The times., 1897-04-21
THE WORST MONOPOLY OF ALL
The Attempt Of the Chicago Assoc
cinted Press TO Control News.

country have been actively engaged In
denouncing Inonopolics. They have drav,n
such frightful pictures OF these monsters
and have described their wickedness in
such eloquent language as to have created
strong popular sentiment against great
combinations of wealth, ii sentiment which
has been recognized by the politicians in
the enactment ufl laws against all agree
ments restraining trade or preventing
competition. 1T
The recent decision of the supreme
Court of the United States, In the suit
against the Trans Mississippi Freight AS
socation, showed that the popular senti-
ment was shared by our judges, and That
henceforth the courts would support In
dctments brought under the anti-monopoiy
laws. 1t is now established that many
common business, practices are Criminal;
and many people who have been denomcing
monopoly In the abstract may be reminded,
in disagreeable way, that their own con-
ductrcslls for the action Of the grand Jury
Curiousiy enough the newspapers them
selves appear to be acting under the condl-
tions typified by the proverb under the
name OF glass houses. After q prolonged
and fierce fight the Associated Press las
utterly defeated it's competitor, the United
Press, and it Is in fair way to become
one of the most complete monopohes In
the country. A short time ago, Tic Two
press associations had, each, more than
400 members and clients; now the AS
sociated Press has fully 700 Evidently
there has been very rapid combination,
with the practical result of doin & away with
competition. All the newspaper argu-
ments against such combinations appear
to apply, with peculiar force, TO this
case. 1t establishes more complete
monopoly than that of the Sugar Com
pany, of the Rubber Company. or che
Tobacco Company. 1t is only approached
by the standard Oil Company; and a
monopoly for the dissemination of lnteiii-
genceis worse than one for the distribution
of oil, as intellectual light is better than
physical light.
1t was formerly thought to be law THAT
combinations resulting in the suppression
of competition might exist, provided they
were not established for that purpose.
Competition might be incidentally tuined,
but IL this result were not intended lts
mischief might be overlooked. 1t is quite
doubtful il this view Of the law is that
held by our Supreme Court, and corpora
tions OF individuals tempted u proceed
upon it will now do so at their peril.
However this may be, IL seems quite
clear that the Associated Press reduces
competition Intentionally, as well as in
cidentally. Papers outside Of this conlbi-
nation cannot get into it without the
consent OF the papers already admitted
A newspaper in New York city was re-
Gently excluded by The veto OF 'iral,
whose prestige was waning, and could get
telegra phic ews only by buying UP another
paper that already possessed the fran
chise. .g-U
Even more than this is true. The by
laws of the Associated Press contain very
stringent clauses in restraint Of trade. The
board of directors can declare any other
news association ian tagonistic, and
thereupon every newspaper belonging 20
the Associated Z ress must Immediately
sever all news relations with the olganiza-
ton under the ban--Iuust prevent any OF its
news from passing into the hands OF the
competing agency. before publication,
must receive nonews from Ii and pay IL no
money.
Some of Justice Peckhams observations,
in the opinion referred TO above, may be
advantageOusly quoted, as a commentary
on such regulations. He condemns COM
hinations whose puE pose in combining is 10
control the production or manulaCtgrr OF
any particular article in the market be
cause such combinltiOns may drive out
Of business all the small dealers III the
commodity" The result is unfortunate,
because 1t depriyes the country of the
services of a large number OF small but
independent dealers who were fanillar
with the business and who had spent their
lives in it and who supported themselves
and their families from the small profits
realized therein.
Nor is It for the Substantial interests
of the country that any one commodity
should be within the sole will of one
powerful combination OF capital IL
needs no argument TO prove that these
declarations apply directly to the Asso-
Ciated Press. II comes as near TO com
plete control of the commodity of news
as any other COmbina ton comes TO the
control of it's product. Its bylaws are
obviously intended to drive small, but
independent competitors out Of business
and to compel them TO find support in
subordinate activities.
The public is perhaps too skepdcal, con-
cerning the disinterested virtue OF press
association managers, To be startled by
the assertion that the most complete com
binati0n in restraint of trade in this
country is that which governs the gather
ing, distributing and printing Of the news
of the world Nevertheless many Of the
Journals which are banded together In
the orraniza ton known as the Associated
Press are controlled and written by con-
ecienttous men who would be reluctant to
nractice hypocrisy. They are perhaps
sincerely convinced of the evils of monop-
DIV. at all events they have assisted to
p1oduce this conviction in the minds Of
the people.
1t is clearly for their interest, therefore,
to insist that the gigantic combination
of which they are members, should he con-
ducted in such a way as to afford no
ground for the charge Of crushing out
small competitors. Nor is it less plainly
a matter OF principle that free press
should encourage enterprise, even COM
petitiye enterprise, in the great work OF
collecting. sitting, verifying and distrib-
uting those reports OF happenings n all
parts of the civilized globe, which affect
values. and which play their important
mart in the education, welfare and nap
p,ness of the American people
DISTRICT BILLS IN THE sen NATE.