Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-21
Gle PROGRESS"
A Remarkable Episode in
Journalism.
CANDIDATES BADLY FOOLED.
How Republican Candidates Paid
for the Influence of q
French Paper.

In its issue of the 18th inst. the HERALD
published the particulars Of little affair
which had resulted in the resignation of
the editors Of LIE Progress and the suppres-
sion of an intended libel on Mr.. P. Bal
lade, the well-known French merchant. |
There has been quite an interesting
sequel to add to the story, and as it con-
tains lesson of interest to intending
candidates for official dignities it is here
given:
When the Board of Directors of lie
Progress decided to suppress at all hazards
the libel which they had heard was to
appear in it's columns, they turned the
matter over to jor Bell, giving him full
authority to act as might seem fit. He
found that the paper had been rented in
August, 1888, by Messrs. D'Artois and
Oakley, who had agreed to pay $40
month therefor and also to give $3.50 for
the goodwill of the sheet. For the faith
full fulflment of this compact Oakley had
given bonds in the amount of $3.50, en-
dorsed by Mr.. Simon Gless, and similar
guarantee had been filed by D'Artois.
Strange to say, however, they had never
paid one cent toward either the goodwill
or the rent, and as in this manner the
compact was broken the directors declared
it veid, and as was related in the HERALD
took the paper into their own hands and
DESTROYED the edition containing the
libelous matter. The same day they re-
ceived letter from their late editors,
and this, on perusal, proved to be written
in very sarcastic vein. 1t opened with
formal resignation, and then came
trade against the directors for having
misled the lessees as to the profits and
standing of the paper. "It only had
fifty.nine paying subscribers when we
took it hand" lamented the scribes,
who then launched off in a more
CHEEKY style, as follows: "We are
happy to report, however, that all of
the bills are collected up to date and
the money spent, that is, with the
exception OF a few notes, which we hope
you will have more luck in collecting
than we had" The document wound
up with the information that, notwith-
standing its writer's had been played for
suckers, they had done some sucking too
that had not been bargained for, and
they felt that on the whole they left the
field with the honors and trophies of
victory.
This remarkable missive somewhat
puzzled the stately Board of Investiga-
ton, who could not imagine to what it
referred, 80 they set to work to ferret it
out and as a starter, waded through the
few documents, mostly bills, which
the late lessees had left behind
in the Office safe. Their search
was rewarded, for they came across notes
for 500 each signed by Mesers. Wade,
Francis, Damron and Clement, made
contingent on the success of the candi-
dates. This was evidently the mysteri-
GUS source of revenue. No record was
kept of who had given such notes, but
in all probability every member of the
Republican ticket who called on LIE
Progress for support during the campaign
had contributed some such document.
1t has since been discovered that Mr.. j.
Banbury, the County Treasurer, gave up
$500 in this manner, which was duly
collected and spent by the les
sees a week before they sent in
their resignation. Major Bell
notified the endorser of the notes, dis
covered that the documents were now in
the hands of the owners of the papers,
and that Messrs. D'Artois and Oakley
had no power to collect them, this news
being received With the comment from
Mr.. Francis of, "Maybe I won't have to
pay at all now."
1t appears that the enterprising lessees
had during the campaign hunted up in
dividually each candidate on the Repub-
lican ticket and poured into his ear state.
ments about the enormous political inf1u-
ence welded by lie PrOqres. Assurances
were given that it got into the hands Of
every voting Frenchman and practically
controlled his ballot, whereupon the as
piring candidate doubtless felt that he
was dong good stroke of work in giving
a note-of-h hand contingent on his cleo
tion.
The directors have been hard at work
during the past week trying to find the
exact location of their paper but, as bills
come struggling in every day they do not
know how matters are going to turn out.
One claim made on Friday is from an
humble typesetter, who in addition to
the charges for his services has an item
of few dollars loaned personally to Edi-
tor Oakley. 1t was thought at first that
the bonds would cover everything but
chat given by D'Artois is unaccountably
missing and it is believed was carried of
by that gentleman himself. Mr.. Gless
was notified on Saturday that he will be
required to ante up the $3.50 that he
went as security for Oakley, and ie
probably on the trail of that enterprisipg
journalist with a non-stuffed Indian
war.club.
TT,n Ar- D,tk1 N-I5