Good morning, it’s Monday, May 24, 2021. On this date in 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first public message via telegraph. It went over the newly installed wire on Capitol Hill to his collaborator, Alfred Vail, who was awaiting the signal at a Baltimore railroad station. The words Morse typed out in the code that bears his name came from the Bible:
“What hath God wrought?”
It was a fitting message, as much in our time as it was then. I’ll have a brief additional observation about this technological milestone in a moment. First I’d point you to our front page, which aggregates, as it does each day, an array of columns and stories spanning the political spectrum. We also offer a complement of original material from RCP reporters and contributors, including the following: