The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-03
JOINT ASSOCIATED PRESS COMMIT
TEES.

The Charges of Holding Back Retarns and
the Partisan Character OF the Reports In
vestigated and the Work OF the Ass0cia-
ton Pronounced Almost Perfect.
NEW YORK, Nov. ga meeting Of the
Joint Executive Committee OF the New York
Associated Press and the Western Associated
Press, called in New York to investigate the
charges Of partisanship In the dispatches
during the campaign, and their collection OF
election returns, was attended by members
as follows: Chas. A. Dana, OF the New York
Sun, Chairman; Whitelaw Reid, Of the
Tribune, Secretary; James Gordon Bennett
of the Herald. was represented by
DR.. G.. w. Hcsmer; Richard Smith,
of the Cincinnati Commercial W. N.
Haldemsn, of the Louisville Courier-J ournal.
After thorough investigation of the work,
including the circulars Of instruction, cor.
respondence with agents by letter and
telegraph, correspondence with candidates,
complaints from both Democratic and Re-
publican sources, dispatches sent out, re-
turns received by telegraph and the originals
fled by the senders in the several telegraph
offices Messrs. Hsldeman, of the Louisville
Courier. Journal, and Richard Smith, of the
pointed q subcommittee to summarize the
conclusions reached by the members. They
presented the following, which was unsni-
mously adopted. and the Chairman and Sec
rotary of the Joint Executive Committee
were instructed to sign the same and trans
NIT it TO the members and clients of the two
associations:
To the Members and Clients OF the Associated
Press:
The Joint Executive Committee did not deem
10 take public notice of the 1nisrepresentasions
and unWarranied criticisms published against the
Associated Press.
excitement men are moved by passion rather than
By reason. Now that the party contest is closed,
the committee deem il their duty TO make public
the following statement: A meeting OF the com
miItee was called for the 18th inst, to which
David NJ stone ESQ President OF the New York
Associated Press, ana Hon. Joseph Pulitzer
of Its Executive Committee. were invited. The
latter was unfortunately out Of the CITY, but Mr.
Stone attended and gave the committee the ben
eft o. his counsel and experience. A careful re-
view Of the work done and OF the official records,
mt the statement that the high character and
n q artisan fairness that have given the Asso-
c!at 4 Press its hold upon public confidence in
the sst have been firmly maintained. and that no
oeen permitted to enter into the management
The work, as strictly confined within the
limits prescribed BY The Iules which S6
usI 10 all parties, has been larger than in any pre-
viOus campaign. This was due to greater num-
press for fuller service. The state Conventions,
nearly 100 In number, aud the National Conven-
ported with thoroughness and rapiditg surpsss-
ing anything ever before attempted. The subSe-
quent Official sction Of the party committees, the
Letters, addresses and movements OF the csndi-
dates were carefully provided for undor instrDc-
tons similar In language and spirit Il
has never been considered as within the legit-
mate functions Of this non-pertisan association to
report ordinary campaign meetings or to transmit
| The scandals that spring up during such heated
nom Associated Press reports The charge thst
the election returns in the State OF New York were
Withheld ia disproyed by the fact that out of
l total Of 1909 wards snd towns in the State, the
Associated Press received on election night re-
cei iHs TIC fFo@ NJ only 2sil and in 1ssc from
only GS. The extent Tapidity snd
substantial scGgrs syo,. % nj. Sls ,b seT ,oss
vote of which, in 1854. reached the enormous
number Of ,O03, anu 50 nerly divided between
the two great parties as n leave to the victor only
| about 100 Of q plurality. The investigation
shows that while there were some serious errors
10 the telegraphing OF our reports especially from
remote points, due in part to their being trans
uniited over different lines OF telegraph, and while
these errors in the main diminished the apparent
strength OF Cleveland, there was but one error OF
l importance in the Office Of the Associated
| Press. This wss in a bulletin issued on
/ known as Bulletin No "a" In making this up
one OF the authorizations employed. in the ali
sence of fun returns from the districts instead OF
Il continuing 10 estimate the percentage OF Demo-
cratic gains rs had been done before, undertook
TO estimate the actual pluralities and by this pro-
cess figured out OF It q plurality Of 47s for SIR.
Blaine. The sub agent In charge OF the Office sent
/ this out without Sufficient scrutiny, but 1t was
1 corrected "a soon as It's inaccuraCy was
4 positively ascertained. In regard 70 this
| error, the committee ind no evidence Of any In
/ territorial Wrong-dOiDg on the part OF the sub
agent and from FIRST 10 last there was no effort TO
1 control affect returns by any menber of the
l committee IN any interest or any interference of
sny sOrT and the general instructions under which
| the work was done were strictly fair n0n'parti'
| and more thorough and minute than ever be-
4 foIe.
| iSlgned) CHARLES A. DANNA. Chairman.
1 WHITELAw REID, Secretary.
/