Show STONE RECITES Of PRESS t Former Manager of Associated Associated Asso Asso- Press Now Couns Counsellor Coun Coun- s llor Is Speaker Speake Speaker Speak Speak- k- k Jr er r Before Minn Editors I I MINNEAPOLIS Feb 16 Organ Organization of ot the Associated ted Press in 1893 1893 freed this country from the menace of privately controlled neWs news distribution agencies then op operating op- op crating editors were told here Friday night by Melville rr lv te EStone E E. Stone l ne counsellor of ot the Associated Press Press Eress Addressing members of ot the Minnesota Min Mm- Editorial association at a banquet given by y the th Minneapolis Journal al Mr Stone StoneS who wag wai general gen gen- eral ertl manager of the Associated Press for twenty-five twenty years ears termed I a as athe the revolution of 1893 the action editors in forming the theco co cooperative news gathering association asso asso- elation When Vh n In this country countr Mr Stone said we speak we speak of ot th revolution revo revo- I lution of coure course we refer we-refer refer to the contest contest con con- contest test which be began an at Concord Bridge and ended at Yorktown Little more than a century later there as A as another another an an- an other revolution In our land which se seems ms to tome toine me to have ve been also of distinct consequence Gc control of the press press' was ws universal throughout the world for many centuries and through the first clause In our bill Mil of rights was broken down in this country b but bit t w we did not appreciate that vale yate ale control was no less malign than government control contrOl N NEWS WS SERVICE IMPORTANT af It it were desirable that the gov- gov populace of ou our GUI republic be De intelligent It was all im imp imp important im- im p that there should be be bean an n honest honest honest hon hon- est Impartial news vs service The gathering and nd of news however had been the beginning under private control In Inthe th the late forties a a. few of the NewYork New NewYork York Journals organized d n a little company called the Associated Press and Its news they sold to the Uie papers In the hinterland as these papers papers developed It was a close corporation As time went on and t the newspapers news news- papers pers ers in Ip the back country in- in cr as d small smaIl tributary organizations were formed In 1892 this central group of few papers In NewYork New NewYork NewYork York pas passed ed under the th control of three men men one one a Chicago banker another a telegraph operator and the third a business manager of a n aNew New York paper These men were responsible to no one ono and were b bent nt i only on money making MENACE OBVIOUS I The menace was obvious Not NotI only were the newspapers dependent depend depend- I en ent on the caprice of these men but away beyond that the public was subject to any sort of misinformation tion This was the the- Immediate cause of tho the revolution of 1893 It beg began rl In Chicago The Tho newspaper men served by the Western Associated Press mindful as well of our public duty as of our private duty against this sort of control There followed a struggle of four tour years duration It t I IWas was a bloodless contest contestS yet jet et none the less les revolutionary Th w western estern men set out to form forma a national organization refusing any arrangement with subordinate associations It was to io be an assocIation association asso asso- elation that should wrest the whole business from the hands or of profiteers profiteers profiteers profit profit- and place it In the hands of a purely cooperative organization organization-an an organization that should sell no news make no profits declare no dividends but should be tho the agent or Joint reporter of Its members It It lt was believed that i if the people of ot the country were capable of s self lf government a presentation of the facts would enable them to form I their own opinions Therefore e any i attempt to introduce opinion upon any event was strenuously forbidden forbid forbid- den EXPRESSION OF OPINION The expression of m re respecting re any facts presented by the Associated Press Is left to the the newspapers receiving the service It ItIs Itis Is there that It t belongs There are about 1300 dally daily newspapers newspapers newspapers news news- papers In inthe the tho organization They represent every conceivable of view respecting politics religion economics However prejudiced I these members are they are one In their desire and demand that the tIie organization organization or- or or or- furnish unbiased news and do it as truthfully as human trail frailties ties will permit The privately owned organization ti tIn tion n wen went t down In defeat and bankruptcy In 1897 The wisdom o of the plan of ot the founders of ot the Associated Press In refusing to todeal todeal todeal deal with tributary or sectional or organIzations organizations or- or was apparent The bitterness growing out of our Civil war had not altogether disappeared But when under the revolutionary body bod- the Yankee editor and the rebel editor editor- met they saw that neither was as bad as is he had be believed be- be And so a year after the close of bur revolutionary contest Joe Wheeler the gallant rebel ex-rebel chieftain chieftain chief chief- tam tain marched side by side with his time old Yankee opponents to do battle for the republic in the SpanIsh Spanish Spanish Span Span- ish war And In the great war of ot 1914 went we in as a a. united nation knowing no north nor south nor east no nov not west OUTCOME OF REVOLUTION This I b believe lieve was largely the I outcome of the revolution of 1893 As a feature of the organization It was expected ted and desired that It should be the subject of criticism I It t was vas controlled by a board of directors elected by the the- members and I know of no institution that has been so fully tully self governed To those of us who ha have va been engaged In the work It seems strange that there should be anY any doubt as to either Its usefulness or orIts orIts orts I Its ts Integrity All of Its a activities are carried on in the daylight Under under under un un- der a blazing sun There are no secrets about it In fact there can can be none The news which It furnishes furnishes fur tur- to to the newspaper membership membership membership member member- ship Is furnished In the phrase of Mr Air Lincoln with malice toward none with charity for all 4 There has been no trick about the business For over thirty years jears ears directors have come and gone gonet lived and died They have been of every conceivable religious po political political po- po and economic affiliation Yet all aU of them have borne their part of the effort to make the Associated Associated Asso Asso- dated Press worthy of public confidence confidence con con- as a source and arid distributor of truthful and unbiased news news' news Every man who has sat on It its board and has participated in Its management can look you full tull in inthe t tie the e face and tell you that there I has ever been a painstaking endeavor endeavor en en- deavor to make it honest impartial impartial and faithful in j en-j the trust re reposed reposed posed in in It AMPLE CRITICISM it And nd yet in Mr Brights Bright's words I there has been no want of ample criticism Criticism good and bad and indifferent Sometimes amusing amus amus- I ing so sometimes Irritating Intelligent Intelligent Intelli Intelli- gent truthful criticism which is welcome because it is helpful Jg- Jg but honest criticism which Is not objectionable because an explanation is all that is necessary Malicious and untruthful criticism which is not hurtful because inthe inthe In Inthe the words of ot the president wh who died the other day the truth will prevail Attacks have teen peen fre freely ly aimed both at Its form of ot organization and its method of operation For Foi instance It Is openly charged byan by byan byan an officer of the Ku Klux Klan that It is controlled by Jewish Influence Influence in influence In- In fluence or that It Is Vatican pro in the tendency of ot Its news new's news ser service ser ser-I er- er vice It can hardly be necessary for me to say that I am neither a a. Jew Tew nor a Catholic On both m mi fathers father's and m my mothers mother's sides 1 I come from a long line of Methodists Method Method- 1 While I trust everyone connected connected con con- with the organization who approves the first article In the con j bill ot of rights adopted by out oui forefathers ers assuring freedom of worship in inthis inthis inthis this country and while In the past thirty j years ears at least five tive directors have been elected every year tha the board consisting of ot fifteen members members mem bers it happens that one Jewish Ige gentleman alone Is or ever has been a member of ot the board And Andas Andas as to the Catholic affiliation of members In all the thirty years jears ears I think It Is true that there never have been more than two members members members mem mem- bers of the Catholic church on the board at any time and not half halt a dozen a altogether together I am making this statement not because anybody anybody anybody any any- body that I know of has ever Undertaken undertaken undertaken un un- to determine the religIous religious ious bus b beliefs of the members of the board as a ground for judging their qualifications but as an Illustration illustration illustration tion of the false charges made against the institution ACCURACY SOUGHT As I have said many of the criticisms are born of ignorance of ot the tho facts For instance a n man reads something In a newspaper I and either overlooks the credit line I or It may be there Is no credit line Una and he assumes that it 1 is isan Is' Is Isan an an Associated Press telegram and at once charges us with the responsibility responsibility for tor It It may also Interest you ou to learn that by actual investigation inthe in inthe inthe the thirty years that have passed although thousands of words have been sent out dailY dally and although there are 1300 daily dally newspapers printing Its dispatches the total totalS cost of lawyers' lawyers fees and all other S payments Incidental to libel suits have been less ess than the cost of ot the lead pencils used in the service This must be proof that accuracy is earnestly sought I I do not pretend that the Associated Associated Associated Asso Asso- Press is perfect Absolute Inerrancy Is Impossible The f frailties rail frail ties of human nature attach to its work as they do to others But this I much is certain that certain that It Is not IntentIonally In- In In S IS untruthful untruthful |