The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-30


and we Judge associations of
men by the general character of their
work. Applying this standard to the
news associations of the country, we
find that the Associated Press fully de-
serves the confidence with which it is
regarded by an overwhelming major
ity of the newspaper publishers and
newspaper readers of the country; and
we desire to cite a few reasons for this
confidence.
In that sad final day of the Buffalo
tragedy, when the men and women Of
the nation hovcrcd anXiously around
the bulletin boards expecting momon-
tarily to read that President Mckinley
had breathcd his last, there were three
separate premature bulletins that the
end had come; and the posting of these,
or their circulation from mouth to
mouth, kept our telephone bells ringing
all day and far into the night for exact
information. Thanks to the Associated
Press, we were able to correct these
false reports and post the real news of
the tragedy within three minutes after
it was put on the wire at buffalo.
on Friday night the Times and
Truth, both served by the Publishers
Press association, in describing the ar
rival of C2olgosz at Auburn prison,
contained under large headlines, these
sensational words:
Pale and trembling, Clolgoz was dragged from
th" train by the hrdwny guards. lie was hand
cufed between two deputies Twenty local po-
lccmen attempted to keep back the crowd
which surgcd about the assassin, clamoring tor
| his life. The crowds onslaught was so sullcn
| that the police scarcely had time to draw their
clubs and rcyolvcrs. Tie prison gates swung
| open and the ASSASSIN was pushed through but
not before halt Of the crowd had aincd blows
on the officers and their prisoner
BY the time the Associated Press had
begun TO serve the night report to The
| Tribune, this, as noted In our Satur-
days issue, had dwindlcd down to the
| following tame proportions,
crowd ot about two hun,lcd persons was
| awaiting the arrival Of the train. Either for
| lear Of that, although no demonstrations or any
| attempt to harm him were made, or from toar
Of the prison and the rcalization that the end
was mar. Czo-osz collapsed as he stepped from
the train. His legs gave out. Two hurv depu
ties practically carried him into the prison.
Another instance. Saturday nights
Times, in it's introduction to the yacht
race, said:
The Shamrock crossed the line first, but not
| able 10 overcome the allowance ST forty thro,
seconds which she had to conccdc TO the Co
lumb;a because Of difference il measurements.
And the Truth:
Highlands sept 2o.-Columbia wins on tim,
allowance At 3.&l p. m,
| Meanwhile the Associated Press in It's
bulletin to The Tribune, had the facts
right, as follows:
Columbia crossed the line first and won by s.
seconds,
This, without counting in tho time al
lowance, was within four seconds of tn,
official time, and the difference simply
measures p difference in watches.
our readers, if they have paid attcn
tion to these things, can doubtless re
cali many similar instances. The As
sociated Press is not perfect; it has it,
share of errors. But it is so careful!
organized and conservatively managet
that the chances for mistakes are re
duced to a minimum. 1t does not circu
late sensational or greatly eXaggerate,
news, and therefore its report some
times seems tame alongside the highl
colored columns of the yellow journals
But what it does send can in the over
whelming majority of instances be a
thoroughly relied upon as If accom-
panied by n stack of aflidavits. Tha
is why in times Of excitement it's now
is received and accepted with conf
dcnCe.