Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-03
TELEGRAPH OWNERSHIP.
Proposed Government Operation.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Postmaster General. Later President
Grant came forward in a strong mes
sage in advocacy Of the proposition.
rms proposition was that the federal
government should take possession and
ownership of the entire telegraph system
OF the country, which should be incor-
porated into the existing postal system,
placing the whole business of transmit
ting and delivering messages and of
constructing and operating lines exclu
sively under the control Of the Post ONCE
Department
At the same time proposition brought
forward by Gardiner G. Hubbard of Bos-
ton provided that all messages should
De received and delivered by the Post
ONCE Department, and that a national
telegraph company should be organized
to handle the messages for the govern
ment. Between these two plans and the
pronounced opposition to any interference
with existing Geographic conditions such
fight was precipitated that the whole
matter resulted In no action at all.
But this did not put an end to the agf-
tation. On the other hand, it resulted in
the passage of a
Did Not Put End law in 1874. re-
4. A:4.4:. affirming the right
10 hgltatlOn. of the government
to acquire ownership by purchase Of the
telegraph lines Of the country. This act
provided that the United States might.
for postal, military or other purposes.
purchase all the Geographic lines, prop
erty and effects of any or all companies
operating under the act Oh 1865 1t was
this act which was quoted by Postmaster
General Hitchcock in his recommendation
of 1912 that the government should &C
quire the ownership of the telegraph lines
of the country. Mr. Hitchcock is by no
means the only Postmaster General who
has recommended the acquisition of the
telegraph lines by the government. The
most pronounced advocate of the plan
was John Wanamaker. Postmaster Cen
eraI under President Harrison, who
made strenuous tight to have Congress
take the necessary steps to acquire the
telegraph lines. On the other hand. VIII
liam L. Wilson, Postmaster General UNI
der Cleveland, was strongly opposed to
the government ownership of the tele-
graph.
1t seems that from the earliest history
of the telegraph leading statesmen have
felt that it occupies a peculiar relation
to the government service and has not
been held by them as subject to the gem
eral arguments against government own
ership. One Of the earliest opponents
of the ACQUISITION of the telegraph by
the government was Henry Clay. In 1S44
he came out in favor of the government
of the telegraph, declaring: Il
think such an engine should be excl-
sively under the control of the govern
ment." Frem that day forward. men who
have been known to oppose the general
of government ownership have
advocated the government ownership OF
the telegraph They have held that there
are peculiar reasons why 1t should be
under the control of government. On
the other hand, others have held as
to the doctrine that nowhere
would the application of the principle OF
ownership carry with it more
objections than in the case of the tele-
graph. They assert that 1t would give
the government a system Of espionage
over private affairs that would be
deeply inimical to the interests of bust
ness and subversive of republican insti-
tutiOns