The proposed union of the telegraph and postal systems Statement of the Western Union Telegraph Company

"The Proposed Union of the Telegraph and Postal Systems", written by the Western Union Telegraph Company, critically looks at a suggested law by Hon. E.B. Washburne to combine telegraph and postal services in the U.S. In this piece, the author defends the telegraph system, explaining how well it works and makes money, which disproves what supporters of the new law say. It starts by defining the author's goal: to argue against Washburne's statements that the U.S. telegraph system is not as good as Europe's and does not help the public enough. The writing recognizes Professor Morse's inventions as important but worries that the government's plan to control telegraphs could hurt its growth. It then presents numbers and facts that show the telegraph system is already widespread and successful, pushing for private companies to be recognized for their role in improving communication, instead of letting the government step in, which the author thinks would stop progress.