The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-26
AN IMPoRTANT DECISION.

The decision of the supreme court of
Illinois in the action brought by the In
ter Ocean company against the Associat-
ed Press is to be regarded, for the pres
ent, at least. as possessing much import
ance to newspaper publishers within that
state.
The Inter Ocean is a member Of the As
ISOLATED Press. That is to say, it has, or
had, the right to secure the press reports
Of that concern for daily publication But
one of the rules of the association pre-
vents it's members from receiving press
reports from any other agency antag-
onistic to It. This rule the Inter Ocean
did not choose to observe, with the result
that it was excluded from receiving there
after the reports of the defendant con-
Germ. Suit was brought by the Inter
Ocean to compel the delivery OF news As
usual. The lower courts decided against
the Inter Ocean, on the principle that,
having violated its own contract with Tho
association in patronizing hostile news
agency, it was in the position of seek
ing equity while refusing to do equity.
These decisions have been overturned,
and the supreme court has decided that
any newspaper In the Associated Press
can obtain news from any other source
whatever, and, also, that the Associated
Press must furnish its news to all APP
plicants on equal terms. This is. in effect,
that it is in the nature Of common car
rier for hire.
This is far-reaching decision. Its pos
sible effect will be to produce an entire
change in the prevailing methods Of news
collection and disposition. Within the
state in which 1t has been rendered 1t
remains absolute, no appeal to the fed
eral courts being possible, since each of
the parties to the suit Is an Illinois cor
in other states against the Associated
Press, and whatever the earlier decisions
are in such cases, an appeal will be TAX
en- to the United States supreme court,
finally and will apply to the business of
news collecting all over the country.
The Associated Press has been able to
maintain its ascendency by reason of its
superior enterprise and the perfection OF
its news-gathering system. If the field
Of competition is to be thrown wide open,
as the Illinois decision indicates will be
the case, the organization will not neces-
sarily be seriously affected. News gath
ering Is in no sense privilege or a mo-
nopely. That organzat ton which can do
the work best will, in any event, secure
the business. If the Associated Press
does not rise to the occasion of being, as
it has been for many years past, the best
equipped news agency in the country, it
cannot survive. The great dailies must
have the most complete system of news
service possible. 1t does not matter much
to them where they get the news, so long
as they are able to furnish it to their
readers. Every daily paper of any pre-
tensions whatever spends large sums each
month in furnishing it's readers with the
news from independent sources. If, in
supplying the general news of current
events, the Associated Press is not able
to maintain it's superiority to all other
kindred organizations. it's place will be
speedily taken by some more perfect or
ganization, no matter whether the Illi-
nois decision is or is not upheld at Wash
ington.