Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-05-19
The Telegraphio pispatohes.

| The st. Louis Republican has been publishing
some severe though deserved structures, as to the
character and quality of telegraphc reports, which
called out MIR. Fulton, the reporter at Baltimore in
letter which is published in the Republican,
We copy the remarks of the Republican, called
forth by this letter, and so far as we are concern
ed, they have our approval. The main deficiency
in telegraphic operators, is want of talent in
the employees of the different lines Let the Lines
pay such salaries as will command the services of
men of education, general information and we'll
formed busiress habits and most of the evils COM
planned of will Disappear:
Our late structures upon the Geographic dispatch
es have evoked same little light out of the dark
ness, and we confess ourselves as much surprised
1.-THE actual state of things as we have been at
the utter indifference of the press to the imposi-
ton practlsed upon them. We say imposition,
because If the statements of MIR. Fulton can be
relied upon. not only has Mr.. Reid, who is the
only man we have heretofore known in connex-
ION with these dispatches, but the Telegraph COM
panles themselves, have been in the constant prac-
ice OF diSregardlng and neglecting the interests
OF the press, in the transmission of news. If Mr..
Reid did not employ MIR. Fulton as his agent 10
report for the western press we should like to
know who did. We have never done so-we have
been consulted about such arrangement, and it is
only within the last month that we ever heard
Mr.. Fulton'S name associated with the dispatch
es and that Ill way not much to our liking.
The PreSs, so Tar as we know, never has been
consulted about the employment Of agents or te-
porterS, or their salaries, and they have been
Changed as often as the necessities or the caprice
OF those who have managed the system. Mr. Reid,
1t seems has regarded the Western Press business
as somewhat OF u bure,' and after what Is revealed
by Mr.. Fulton, in regard to this Suboldinates' in
the Telegraph Companies, the public will be ant
to think so too. The manner in which the dis
patches nave been prepared and sent has always
been 'bore' TO us-a great bore upon our pock-
cts, and an 1nfiction upon our readers which we
have felt very unwilling they should bear.
Mr.. Fulton says he has prepared the dispatches
Tor the Western press and that they have been
correct full and Ineligible, but they have been
bungled, mangled and diSiointed by the telegraph
operators-who have taken upon themselves TO
cut them down to suit their time and convenience.
He alleges, moreover that the reports are sent, or
moi, just as the fancy The business of the ope-
rators i'll the offices may dictate. We are glad
that MIR. Fulton made his charges against the
companies so broad and emphatic; because il must
result IN injury into the manner i'll which the bu-
siness of these telegraph lines are conducted. If
the half of what is said Of them be true then they
are unworthy of public confidence, because it is
hardly possible to believe that they are faithful in
the transmission of all private messages, when
they are SO taithless IN the transmission of those
for the press.
1t is the press that gives to them their character
and their business, and IL they neglect its interest,
whenever their convenience suits, it affords very
ready means of accounting for the thousands Of
private messages that never reach their destina-
lon, or reach it too late, although duly paid for.
Ii they are thus careless of the interests OF those
who contide in them, it should be known, so that
the law may be invoked 10 provide n remedy, OF
the use OF the telegraph be abandoned altogether,
unreliable and unsafe.
Our complaints are more than justified by Mr..
Fulton's admissions, and now we shall see whetll-
er correction OF the abuses will follow these ex-
positions. Whatever may have been the new ar
rangements,' of which Mr.. Fulton speaks, we
| confess We have seen no improvement, as yet, III
so we are inclined 10 think il is failure.
1t seems that this new arrangements would have
had more efficiency, and been more satisfactory,
if the press had been consulted before It's iorma-
ton. 1t is composed of men, most of hnm we
know nothing about, either for capacity or reli-
liability. We have to pay the reporters and
agents and we think we ought to have had voice
| i'll their selection.