The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-19
Hozv It's Been
About the Ne4us

Up to date the Montana public has
had no knowledge at all of the expert
enees of the associated press service
with the news about the Clark sena-
torial fight and its sequels. For Hell
ena the agency of the associated press.
as far as the service for the morning
newspapers is concerned, is in the Of
flee of the Helena Independent. W.
A. Clarks grip on that publication
consisted of a mortgage which covered
everything in sight in the Independ-
ent's business Office, editorial rooms
and mechanical department.
The Independent had been bankrupt.
| In that condition 1t passed to men who
raised money for the purchase by
| means of this mortgage. The INDIE
| pendent's associated press agency put
| in it's biggest ticks for Clark--it ran
down everything and everybody not in
| the Clark deal, it perverted the truth.
! as matter of course. 1t advertised
| Clarks wealth, it predicted the verdict
| that was given by the Helena grand
jury. 1t sneered at those who denounc-
ed bribery, it quoted not word Of the
| speeches denouncing the attempt to
! buy the republicans, it quoted the plea
| that the republicans supported Clark
because he was for protection and be-
cause to vote for him was the right
way to break up the democratic party
| in Montana. M "
The thing ran along as sleek as six
bits. Grossly outrageous as this mis-
use of the associated press service was
| the managers of this great news
| agency really were not blameworthy
| Montana is a far-away country: it was
possible, for the passing moment, to
send out from this distant region news
which would not have lived an hour
| on the associated-press wire If the SEN
| atorial contest had been having it's
| run at Columbus, or Harrisburg, or
| Springfield. or Lincoln. Later on the
| Independent agency persisted in get
ting it's work in. Some time ago
Whiteside was hauled up for prelm-
| mary hearing before petty court up
| in Flathead county. Over the wires
| went a report OF this put-up job.
Meanwhile. time and again the SUI
| preme court of Montana had dealt with
the preliminaries to the action that was
brought for the proposed disbarment
Of John B. Welcome. There were ar
guments and adjournments and hear
ings and a succession of highly-sig-
! nif1cant incidents. Not a peep about
| these from the Helena agency of the
| associated press.
Finally the supreme court ANNOUNCE
| ed that it had Jurisdiction. that 1t
would hear the case; and it set day
| when the trial under the charges must
| begin. Not a whisper about this new
turn in affairs went over the press
| wires. One week ago last Monday the
trial started Whiteside was exam
ined and cross-exam:ned, State Sena-
tor Clark went through the same or
deal. Senator Myers testified, and
Minshall and Chaplain Warren and
others. The case ran on from Monday
morning till Saturday night, and the
associated press service hadn't even
so much as a suspicion of what was
going on. Finally, Saturday night a
week ago, summary exact as to the
facts but necessarily too brief to pre-
sent the weeks work properly, was
sent from the Anaconda agency, ac-
cepted and sent to the country. 1t at
once started up the call for specials. y
| 1t was a sure shot that the Helena
Independent office, In view of the fact
that the country was advised of the
trial. would start out to send alleged
reports of the defense. That was not
permitted; Mr.. w. E. Vigus, high in
the associated press service and vet
eran in the work, was commissioned
to look after the matter. Mr.. Vigus
has charge of the very important as
ISOLATED press Office at Ogden, whence
the report for the West and for the
| Northwest is handled. Mr.. Vigus con
cluded to deal with this importan,
business in person.
OF course, the news-service mil
doesn't grind with the water that ha.
passed, and it could not adequatel,
cover" the Welcome testimony fol
a week that had run by. But i!nme
diately on his arrival in Helena Mr.
, Vigus made himself familiar with tn.
= facts. These he summarized and dur
ing last week normal, honest, intel
' ligent report of the tail end at leas
=. of the Welcome case went over tn,
associated press wires to the newspa
pers of the country.
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