The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-10
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Criticism of Its Work by People Who Know
Nothing of Its Methods.
Get is the slumber beneath the sod
lille the pure soul is resting with God. !"
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.

Nothing of Its Methods.
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The people who have most to say in regard to
the Associated Press are those like Thos. A.
Hendricks, who know nothing about it. The
association is an organization for the collection
of news-that, and nothing more. 1t is not po-
itical and could not be. The executive com
mittee Of the Western Associated Press is com
posed of one Republican, one Democrat and one
Independent. The latter supported Cleveland.
1t is not likely, therefore, that the Western
Associated Press could have been used for parti-
san purposes. 1t was not so used, as will plainly
appear when the excitement connected with the
presidential campaign shall have passed away.
In all its reports, far as regards partisan
politics, it was marvel of fairness and impair
TALLY.
The New York Associated Press, which works
with the Western Association is controlled by
an executive committee OF three. only one of
whom is Republican. But this is not all.
Fully two-thirds of the agents for the collection
Of news are Democrats. They were not selected
because they were Democrats but regardless of
their politics, and for the reason that they were
considered fit for the duties assigned them. An
Associated Press agent anywhere in the country
who would abuse his position for partisan pur-
poses or for any other reason, could not hold his
place a single day.
The association is an organization, as we have
said, for the collection of news, and because 1t
has proved itself efficient, and it's reports are
always reliable, free from sensations and IA
voritism, they are valuable.
In the whole history of the Western Associated
Press the question of politics has never been
raised in its organization or its management and
for obvious reasons never could be raised with
out destroying it. 1t serves the press through
out the whole country with news, and if it fur
nishes reports at times that are not agreeable to
everybody, it is not the fault of the agent, but
of the facts.
1t is also to be remarked that in the whole his
tory of the association no complaint has been
made at any one Of its annual meetings that its
agents were partisans and furnished news that
was not impartial The fuss is always
made in times of political excitement
and by parties who do not know what
they are talking about, or do not care
what they say These people take care not to
come to the front with their grievances at the
meetings of the association. Yet, if they had
real complaints to make that would be the prop
ell place and the proper time to present them.
The relations of the Associated Press to the
Western Union Telegraph Company are simply
business. The telegraph company is paid so much
thousand words for the transmission of reports.
1t has nothing to do with the reports except to
transmit them, as it does private messages. Jay
Gould knows no more about the contents of AS
sociated Press reports than any other outsider,
and he could not control line of them, if he
would. 1t may also be well enough to remark,
in this connection, that the president of the
Western Union Telegraph Company is one of
the most Solid Democrats in the whole country.