Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-26
TO THE PUBLIC.
1hs Western Union TeiegrsPh Company
Writes n Card.
ExEcUr1yE OFFloE WESTERN UNION
TEIEoRAPa COMPANY,
Nsw YoRK November 25, 1884.

Writes q CARD
ExgcUrryE OFrloE WESTERN UNIoS 4
TEIEoRAPa COMPANY. 4
Nsw YoBk, November 25, 1884. Il
To the Public:
Now since the Presidential election is set
tied and the excitement incident to q close
political contest has abated, it is proper to
say that we are prepared to show most con-
clusiyely the utter groundlessuess of all
charges against the Western Union Telegraph
Co., of partiality in reporting or withholding
the election returns of the State OF New
York. Ideny in the most emphatic man
ner that the Western Union Company de,
layed, altered or withheld the election. re-
turns of this State or any other State, or
tampered with them in any way. 1t had
nothing whatever to do with the returns OF
the State of N ew York except to transmit
them over its lines as prepared by the
agents of the Associated Press. All the
returns fthe State were collected by the
Associated Press. All the CO npiling was done
in its Offices, by ITS own agents, aud all bull
letins were prepared by it and copies were
simply delivered to Mr., Somerville, superin-
tendent of our newspaper service. tor gen.
eral distribution to the public. This com
pany had nothing to do with making up the
bulletins, nor did any officer or agent or
other person connected nth or interested
in this company, except the operators who
transmitted the returns, have access to
or see any of them until bulletins
had been made up therefrom IN
the Associated Press Office and handed 10
us for public distribution and l have no
reason 10 believe that the agents of the
Associated Press acted otherwise than an
impartial manner. Ordinarily many OF oar
offices are not kept open for business after
s o'clock D. m. To assist us in meeting the
extraordinary expense of the extra employ
ment of several thousand night operators
we have had for many years made arrange
ments with the Press Association giving US
the privilege of selling bulletins to political
and social clubs and other subscrib.
ing customers. We simply took
the Associated Press bulletins, as that Asso-
citation 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 reporting
them is entirely false. Instead of such
delay there was extraordinary promptness.
Never before have reports from so many
election districts lesn received with
in so short time Within forty.eight hours
after the count of ballots began returns
we're received from ninetyeight per cent Of
the 5000 election districts in the State.
Although the night of the election was
stormy and there was some trouble in work
ing the wires, no delay occurred in any
reports handed to our offices outside the city
of New York. Within the city the telegraph
service was as nearly perfect as it was posi-
bic to make it. and the only trouble was
with some of the short wires hastily erected
for temporary use 1t is here to be noted
that heretofore the msjorities reported from
the most populous, and therefore the most
accessible, counties, have been so decisive
that the popular feeling has been set at rest
respecting the result of elections on the
first night, and there being no hope or fear
of change in the generalres subsequent
returns more or less tardy have struggled in
unheeded. In two instances in this State
] have been informed that the county can
vassers, who met one week after the eec
lion this year, had to adjourn over because
the county clerks had up to that time been
unable to get in the vote Of their counties.
The only other returns complained
of were those of the State Of Indiana,
where, at the request of the political com
mittecs and'the press IN the absence OF any
agent of the Associated Press, the reports
came through and were sent out by our su-
perintendent, Mr.. j. f. Walhck, who insists
that he used every effort to obtain all the
returns as speedily as possible. consider
the demand for an investigation of that
service made by the Indianapolis Sentinel,
and also by Mr.. Wallick himself reasona-
BILE and proper, and have asked the chair
man of the Indiana Democratic State
Committee to take part in
the investigation or to- name
q representative to do so. The manage.
ment of this company in its business rela.
tons to the public is strictly non-political
and non-partisan. The employees represent
every shade of political opinion and are in
the eempany's service solely by virtue Of
their proficiency as telsgraphers. What
their iadividual political opinions are has
never been in any case called into ques-
ZION, nor have their votes ever been can
vassed or ascertained. But of those with
whom / personally come in conflict !
know that there are quite as many Demo
Gratis as Republicans 1t is. therefore man.
iiestly absurd to charge that the service OF
the company could be converted into
party machine or could in any way distort
or stide the facts, when such ON attempted
conspiracy could only have been made by
he aid of a large number of members Of
the political party which it was designed to
injupe. NoRvIS GREEN,
President.