The Caucasian., 1895-06-13
FOR A POSTAL
TELEGRAPH.
Strong Expressions From Ex-
United States Senators Ed
munds and Platt
THEY OPENLY DECLARE

and Operating Its Own Independent {
Telegraph A. Part Of the United states
Postal system.
The Voice of New York gives the
following interviews:
81 have for many years been a
hot-foot supporter of Government
postal telegraph SYSTEM" said ex-
Senator Edmunds, of Vermont to
Voice correspondent the other day.
81 believe intelligence should be
communicated, the same as our mails,
through the post Offices of the coun-
try. Some twelve years ago intro
duced several carefully prepared
postal-telegraph bills" In answer
to the question "Have your views
changed any since Them the ex-
Senator replied very emphaticalIy,
NO; and to the question, "Have
your opinions grown more strongly
in favor of the proposition" he an
swered, "They couldn't be any
stronger"
THE GENERAL DFMAND FOR A GOV
ERNMENT POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The records of Congress show that
the proposition for a Government
postal telegraph has been repeatedly
before both houses of that body
since the time spoken Of by Mr..
Edmunds, only to be downed in the
interest of the Western Union Tele-
graph monopoly. The Voice of
Dec. 2l, 1898, gave the utterances
Of many postmasters-general in fa-
vor of Government telegraph, from
the very Introduction of the ,inven-
ton down to the last administration.
Senator Edmunds spoke strongly
in favor of a postal telegraph system
in the Senate on Jan. 20, 1888. The
post-otiice appropriation bill, which
proposed a reduction of postage from
3 to 3 cents, was under discussion.
Senator Edmunds said:
EDMUNDS FAyORs THE GOVERNMENT
BUILDING ITS OWN TELEGRAPH
LINES.
"What the United States, in re-
gard to its postal affairs and the
welfare of its people, needs more
than anything else is the construc-
ton of postal telegraph, beginning
moderately between great points in
the country and all intermediate
points, and then extending il, just
as we have the mail system, as the
needs of the community and fair
economy would require, until every
post-otfice should have or be within
she reach of a postal telegraph. That
s what ought to be done, and what
will be done within few years be-
yond all question.
''But | beg the stock operators in
New York not to suppose that fol
one am in favor of the United States
buying out any elegraph company
anywhere. l an IN faror Of Me
United States Jut1dinQ its Oem posta1
telegraph and manogins 1t IN its otr,
raq, and leagiug tie gentlemen whl
are engaqed IN prirate pursuits tt
pursue Mer operations an their Oar1
nay as prirate pursuits.
1--WE introd, ed into the postal
system not long ago provision fol
carrying merchandise, but we die
not think it necessary to buy out
the operations of the Adams Express
Company, or the Southern Express
Company, or the Union Express
Company, and the United States
Express Company, and so on, al
though what we did very seriously
diminish their profits and impair
ed their business. Everything tina
the United States does operates il
that way upon the interests of it
private citizens-everything excer
the appropriation of money directly
LET THE GOVERNMENT SET UP 1T
OWN POLES AND WIRES.
sI propose the initiation of pos
tai telegraph for the United States
that involves the simple proposition
Of authorizing the postmaster-gener
al to buy the poles and the wires an
the machines and set up its lines
first, along the great post-routes o
, .he country, North and South, an
East and West. and then, as tim
goes on and economy will warrant il
the extension of them to every ham
let in the country.
ELECTRICITY is just as much PAL
of the forces of nature and of thi
world for the transmission of intel
e ligence as a locomotive is, or as th
> old post-horse was; and it is too lat
S at this day to say that because th
world has advanced in the means {
disseminating intelligence the tell
graph, under the constitution of tt
United States, is not an appropria'
means of the postal system just ;
! much as it is to transmit letters"
y SENATOR PLATT THINKS THE UNITE
e STATES TOO SLOW IN SOME THINGS
Hon. Orville H. Platt, Unite
. States Senator from Connecticut,
e the same debate, Jan. 10, said:
f 81 cannot understand how it is tn
a Government like ours, that profess
4 to be in advance of the world, tn
q boasts of its progressive spirit al
tendencies, that boasts of its inven
ions, that boasts of the utilization
u the arts and sciences within its DO
n ders, should fall back on the slow ra
70 road and steamboat for the transmi
sion of its messages, and allow qui
,e transmission to be in the han
a of a single corporation, substantial
l. in this country,
81 said the telegraph to-day was t
rich mans mail. The transmission
20 letters and messages is Goreranst
|! function; 1t pertains to the Gorsra,aent,a "a
n 1t ought nerer to hare been suffered 10
n out of the hands of the Government.
os ou0Lf inst as much fn utilize the teIe1rn