The Caucasian., 1895-06-13

| aH'AoriZihg III To do 50. had taken con
troll OF the Telegraph system of .thi
eountry. il would have saved last YEA
<9,eo.un 10 the people Of this coan
try"
SENATOR EDaUSDs' PROPOSITION II
| DETAIL.
Senator Edmunds introduced hi
bill for postal telegraph Dec. 1
1883 osher bills looking to a simi.
lar purpose were introduced during
the same session by Senator Hill, OF
Colorado, and Senator Dawes. They
were all referred to the Senate com
mittee on post-ofiices and post-roads.
That committee was also authorized
by the Senate to investigate the af-
fairs of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company, aud hearings were
held at which the company was
represented by its president, Norvin
Green, Counsel William NJ. Eyarts,
and others.
Senator Edmunds' bill proposed to
have board composed of thre.
heads of departments 10 establish
four leading trunk lines North,
East, South, and West-the actual
building to . be carried on by the
corps of engineers of the War De-
partment, branches being established
from the main line from time to
time as money should be appropri.
ated and as there should be use.
Compensation for right of way and
for the purchase Of materials should
be fixed by the secretary of war, SUBJ
ject to the approval of the president;
the right of eminent domain could
be exercised where post-roads were
not used; all claims thereafter for
land damages, telegraphic instru
ments, patent rights, etc, should 90
to the Court of Claims at Washing
| ton.
In support of his propositions,
Senator Edmunds said to the COM
mittee, Jan. IA, 1894:
THE CoNsTIrUTIoNALITY OF A POSTAL
TELEGRAPH.
al am perfectly satisfied that Con-
gress has the constitutional power to
do what is proposed and in any one Of
the forms that are proposed under sew
eral constitutional headS-cOmmerce
war, post-Oflice, and might add finance
on the same principle that the
| tional- law was constitutional
l0 oh II hot tn OF,
| was that Congress might borrow
money, might have a treasury depart
ment, and might levy taxes, and there
fore presumably Congress must have
the power to provide the means to car
ry on the fiscal operations of the Gov
ernment. If a bank was thought to bt
tional. so that | think the cOnstitu-
tional question is beyond the range OF
fair dispute.
1.-The next question is one of public
policy: Is it expedient for the inter.
ests of the people? On that point
have only to say that this Govern.
ment-natiOnai and State combined
was, as the constitution says, institu,
ted to promote the general welfare
and the specific objects that are name,
in the constitution, and the particular
one of promoting its general welfare
point out clearly that Congress, within
the scope of the powers that are giver
to it, may do whatever appears to bt
for the general welfare. Among tina
class of OBJ ects is the dissemination o
| Intelligence, the freest and most con
| venient means Of iof
between citizens of the Republic an,
every part of it. 1t was on that prin
ciple that the POst-Otfice Department
was provided to be established. 1t wa
on that principle that Congress wa
given power, rather than the severa
States, to regulate commerce anon!
The several States. 1t was on that prin
ciple that Congress was given powe
to coin money and regulate the valu
thereof. | need not go on enumerat
ing things we all understand SO well
THE QUESTION OF COMPETITION WITH
PRIVATE INTERESTS.
"The people who are engaged il
telegraphic operations, just as the peO
pie who have been en- gagged in expires
and transportation operations, feel
natural solicitude, of course, that thei
business should not be competed witt
by the eXertion of any function on tn
to me that it is unjust to them tina
Congress should enter the field of wha
they call competition with privat
business. But if | am right in what
have said respecting the inherent con
stitutional power of Congress and tn
inherent public policy of doing thi
thing for the. reasons | have stated
) then the argument of these gentle
men engaged in that sort of busines
falls to the ground, because they hav
known the constitution of the Govern
) ment and the public objects that it wa
bound to promote all the time: an
that whenever Congress saw fit to en-
large the postal establishment in Orde
to facilitate its war and cOmmercis
/ anu financial operations, to exert tn
: powers that belong to it by the cOnst
! tuition, it must necessarily do so with
out regard to the extent to which
would affect private interests in doin
t the same things that Congress tinall
I thinks it best to do itself, and for til
o advantage of its own people.
at seems TO me, for the best interests
, tie country, that aag appliance NTH @hic
: IT'S ,reffdre as so intimately connected az
the instantaneous transmission OF intel
+ gence, should be subject to no censorship,
' no corporate WiH, TO no question OF hor
5 is going to affect stocks or the standing
: corporations or Of persons, but Il should
e free to all men as the pOst-06fce IS, and, Ia
a tie post-otiice, subject to no espionage.
Is essential, Ibefieue, al. this time to the Il
t terests OF the United States, and groni'
i aaoFednd more 50, IN connection irtth gre
: social questions, and the aggregations
= rast sums Of money under corporate pore
. thdit},is Government telegraph, on the co
& stitutionai principle stated, should be u.
IS tertakea depeadeatlg, and subject to
contracts or arrangements erith parties.
d A GOVERNMENT TELEPHONE. TOO
In reply to the chairman of Il
d committee, who asked, eff We shou
n deem it necessary to have the tel
phone in connection with the tel
At graph. would you deal With the ow
IS ers of such an important patent t