Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-27
THE AssocIdrgO PRESS.
tempIslssA ~ Unfsssssss IN the Late Rice
sssn Dcisx tnvessisstsd.

/ tOUttftIUU WIN ttlt tlFttiOu tttttn" - 49,
| New York. ana expressed tae opinion tna.
Mr.. whiieiaw Reio. 81 the Tribune, hsd
| exercised sn undue SHARE ~ influence IN
The WORK. This morning the Journal o.
| Commerce contains m editorial on the SUD
jeci, which wis written after Mr.. David u.
Some. editor, had inquired into the fseis.
| II says:
| " The Joint Executive Committee OF The
Western and New York Associated iress
met Yesterday 10 Investigate the complaints
which haze been made from both parties
I concerning the reports OF the late political
! campaign up 10 and Including tue returas
OF the election. After careful coiecton
| Of evidence several facts Of public interest
were established beyond controversy, and
we refer TO then briefly IN justice TO our
| selves and others.
Arrangements for reporting the pro-
| cccdiEgs OF the conventions, acceptance 81
nominations, and The sayings aud dOings
OF the several candidates were shown 10 he
~ perfect ~ could well be devised, and
wholly without partisan bias. Any seem
ing iaiiiaify 10 one or the other side in
! The dispatches received was corrected st
once by Mr. Wiilism Henry Smith. general
agent. and al that human ingenuity could
devise was done 10 give reliable intclii-
gence uncOlored by partisan prejudice.
we stated on the 18th Instant that ~
the other members Of the Executive Com
mit,te had not been active the recent clcc.
ton returns appear 10 have been collected
! Under tue entire supervision OF the editor
OF the Tribune The latter attended
meeting Of the board Just before the cleo
ton. aud was understood. IN answer to a
| question OF the president, TO have given
sufficient authority for such all assertion.
II j. now stated and accepted that he did
rot iitcnd by his answer TO give thi, inn
preston and that ~ 2 matter OF fact neither
be nor any other OF the committee gave any
personal attentiOn TO the supervision of the
returns
In regard to the New York State returns,
the Jon nal says that, a. far ~ the action
Of the general manager or the control OF
the machinery Is concerned, there il no
cause for complaint. aud conclude, ~ fol-
iows: Exactly how the returns from
this state took the partisan character they
assumed we need not say, but we are sat
i.fied that no orders or directions OF the
general manager Of the Associated Press
had any share in contributing to that re-
suit
REPORT or TgE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
The meeting OF the joint Executive Com
mittee of the New York Associated Press,
and the Western Associated Press.
called in New York 10 investigate the pub
lishcd charges OF prrtisanship in their dis.
patches during tie campaign, and their
collection Of election returns, was attend
ed by members As follows Charles \. Dana.
OF the New York Sun, chairman; White
low Reid. of the Tribune. secretary James
Gordon Bennett. OF the New York Herdd.
represented by DR.. e.. W. IIOsmer: Rich
ard Smith, Of the Cincinnati Commercials
Gazette. aud William ialdeman. OF the
Louisville COufieT-.IOurn0l. After thor.
Ough Investigation OF the work, in
Guiding the circulars OF instruction.
correspondence with agents BY letter ana tel
egfaph. correspondence with the candidates.
complaint. from both Democrat and Re-
publican sources, dispatches sent out. re-.
turns received by telegraph, and the origi-
mails filed by the scnders IN the several tele-
graph offices. Me-srS. ". II. Ilaldemln. OF
the Louisville COl,riCr-JCurndi, aud Rich
ard smith. OF the Cincinnati Commercial
GG.ctfe. were appointed Subcommittee
to summarize the conclusions reached by
thc members. They presented the follow
ing report. which was unanimously adopt
ed. and the chairman and secretary Of The
Joint Executive Committee were instructed
10 sign The same aud transmit il TO the
members and clients OF the two a>socia-
tiOn..
TO BLENDERS ard clients Of associated
Press:
The joint Executive Committee did not
deem it advisable during the .hsrply-cOn-
tested campaign 10 take public notice Of
the MISREPRESENTATION and unWarranted
criticisms published against The Associated
Press. Observation show, that during
such seasons OF excitement men are moved
by passion rather than by reason. Now
that the party contest is closed. the COM
mittee deem II their duty 10 make public
the following statement:
"a meeting OF the committee was called
for the 18th instant, to which David NJ.
stone, Esq, president Of the New York
Associated Press. and Hon. Joseph Putt
Zer. Of its Executive Committee. were in
yi,ed The latter unfortunately was OFT OF
the city. but Mr. stone attended and gave
the committee the benefit OF his coun-
sel and experience. A careful review
OF the work done and OF the Official
records warrant the statement that
the high character aud ron-partl>JH fair
ness that have given the Associated Press
II, hold upon the public confidence in the
pat have been frmly maintained. and that
no imprOpe? iuluence. political or other
wise. ba> been permitted 10 enter into The
management The work, strictly confined
within the limits prescribed by rules which
experience ha> proved 10 be safe and
Just TO all parties. has been larger
than in any previous campaign. Iais
wa duc 10 toe greater nUmbcr OF divisions
rt1 a Iau.s,t,I Il f1lu Ftra ftf f.it'4r
,eINlcc. The state conventions. nearly a
hundred in number, and national couycn-
ton, OF all political organization, were re-
ported with a ihorOughnC>. and rapidity
surprising anything ever before attempted.
subsequent 0ilicia, action Of party commit
tees. letters. addresses. and movements OF
candidates were carefully provided for IN
der instructions similar IA language and
spirit. Ii hls never been considered -
within the legitimate functions Of this non
partisan association 10 report ordinary
campaign meetings or 10 transmit scandals
! that spring up during such heated periods.
All such have been vigorously excluded
| from the Associated Press report. The
charge that the election returns in the state
OF New York were withheld is Gisp?oyeG
| bv the fact that ont Of 4 total f ,09a ward.
| and towns I'm the state. the Associated
! Press received on electiOn-night returns
/ from $50: where Is in 1876 returns Were
received from only 2j4, and in 1880 from
| only 2g5. The extent, rapidly. and sub
sianiial accuracy OF tn, Seryire was never
| equaled before in this state. the total Vote
| oil which IN 1854 reached the enormous
| number of l,lG9,0O3, 30 nearly divided
! between the TWO great paTtie. u to
| leave 10 The victor only about LOO
| plurality. Tie investigation shows that
| " lille there were some serious errors in the
| telegIaphing Of our reports. especially
| from remote points, due in part 10 their
| Icing transmitted over different hines OF
| telegraph. and While these error, In the
main diminished the apparent strength Of
| Cleveland. there was but one error OF i'm
! uOTianCe in the Office OF the Associated
! Press. TIL, was in the bulletin issued on
| November 9Th. two days after the election.
| known a. Bulletin No. H." In making
! this up one Of the mlthematicians en-
| ployed. in the absence OF full returns from
! districts. instead OF continuing 10 estimate
! the percentage OF Democratic gains, a. had
| been done bel0Ie. undertook 70 estimate the
actual pluraitic>, and hy this process
! iGund out a plurslity OF 413 foT Bliue.
| The sub.agent in charge OF the Office sent
| this out without sufficient scrutiny. but il
was corrected as soon as it, inaccuracy was
| positively ascertained. In regard 10 thi,
error, the committee lind no evidence OF
I - "