Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1887 — Control of the Telegraph. [ARTICLE]

Control of the Telegraph.

Chicago Times. In the second place, it sounds very fine to talk about, placing the control of the telegraph system “in the hands of the people,” but what does it- mean? The thing prtyiosed is that 'he 'Government. assume control of the telegraph. That means, of course, that the people are to take it into their control by their political agents.' There is no other way in which they can do it. These agents must, of course, have as much access to business secrets as any private manager of a system can have. There must be a head to a government system as much as to any other, and that head must be aflored opportunity to possess himself not only 01 business secrets,but of political secrets, as Mr. Gould now enjoys. Can the people depend upon securing the services of a chief of the telegraph service whom they can safely trust to this extent? They can depend upon getting the services of a politician, just as they can now depend upon getting the services of a politician for Postmaster-General. Can they be sure of getting a politician whom they can trust with autocratic , control of the telegraph in times of great political excitement—in such times, for instance, as we passed through’ in 1876? “The Times” is inclined to think not. Portraits of Lincoln and Jefferson have been pat in the east room of the I White house.