Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-05

the telegraph lines, give him throttling
hold upon the entire press OF the country.
The Herald states that Mr.. Gould has
for some time been laboring to obtain con.
troll Of the New York Associated Press, by
purchasing controlling interests in the pa,
pers which constitute the association. It
asserts that he has already control of three
of TIE seven journals referred to, namely,
the Tribune, FORD, and Mail and Erpress,
aud it expresses fear that he has recently
succeeded in influencing the Sun, the con.
troll of which would enable him to do as he
pleased in the councils of the association.
What it Is he intends the Herald thus ex-
plains: I" His design is to obtain the con.
:" troll of the Associated Press, and to do
this he proposes to amalgamate the
Western Union Telegraph Company,
(which he controls, with the Associated
Press; to destroy the organization of the
slatter, and make the employees of the
telegraph company-his own servants,
that is to say-the collectors of news for
'tthe papers. 1t is evident that if the
man who already has control of the tele.
graph system of the country, and also Of
the submarine cables which connect it with
Europe and the rest of the world, could
effect the changes which the Herald here
describes, he would be in position not
only to color and manipulate the news
throughout the United States, but also to
mold public opinion, and in effect to direct
the intellectual life and progress of the ma
ton.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that the
HerGlds alarmist article has produced a
profound sensation in the press of New
York. Ever since it appeared hot con-
troversy over the subject has been raging.
As the Tribune, World, Express and San,
however, positively deny that Jay Gould
has any control over them, or that they
have any disposition whatever to vote for
his interests in the Associated Press, and
as the Herald has thus far been unable to
produce any trustworthy proof of the
reality of the icheme whose existence it
asserts, it may be that the alarm thus raised
is premature, rr even altogether without
foundation. Yet the discussion to which
the Heraids assertion has given rise has
served to show not only that such an en-
terprise as is ascribei to Jay Gould is posi-
BILE, but also that it is in the line of normal
development as at present proceeding. 1t
must indeed be said that the World, which
is said TO be under the control of Gould,
has taken the position that even if the
Hera!ds statements were true, there would
be nothing alarming in them. In suppo
Of this it points to the fact that a large
part of the continental news of Europe is
furnished to the English press by Baron
Reuter-, who is in his way SIS notorious
Spectator as Gould; and that notwith-
standing this fact the English press news
has always been recognized as trustworthy.
It is clear that this argument is not
sound, however, Tor Reuter- does not con.
troll the telegraph sJstem of England, and
he has never been in position to use I'M
due influence with his customers. What
ever monopoly he enjoys is held by reason
of the excellence OF his news arrangements,
and if some other news collector should
beat him at his own business he would
have to accept the defeat. The case OF
Jay Gould ia very different. If he should
secure control at once of the telegraph sys.
TEN and the machinery for the collection of
news, it would be impossible to oppose any
successful rivalry to him, unless those who
resisted him were able to construct sepa-
rate telegraph system for themselves. In
fact it is not at all too much to say that in
such an event he would be in position to
exert a greater influence upon the press of
the country than all other agencies put
together, and that it would be possible for
him by judicious management 70 bring all
the principal papers of the country under
his thumb. They must have the news,
and under such conditions they could NOT
get the news anywhere else. They would
have to go to Jay Gould for the staple of
their business, and Jay Gould would then
be enabled to punish his enemies and re.
ward his friends in the press, indefinitely.
The New York papers have generally
discussed this question upon the assump.
! ton thRt it is only necessary to give the
alleged Gould scheme publicity to defeat
it. We are unable to recognize the sequence
OF this argument. We do not gee how
any amount of talk can affect the matter,
unless indeed it is proposed TO make any
such monopoly of the news impracsicable
by turning over the telegraphic system
to the General Government. That, how.
ever, has not been suggested by any Of the
papers referred to. All they seem to think
necessary is to publish articles showing
that what Mr.. Gould is said to desire would
be very bad thing for The press and the
public, All this may be true, but it seems
to Us to be quite irrelevant. II Jay Gould
really wishes to obtain monopoly of the
news, and if he can do so by purchasing
one of four New York papers. the whole
question resolves itself into an ordinary
business transaction. In such a case all
Mr.. Gould has to do is to purchase one oil
the four papers. The assumption that
none of them will sell TO him may
be dismissed as frivolous No doubt every
one of them can be purchased if their pricz
is forthcoming. A fancy price would
buy almost any kind of property in the
market, and newspapers are property like
other things. The real question, therefore,
is whether Mr.. Gould really wants to
carry out this scheme, II he does, there