The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-01-09
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
OF THE TELEGRAPH AND
TELEPHONES

Inc apparent leaning Of the President
to the puF hase Of the TELEGRAPH and tel
9Rnone llncs Is a very serious and danger
OOS proposition 1t seems to be the re-
suit O the idea or impression that be-
cause the post,l telegraph aud the parcels
delivery has been an apparent success,
that the taking over by the government
0i tue telephones and telegraph systems
VIII De a success also
ln the first place it is not yet proved
mat the postofiice department as whole
Is success
Not only is it not proved that the gov.
0'nhent mail s'rvlce a success, but up
70 tins time il is not only not success,
but 1t has not proved satisfactory to the
people
7 The postofice department up to this
III time has not been run except at def
n cheney, and even at that it has not been
4 satisfactory. In addition to its being
unsatisfactory it is an extremely expen-
ive service. Besides all this all sorts of
spying is resorted to con-
1uct II With an annual deficiency.
= can bea success, until it pays its
Eay' aralsll the po<tagsis reduced
q s9s' g ths public.
g parcels post has not been in oper-
81 long enough to demonstrate its
s''lalsnsy Much has vet to Be done to
InH entire, efficiency. 1t charges
ar u much too high and much of it's
rSd tape must be eliminated before we
can predicate that it is entirely satisfac-
tory.
But even conceding that the parcels
post is perfect for the sake of the argu-
mant, it by no means follows that the
government should buy and own the tel
eRraph and telephone systems. The
ownership of telegraphs and telephones
will cost according to estimates nine hun
dred millions which is more than third
o. the Civil War debt. This is sum
too great for this nation to afford I'm
der present conditions Of the people.
"A It costs over-a billion year now to paw
the running expenses of the government
nd it will be indefensble to increase ex.
3. enses upon the people. The only safe
ntaovernment is government out of debt.
NJ he only free people is nation which
kbIlWes no money
Is But great as this objection it is by no
Dear Us the most serious objection. 1t is
n step toward the Capitalization of power
IN tie control Of the federal government
#6i4i fp people Of this nation are
1 h5|!i|e The only safe J is,
I'| NaIa.aini4e The limitatasions on
~ powers Il lhe general government.
Sfbe ts.ets. y1hlsSl q telegraph and til.
ephone~ 81 stems would Be An enormous
thing. It would require millions of en-
ployes with unnumbered details in their
management. The doors to graft would
be thrown wide open to countless en-
ployes in every hole and corner of the
republic, and it would require an army
Of secret service men and spies to watch
the employees.
And this is not all, it will be an iDva-
sion and a dangerous invasion of the
rights and the liberty of the citizens 4
We have had men in the White :
House who have been the mere instru-
ments in the hands Of INSCRIPTIONS and .
.aarseacus men who controlled them. !
rant bad his Chandler, Mckinley his :
dark Hanna-and Roosevelt, well, he h
'Fas dangerous enough without any one
hind him. Hessspent seven millions
spies and secret service men to watch 81
y pspy On the members of Congress and !, !
ther men who stood in the way Of his II
personal ambition Suppose we had such = =
men again and the government con y