The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-02-26


the people free county lines but to
crush out, if possible, their COM
petitor, and when this is done, their
lines will become pay lines again
and their old eXtortionate rates re-
established. This is very clear, we
say, because they have only made
the competing points free to their
subscribers. At Bigbyville, where
the Bell has public station, but no
private subscribers, it charges the
public ten cents to talk to COM
peting points, but twenty-five cents
to talk to Spring Hill and Culleoka,
points where the Citizens does not
run. But the Bigbyville people, like
the other communities, are true to
their colors and patrOnize the Citi-
zens. But, of course, no sane man
will deny, but that if the Bell Com
pany could crush out this opposition
the people would be again at their
mercy and their rates would be just
what they could squeeze out of the
people.
A man might consider it a cheap
thing to take Bell phone on their
nominal terms, but we think if he
will consider the matter carefully he
will see the bad policy of it. 1t is to
the interest of the whole county and
to every individual thereof, to keep
the Citizens Company up and to aid,
encourage and support it. 1t has
made possible system of free coun-
ty telephones at a very moderate
cost per month. 1t was organized to
prevent the eXtortion of "a monopoly.
1t has succeeded. 1t can never be-
come an eXtortioner itself because il
is cooperative and every member
has an equal voice in its affairs. AS
said above, it is not organized to
make money but to save money. But
if it should take in more money
than actually necessary to run the
business, the members themselves
would be the beneficiaries.
There is this proposition which
we, in conclusion, offer for the con-
sideration of the people, especially
the telephone-users The Bell must
either succeed in crushing out the
Citizens, or else the Bell cannot
continue to furnish you their phones
at the nominal rates which you are
now, for brief spell, enjoying. If
they should succeed in crushing out
the Citizens, then you will again be
at the mercy of the monopoly and
will have to make up the loss. So
that il is fight in which every citi-
zen is interested, and it seems to us
very clear that the Citizens Tele-
phone Company should have the
aid and encouragement and sup
port of every man who has need for
and is able to have a telephone.
We have written this because we
are for the Citizens Telephone Com
pany against the monopoly; because
we believe it is to the best interest of
the people of this county, and be-
cause we hope to put this matter in a
clear light to some who may not
have carefully looked into it. Fri
erson set the first example of indie
pendent cooperative lines in this
county, and since the establishment
of the Citizens Company have very
cheerfully cO-operated with it. 9th
er communities in the county have
followed suit with cOmmendable
activity, and it should not be long
before every village in the county
should be cooperating with us to
make Maury County veritable
speaking gallery.
TALKING to the Washington cor
respondent of the Nashville Ameri-
can, one day recently, Congressman
Richardson, of Tennessee, said:
1.-The independence of Cuba must
be Immediately recognized, and an
end put to the war on that favored
island. Why has it not been recog
nized? l will tell you. Because
love of country is rated lower