The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-21

OeucTV6 SUCCESS,
opinion Of an editor VINO has gained renown by show
ing mercy and charity TO rebellion, and who uses
every effort to coax Northern capital into the rebel
States.
We give respectful hearing to this argument But
II really Is no argument at ALL and thinly masks the
true reason oil the antpathy OF the press 20 the new
cable. The success OF the French cable Is the first
step towards destroying the Associated Press mono
poly. The blessing Of sucn cable VIII do every
thing for free prese and liberal thought and cheap
newspapers; for the Associated Press to-day Is one
Of the worst m0nOp0lss on this Continent.
1t mas grown by some mysterious alliance, with
the Western Union Telegraph Company We cannot
understand It. Mr.. OrtOn, the President OF that
company, is q shrewd and able mana gentleman
make a Does his
pany. In q business way nothing could be better;
and he certainly has succeeded In obtaining an infu-
ence, which ID good hing to have IN the way or
business, but the existence Of which humiliation
10 American journalism. Thus, when the Demo
cratic Convention Of California passed resolution
the Associated Press suppressed 1t, and the only
paper which printed it was the NEW YORK HERALD.
toned it, and YET It was the most important act Of
q great State Convention. We are quite sure That
all our journals would have printed this or anything
them to print. The Associated Press agent had
decreed otherwise, and his decree was law 10 the
Nor do we think 1t wise in Mr.. orion to encourage
this alliance. He may regard 1t as good business
expedient TO own Mr.. SimOntOn, although 1t Is dull
cult to imagine how MIR. SimOnton can be an Orna-
mental or useful Investment. The telegraph can
only be successfully managed when 1t Is as Tree az
the air. Any monopoly Is unstable and dangerous.
The instinct OF mankind revOlts against being COM
PEELED to do anything, and nothing ID easier 10 MI.
orion than to arouse sentiment, whether just or
cnrss to a Sa W es r. Ca,forna Cannot be
understood. He agreed to furnish the editor OF the
San Francisco Herald news Tor 692 cents word.
although he was charging the other dales Dut 2.4o
cents word. The Herald succeeded in SURPRISING
Its rivals, by better news service. Suddenly Mr.:
orion made new contract, by winch ne charged geo
a Wn IN
cent word OF course the elect OF such dis
elimination was to iniiict deadly blow upon the
Herald to destroy 1t in order 10 aid its rivals Such
contract would never have been made II Mr. Sm0nton
were not the agent OF the Associated Press ana at
the same time an owner OF a newspaper III san fran
CISCO AS Mr.. SimontOn does not conceal the TACT
that he holds this agency merely to serve his news
paper In California 1t Is only due TO him to say that
he has served it with great zeal and success. Cali
fornia is exclled over this monopoly. Tie Western
press Is not friendly But for Mr. orion the western
press would have Withdrawn from the New York as
ISOLATION The influence OF the great company was
thrown In favor OF the great monopoly. 1t would he
far WISER we think for Mr. orion TO serve three or
four newspaper associations than one but he does
not seem 10 think 80.
The Associated Press is composed OF seven news
papers the HERALD Times, tribune, World, sun,
Express and Journal OF Commerce.. such partner
ship can only benefit three papersthe sun, Express
and Journal or Commerce. The sun, for instance,
has the ard OF the four great daes to collect the
news and then ID allowed to sell that news at one
half the price. In other words, the great dailiss
Will collect this news at large
cost and while selling II ourselves for four
cents VIII allow you to sell it for two cents
and protect you against all competition" The
Journal or Commerce makes q feature OF the mar
kets and ship news 1t is a.cass paper-of large re-
sources, and circulates among the merchants. Yet
the four great daies virtually surrender to this one
newspaper nearly all OF the downtown fina1cal
and commercial trade, and debar themselves from
that circulation and business by protecting 1t against
every competition. A merchant In Broad street has
put 10 pay Two cents for the 81. and nve cents ior
great dales for editorials and correspondence.
These two papers answer his necessities; the other
newspapers are mere Injuries And should any OF
the great daes desire to extend their Influence and
utilize their business material they are prevented,
because they have agreed to protect the Express
HERALD, who prints light, lively evening paper,
the Telegram, ts not allowed to give 1t the AssO-
parativey small sum every week as It's bonus. 1t
does not even share the expenses. The generous
dailies allow 1t to have the monopoly without really
paying for 1t as much as they do themselves.
SO we have the Tribune. HERALD, Times and
World Joined in partnership which Injuries them
selves protects competing Journals and prevents
tomorrow, these journals would not be injured.
They are safe from competition because they them
would not be 30 with cheaper press. There is
room for two or three distinctive cheap newspapers
50 "a Of ne
And only recently Mr. Pomeroy abandoned his at
tempt to found nis morning paper. In the afternoon
crdt all enterprising, prosperous and growing, in
defiance OF this restriction. Remove It, and the
ana s w De Sa a to se
Of showing his journalistic resources by having
some newspaper In competition. The Associated
still. The animatlng motive of newspaper
owners is to make money, not to make great
journals We miss the old days Of swift and earnes;
competition. The Associated Press virtually pro-
hbts competition by insisting that all news shall be
shared In common. Thus, Mr.. Bennett may send a
man to Russia at great expense and Mr.. Greeley
send must be given to the sun, World and Times for
little more than the share Of tolls All expense Of
outfit time, salary are borne by themselves. The
advantage Is shared all around.
Under any circumstances there are grave defects
In the Associated Press economy But when # be,
Telegraph Company and the great daiies are merely
an expression Of the wishes and the fears OF Mr..
orion and Mr.. SmontOn 1t assumes the shape OF q
national calamity. We think the great daiies make
mistake and do not truly see where their interest
lies The Associated Press certainly leads to slug
glshness, inertia, mOnotony, want OF enterprise,
stagnati0n. The dominion Of the American press
rests with Mr.. Orion and Mr.. Simonton, and under
their domination 1t cannot be called free.
From the Philadelphia Morning Observation-Disclosures
tion-July 1871
The article entitled ''rhe Great Monopoly" which
We reprint from the Spirit Of the Times ought to
be read IL treats Of subject which should interest
every thoughtful mlnd-the monopoly OF the Ass0ci-
ated Press and the telegraph-and discusses it with
paper more than hall reluctant admission that the
Associated Press Is a curse to American journalism.
and that the Western Union Telegraph Company Is u
tyranny In league with 1t. This article is perhaps
more valuable because Of the evident fact that the
SPIRIT condemns these m0nOpOlies unwillingly and
without any private cause for complaint In Its pc
culiar sphere In journalism IL Is altogether unc0n
nected with telegraphs Or news agencies.
Newspapers may be what DR.. Rush called them,
teachers OF disjoned thinking" and may do great
harm as well as good. The newspaper Is for the day
only. Itsprngs up like JOnah's gourd and fades as
quickly. Yesterdays paper Is dead leaf Thus
perpetually dying and arising from its own ashes,
the newspaper Is necessarily immature, imperfect,
crude. It's news Is often gossip It's deductions un-
sound and based on false statements. Nevertheless
1t Is the intellectual power OF the country and the
great political social and religious instructor OF the
people TIE pubic schools teach certain established
facts; the newspapers discover new facts and give
ideas. The pulpit Is conservatives the religious
press gives progress to the churches. And p0liti-
caly the newspapers determine what Congress shall
do, what laws shall be passed and who
snail be President or Governor This tremen-
dous power IS not their own; they derive 1t from
our many mtndei people, whose contentious striv-
ings, virtues ana faults are embodied in the Ameri-
can press more than In any other power. Whatever
such scholars and drearners Dr. Rush may tnlnk
the papers OF this CITY have Gone thousand times