol,
aud vigorous campaign has been
started that will not end until the tele-
graph and telephone services have be-
come an adjunct of the postotfice depart
ment and telegraph messages reduced to
10 cents for 10 words.-New Nation.