The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-05-30

The United Press.

The Journalist.
The question, how can we get dispatches?
Is one that agitates every new enterprise In
Journalism, ae we'll In YaZoo as In San Fran
cisco or New York. The very newspapers
which cry anii.monopoly the loudest for every
thing outside OF their own business are also
the ones which are the most determined advo.
Gates OF monopoly themselves. The New York
Associated Press was started on this very idea
OF monopoly In news. II was In days when
the newspaper publishers supposed that u
powerful and wealthy syndicate started for
news purposes could for ever prevent the sue
cessful establishment o other newspapers;
and II 10 unquestionable that for many years
they did efrectually shut out rival puoica-
tlone. But at length there came time when
cool heads saw, with the Increase OF teleg-
raphy and OF communication throughout the
country, as we'll as with the establishment OF
new telegraph companies, that news was as
easy matter TO get as anything else In the
world. The cost was naturally too great for
any one newspaper to assume individually,
but In the meantime others had started, which
had previously been content to take what for
eign and outside news they could by waiting
for Associated Press papers to come out. This
was, OF course, repugnant, except where 1t
was matter OF necessity, and when two or
three pretty powerful papers came to bo e5-
tablished outside OF the Associated Press,
such ns the Ddlv NetrS, the Star, the Boston
Gh6e, the Syracuse Herald and others, the
propos ition was quickly put TO start rival
Press.
Several OF them have been In oxistance at
various tlmce, always opposing more or less
successfully the one great monopoly which
attempted 10 crush out free thought, free
speech and free newspapers. Tho American
Prees Association, the Unit9t States Press As
sociatiop and half dozen others came up az
various times, ard for one reason or nuoihor
faded out, generally through tho vital mistake
that was made in oyerchareing papers in the
organization, especially tho new onos which
could least stand 1t. For some reason the
theory has always taken possession OF these
news associations that the old papers and the
Grst papers TO come In should be charged tho
least, and that the youngest newspapers, being
necessarily the last 10 como In, should haYe
TO pay the most. In a concealed way, this was
precisely tho policy of the original Associated
Prese, which Intended to starve out opposl.
tion.
The last and the most successful opposition
10 tho Associated Press Is the United Press. It
is a rival of an old concern, but with new wit,
new brains and new energy. II has now about
200 newspapers ON its list and goes on very
prosperously. II naturally has faciiHles for
supplying thousand moro newspapers II
they want the news. Tho terms are moderate,
as we understand It, and there is not that dis.
position TO charge the latest customer the
highest price. In such newspapers as the
Detroit Times you can certainly see nothing TO
complain OF In It's foreign and American news.
yet II Is supplied by the association, which,
personally, we desire In the strongest manner
10 see successful, because II Is n llyeapfOsl.
ZION 10 rasping and miserable mQnOeoly,