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1
378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
91
But
in
our
country
we
do
things
differently.
Here
it
would
be
considered
a
stretch
of
power
for
any
administration
to
enter
into
a
contract
with
a
private
company--a
contract
binding
the
Government
for
a
period
of
twenty-five
years,
and
involving
an
annual
appropriation
of
money--without
the
action
of
Congress.
This
is
a
safeguard
against
reckless
and
extravagant
expenditure,
but,
as
one
of
the
penalties
we
pay
for
our
more
popular
form
of
government,
in
which
every
thing
has
to
be
referred
to
the
people,
it
involves
delay,
and
sometimes
the
defeat
of
wise
and
important
public
measures.
Besides--shall
we
confess
it
to
our
shame--another
secret
influence
often
appears
in
American
legislation,
which
has
defeated
many
an
act
demanded
by
the
public
good--the
influence
of
the
Lobby!
This
now
began
to
show
itself
in
opposition.
It
had
been
whispered
in
Washington
that
the
gentlemen
in
New
York
who
were
at
the
head
of
this
enterprise
were
very
rich;
and
a
measure
coming
from
such
a
source
surely
ought
to
be
made
to
pay
tribute
before
it
was
allowed
to
pass.
This
was
a
new
experience.
Those
few
weeks
in
Washington
were
worse
than
being
among
the
icebergs
off
the
coast
of
Newfoundland.
The
Atlantic
Cable
has
had
many
a
kink
since,
but
never
did
it
seem
to
be
entangled
in
such
a
hopeless
twist
as
when
it
got
among
the
politicians.
But
it
would
be
very
unjust
to
suppose
that
there
were
no
better
influences
in
our
Halls
of
Congress.
There
were
then--as
there
have
always
been
in
our
history--some
men
of
large
wisdom
and
of
a
noble
patriotic
pride,
who
in
such
a
measure
thought
only
of
the
good
of
their
country
and
of
the
triumph
of
science
and
of
civilization.
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