Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-11-26
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
STATEMENT OF DR.. noRwN GREEN
he Defends the Western Union Against
the carghes of Unfair Reports of
the Late Election.

ExECCIIvE OFFIaE, WESTERN UNION 1ELE-
GRAPH COMPAsY, NEW YogK, Nov. "a, 'o4-To
the Public Now, since the presidential cleo
tion is settled and the excitement incident 10
a close political contest has abated, it Is
proper to say we are prepared To show most
eonclusively the utter groundlessness of all
charges against the Western Union Telegraph
Company OF paFtiality in reporting or with
holding the election returns of the State of
New York. l deny in the most emphatic
manner that the Western Union Company
delayed, altered or withheld the election re-
turns of this State, or any other State, or
tamperod with them in any way. 1t had
nothing whatever 10 do with the returns of
the State Of New York except TO transmit
them over the lines as prepared by the agent
of the Associated Press. All the returns
of the State were collected by the
Associated Press. All the compil-
ing was done in its offices by il own
agents and all bulletins were prepared by il
and copies were simply delivered to MIR.
Somerviile, superintendent of our newspaper
service for general distribution to the pub
lie. This company had nothing to do with
making up the bulletins, nor did any officer,
or agent, or other person connected with, or
interested in this company except the oper-
ators who transmitted the returns, have ac-
cess 20 or see any of them until the bulletins
had been made up therefrom IN the Associa-
ted Press Office and handed To us for public
distribution, and have no reason TO believe
that the agents of the Associated Press acted
otherwise than IN an impartial manner.
Ordinarily. many of our offices are not
kept open for business after O'Clock p. m.
To assist us in meeting the extraordinary
expense of the extra employment of several
thousand night operators we have had for
several years arrangements with the Press
Associations giving Us the privilege of send
ing bulletins TO political and social clubs
and other subscribing customers We simply
took the Associated Press bulletins as that
association had made them up and delivered
them as heretofore TO customers who had
subscribed for them,-nothing more. The
charge that returns were purposely withheld
or that there was unusual delay In report
IN them, is entirely false. Instead of
such delay there was extraordinary prompt
ness. Never before have reports from so
many election districts been received within
SO short a time. Within forty-eight hours
aft n the count of the ballots began, returns
were received from ninety eight per cent. of
the 5000 election districts In the State. Al
though the night of the election was stormy,
and there was some trouble in working the
wires, no delay occurred IN reports handed to
our offices outside the city of New York.
Within the city the telegraph service was as
nearly perfect as it was possible to make
il, and the only trouble was with some
of the short wires hastily erected
fol- temporary use. 1t is here to be noted
that heretofore the majorties reported from
the most populOus and therefore the most
accessible counties have been so decisive that
the popular mind has been set at rest re-
specting the result of elections on the first
night. and there being no hope or fear of a
change In the general result subsequent re-
turns, more or less tardy, have struggled In
anheeded. La two instances in this State,
have been informed that the county canvas
sers. who met one week after the election
this year, had TO adjourn over because the
county clerks had, up to that time, been un-
able To get in the vote of their counties.
The only other returns complained of were
those of Indiana, where. at the request of
the political committees, and the press. In
the absence of any agent of the Associated
Press. the reports came through, and were
sent out by our superintendent, Mr.. j. +.
Wallack who insists that he used every effort
to obtain all the returns IA speedily as pos
sibIe. / consider the demand for any in
vestigation of thet service made by the lndi-
annapolis Sentinel, and also by MIR. Wallack
himself reasonable and proper. and have
asked the chairman of the Indiana Demo-
cratic State Committee to take part in the
investigation or TO name representa-
tive to do 80. The management of
their company in its business rela-
ton TO the public Is strictly non-political
and nOn-partisan. The employees represent
every shade Of political opinion and are in
the coFnpany's service solely by virtue of
their profciency as telegraphers. What their
individual political opinions are has never
been in any case called into question, nor
have their votes ever been canvassed or as
certained. But of those with whom per-
s0nalIy come in contact, / know that there
are quite rs many Democrats "a kepubli-
cans. IL Is, therefore, manifestly absurd
10 charge that the service of the comany
could be converted into party machine.
or could be in any way distroit or stifie the
facts when any such attempted conspiracy
could ouly have been made by the aid of a
large number of members of the political
party which II was designed to injure.
NoRvIN GREEN. Pres.