The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-09-23

CONTROLLING THE NEWS 0P THE COUNTRY.
NEW YORK. September 22.-To-morrow'
Herald will have an editorial OF which the
following i an abstract:
"The turn which affairs have recently
taken in the conduct OF the New York As
ISOLATED Press cannot fail 10 be Of interest.
as Il Is Of undoubted importance, TO the
general public. Having. aside from it, own
membership, a large clientage OF journals
all over the country, It is evident that the
Associated Press might, in improper hands,
unfaithful to the public interests or subser-
Went to private plans or interests. become a
very powerful engine for mischief. II might
give, for instance. partisan c0loring 10 its
political news. and thus seriously mislead
the public opinion; or ii might give color
TO crop reports or other news affecting
finances and stock markets favorable TO
private spectators but injurious to the
general interest. For many years the As
sociated Press has worked under the direc-
ton Of an Executive Committee composed
OF three OF the proprietors Of leading New
York Journals, and il is very greatly to the
credit Of this committee, and OF the man.
! ayers and agents it employed. that there
has never, 50 far rs we now remember.
/ been n complaint that this powerful agency
]
purposes. The uses to which .hrewd and
INSCRIPTIONS man might put the Associated
Press reports have not, il seems, escaped
| the notice Of one Of the shrewdest and
most entcrprising OF our wealthy citizens.
Mr.. Jay Gould seems TO have determined
/ to make this organization an adjunct 10 his
SpeculatiOns. II i now understood that
Mr.. Gould has control Of three Of the seven
D t.rt, ,o1 fal ha 1T H
/ Press-the Tribune, World, and Mail and
/ EJDrcSS-and a. he controls nj the same
| time the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, which the Associated Press has for
many years employed 10 transmit its news.
/ Mr.. Gould has Of late begun to show his
hand. Iii, design i 10 obtain control Of
/ the Associated Press. and to do tins he
proposes TO anal gamate the Western Union
| Telegraph Company, which he controls.
with the Associated Press 10 destroy the
organization OF the latter and make the
employees Of the telegraph company his
/ own servants-that is to say, collec-
/ tors OF news for papers. While he
nas forming the Associated Press
this scheme Of course halted; but at the
August meeting Of the association he was
enabled by the vote OF the Sun, which had
until then. in common with the HerGld,
Times, and journal Of Commerce, opposed
| hi, plans, to strike his first blow by dis
charging the Executive Committee from
| further consideration Of its relations with
the Western Union Telegraph Company.
/ From this. therefore. il may apparently be
fairly inferred that Mr.. Gould now con-
| trolS four OF seven papers that constitute
| the association. Despite the evidence OF
facts. we say thi, in doubtful terms. be-
canse we are not prepared to believe all
that this state Of the case involves
The H,rdH then in a series OF sarcastic
personal illusions 10 Mr.. Dana. Mr.. Reid,
and Mr.. IIurbut, gives it, reasons why Il,
statement, should be considered doubtful.
and then proceeds O. follows: "if Mr.
Gould really doe control all OF these four
papers, then the way j. open TO hi- scheme.
That the news Of the country should
De in the power OF single individual,
and that individual Mr.. JAY Gould. is
startling prospect. Mr.. Gould Is 4
purely speculative operator in share, Of
railway, telegraph, and other stocks. His
ayoWcd profession j. the manipulation
Of solid and substantial property solely for
raising or lowering the prices Of shares 70
increase hi, personal fortune. Impartial
and accurate presentation Of the news Of
the day IN the Associated Press re. ort>
must often. il j. easy 10 see, have been 4
bar to the success, Of such >pcculations a.
those bv which Mr.. Gould and others Of
the same profe sion seek 10 increase their
fortunes. Thi, obstacle ii j. which Mr.
Gould now seeks 10 remove. He wishes 70
give the country it, news reports. II
he succeeds. that which has hith-
crto been read under the head Of
A,,ociated-Prc>> dispatches must there
after be- placed by those who print II
under the head Of Jay Goulds d.
PATCHES The Herald Ia, been from the
/ beginning a member OF the Associated
/ Pres. 1t has watched jealousy the con-
/ duct Of il, agents. because il has been our
aim 10 give our readers correct and un-
/ bias>ed reports. We do not propose 10
abandon the orGAniZation-at least. for The
present: but We shall deal honestly with
/ our readers. II Mr. JAY Gould succeed,
/ i'm obtaining control OF the Associated
Pres. which he seeks. we >hail
not refuse the new, he causes -
/ be- mt in circulation. but we shall print II.
a, honesty to our readers Will then re-
quirc. under the head OF JAY Gould :
bi.patchc, and We shall endcayor, by an
increase Of our numcrOu, corps OF specll
CORRESPONDENTS. 10 give also orr own ac-
cllrato reports Of important events. Mean
time we be- the public 10 reflect upon The
matter, We have stated above, ana consider
whether il j. not necessary 90 the pubic
security that the Government shall take
possession 81 the telegraph lines III thl'
country and make them an adjunct OF ihc
po>t-Otiice Department. Is has been suc-
ce,>fully done in England and other
Furopcan countries. The audacliy al
the spirit Of speculation grows year
bv wear. This last scheme 10 enable
a great and INSCRIPTIONS Specu'aloi
10 yitiate the very fountains OF public opin-
ion i, but the natural outcome OF what has
been going on under all mems eye, Tor
wears. A great Speculation manages 10 OH
tain control OF the Geographic commlnlca'
tion 81 the country, and not only OF these
lint also OF the cables which connect Il, with
foreign countries. Having crushed OF
bought up all hi> Geographic rivals. he next
conceives the idea OF making himself mas
fer Of the country's intelligence. ana thus
Of il daily opinions on all subjects. NJ
the nrescnt moment Mr.. Gould seems Ike
IL 10 succeed. II only the Times. JO'radl
Of Commerce, and Herald vote against him.
they cannot prevail, and he will in fact have
il i'm his power to muzzle an important part
OF the press OF the country. For 10 any
newspaper not a member of the A>socia
ted Presto all, therefore, except the
seven New York journal, which compos,
that AsSociation-he may refuse the news
unles, they will print it a. he chooses t.
send il. and that means ruin to them. VII
any one say that in view OF this it i not
bj:h time for the Government to assume
control and management OF the telegraph
as il has always controlledthe post-oihces =
The Tariff Commission at Atlanta.
ATLANTA. Ga, september 22.-Ihe Iarii
- =; lion here tn-laV