Los Angeles daily herald., 1884-11-27
NEWS OF THE WORLD.
More Defense of the AssO-
ciated Press.
AN AMERICAN IN MEXICO.
A New Episcopal 0rder-PrOceed-
ings of the Plenary Council.
Coast Notes.

Especial 10 the Herald by Associated Press
New YORK. Nov. 26.--A meeting OF the joint
executive committee Of the New YORK As
sociated Press and the Western Associa.eu
Press called In New York to investigate 'ne
published charges OF partisanship III 'ne.'
dispatches during the campaign anu 'hei'
collection of the election returns was a'
tended by the members as follows; Charies
A. Dana, OF the New York Sun, chairman;
Whitelaw Reid, OF the Tribune, secretary
James Gordon Bennett. OF the Herdtd, repre-
sented by DR.. G. W. Harris; Richard smith,
of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
wi,tam N. HaIderman. OF the Louis
vi,Ia courfer-Jouraal. After a thorough
,nves,,oation OF the work. including circu-
iars oi Instruction, correspondence with
c,ndidates complaints from both Demo.
cratic and Republican sources, dispatches
sent out and returns received by teleg
raph. and tue originals MEG by the
Messrs. W. N. Halderman. Of the Louis
Vile Courier Journal. and Richard smith,
Of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, were
appointed a subcommittee to summarize
the conclusions reached BY the members
They presented the following report, which
was unanimously adopted, and the Chair
man and Secretary OF the Joint Executive
Committee were instructed to sign the same
aud transmit 1t to the members and clients
OF the two associations:
To the Members and Clients of the As
socidted Press: 4a5
The Joint Executive Committee did not
deem 1t advisable during q SHARPLY con
tested campaign to take public notice. OF the
Misrepresentation and unwarranted criti-
cisms published against the Associated
Press. Observation shows that during such
seasons OF excitement, men are moved By
passion rather than By reason. Now that
The party contest Is closed The committee
ing statement: A meeting Of the Committee
was called for the 25th instant, to which
David W. Stone, ESQ.,, President Of the New
York Associated Press. and the Honorable
were invited. The latter was unfortunately
out OF the city but Mr.. Stone attended and
gave tine committee the benefit of
his counsel and experience. care.
fpl review Of the work done ana o.
ment that the high character and non
partisan fairness that have given the Asso-
ciated Press its hold upon public confidence
In the past have been firmly maintained
and that no improper influence. political OF
otherwise, has been permitted to enter into
the management. The work, strictly con-
fned within the limits prescribed by. rules
which experience has proved to be sale and
any previous campaign. This was due TO a
greater number OF party divisions and to the
demand OF the press for fuller service.
The state conventions, nearly 4 hun
dred n number, and. and the National
were reported with thoroughness and
rapidity SURPRISING anything ever before at
tempted. The subsequent Official action OF
the party committees. the letters, addresses
fully provided for. under instructions simi-
lar In language and spirit. II has never been
considered as within the legitimate functions
of this non partisan association 10 report or
dinary cnnpsign meetings Or to transmit
the scandals that spring up during such
heated periods. All such have been rigor-
0usly excluded from Associated Press re-
ports. The charge that election returns In
the State OF New York were withheld Is dis
iO0sg wards and towns In the State the
Associated Press received on election night
returns from $50, whereas In 1876 returns
were received from only 2%, and In 1880
from only 2ss. The extent. rapidity and
never before equalled In this State, the total
vote of which In 1884 reached the enormous
number OF i.1s7, ,0cs, so nearly divided be-
tween the two great parties as to leave the
inSsstsston invest a'sS shows that "a While there we're
some serious errors in the telegraphing OF
our reports. especially from remote points,
due In part 10 their being. transmitted
over QlUercHt lines OF teieBropu, Auu
while these errors In the main dimin-
ished the apparent strength OF Cleveland.
there was but one error OF importance
at the Office OF the Associated Press. This
was In a bulletin issued on November 9Th,
two days after the election, known as "Bul-
Ietin No. H." In making this up one OF the
msthematicians employed. In the absence
OF full returns from the districts, instead of
to estimate the percentage OF
Democratic gains as had been done before,
undertook to estimste the actual pluraliiies,
and by this process figured out a rlurality OF
473 for Mr.. Blaine. The sub.agent in charge
of the office sent this out without sufficient
scrutiny, but II was corrected as soon
as accuracy was positively ascertained.
In regard to this error the committee find no
evidence OF any intentional wrong doing on
the part OF the sub-agent from first to last;
there was no effort to control or affect re.
turns by any member of the committee in
any interest, nor any interference Of any
sort, and the general Instructions under
which the work was done were strictly fair,
non-partis n, aud more thorough and minute
than ever before.
tsigned) CHARLES A. DANA,
Chairman
WHIrELAw REID, Secretary.
General Office OF the Associated Press,
New York Nov 26th 1854