Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-26
THE WESTERN UNION.
A Gard from President Green rs tn tha
Recent Charges as to Election Returns.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-The following
explains itself:
z
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY
rr.r.- rIar,r u

EXECUTIVE OFFICE
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY
NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 1884. )
To the Public:
Now since the Presidential election is settled
and the excitement incident to a close politi-
cal contest has abated, it is proper to say that
we are prepared to show most conclusively the
utter grOundlessness of all charges against
the Western Union Telegraph Company of
partiality in reporting or withholding the
election returns of the State of New York
deny in the most emphatic manner that the
Western Union Company delayed, altered or
withheld the election returns 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 New York except
to transmit them over its lines as prepared by
the agents OF the Associated Press. All the
returns OF the State were collected by the As
sOclated Press, all the compiling was done
in its offices by its own agents,
and all bulletins were prepared by it and
copies were simply delivered to Mr.. SOmer-
vile, Superintendent of our neWspaper SER
vice, for general distribution TO the public
This company had nothing to do with making
up the bulletins, nor did any officer or agent
or other person connected with 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 TO US for public distribution,
and have no reason to be-
lieve that the agents of the Associated
Press acted otherwise than in an impartial
manner. Ordinarily, many of our offices arO
not kept open for business after O'clock D. m
To assist us in meeting the extraordinary ex-
pense OF the extra employment of several
thousand night operators we have had for
many years arrangements with the Press AS
sOclatlOn giving us the privilege of selling
bulletins to political and social clubs and other
Associated Press bulletins as that association
mad made them up, and delivered them as
heretofore to customers who had subscribed
for them, nothing more.
The charge that returns were DurpOseIv
withheld, or that there was unusual delay in
reporting them, Is entirely false. Instead of
such delay there was extraordinary prompt
ness. Never before have reports from so MANY
election districts been received within so short
time. Within forty eight hours after the
count OF the ballots began returns were re-
celyed from 50 per cent. of the 5000 election
districts ln the State. Although the night of
the election was stormy and there was some
trouble in working the wires, no
of New York. Within the city the telegraph
service was as nearly perfect as it was posi-
ble to make 1t, 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 majOrities reported from the
most populous, and therefore the most acces-
slble counties have been so decisive that the
popular mind 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
general result, subsequent returns more or
less tardy have struggled in unheeded.
In two instances in this State have been in
formed that the county ranvassers. who met
one week after the election 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 Indiana, where,
at the request OF the political committees and
the press, IN the absence of any agent of the
Associated Press, the reports came through
and were sent out by our Superintendent,
Mr.. j. +. Walleck, who insists that he used
every effort to obtain all the returns as speed
lily as possible. / consider the demand for an
investigation of that service made by the
indianapolis Sentinel, and also by Mr..
Walleck himself, reasonable and proper: and
/ have asked the Chairman of the Indiana
Democratic State Committee to take part IN
the investigation, or to name a representa-
tive to do so. The management of this COM
pany IN its business relations to the public is
strictly non political and nOn-partisan. The
employees represent every shade of political
opinion, and are in the cOmpany's service
solely by virtue of their proficiency as tele-
graphers. What their individual political
opinions are has never been in any
case called into question, nor have their
votes ever been canVdssed or asCertained.
But of those with whom personally came in
contact. know that there are quite as many
Democrats as Republican,. 1t is therefore
mantle tstly absurd to charge that the COM
pany could be converted into party machine
or could in any way distort or stife the facts,
when such an attempted conspiracy could
only have been made by the aid of a large
number OF members of the political party
which it was designed to injure.
kORVIN 7REEN, President.