Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-01
PRESS ASSOCIATION.
SECOND SESSION OF THE NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL EDITORS.
Large Number of New Members
Taken In-Sam Davis on
Business"

Central California convened last evening at
the Art Gallery, this being the second semi
| annual session.
Roll call showed the following members
| present: w. B. Parsons, of the Woodland
| Democrat; W. R. Ellis. Woodland Nail;
| F. K. Krauth, Alameda Eacnal; W. Chal-
mers, Chico Enterprise; G. NJ. Francis,
Napa Register; w. B. H. Dodson, Red Bluff
Sentinel; r. Fremaine, Lassen HAL; T. H.
Dawson, Corning Observer; H. A. Nc.
Craney, Lskeport AUalanche; E. B. Willis,
Sacramento RECORD UNION; J. H. Rogers,
Orland Negs; H. H. Richmond, Placer
Argus; E. c. Rust, Winters Express; RUFUS
Shoemaker, Grass Valley Telegraph; ]. J..
Campbell. Gait Gazette; ]. A. Woodson,
Sacramento RECORD UNION; E. B. Price
Oroville Mercury: S. s. Boynton, Oroville
Register; Will S. Green, Colusa Sun; c. K.
McClatchv. Sacramento Bee; Mrs. Willis,
Antioch Ledger, and General T. W. Sheehan,
Sacramento RECORD UNION Besides the
members there were present large number
of ladies and friends of the members.
President Will S. Green presided He
announced, after calling the assemblage to
order, that the first business would be the
election of new members. Accordingly
the following gentlemen we're proposed by
various members, and all were elected j.
+. Filcher, of the Placer Herald: Ed. E.
Leake, Dixon Tribune; Robert Nixon
Yreka Journal; ]. A. Richardson, Placer
Republican; L. L. Palmer, Fresno Expos
itor; Duncan cPherson, Santa Cruz Sen
tinet; L. s. Barnes Shasta Democrat F.
NJ. Swasey, Redding Republican, Free Press !:
F. E. Ellis, Lodi Sentinel j. L. Read, Mid
dletown Independent; w. A. Sehorn, Will
lows Journal; J. IL. DUNCAN, St. Helena
Star; T. ]. Mcfarland, Folsom Telemaph ::
| Y. u. Radcliffe, Colusa Herald; T. G. Dan
iels, Alameda argus; George a. Oakes,
Haywards Journal; f. B. Meckender, st.
Helena Star; John Buckingham, Ukiah
| Dispatch democrat George Barr, Cloverdale
| Rereitte, and CLOVIS T. La Grave, lone Val.
] ley Echo.
+. M. NJ. Bogardus, of the Mountain
| democrat, was present as a special repre-
sentative of that journal. L. NJ. Holt, of
riverside, San Bernardino, and G. P. Teb-
Detts, OF Santa Barbara, were present as
| committee from the Southern California
Press Association.
Upon the conclusion of the election.
President Green introduced Sam Davis.
| the well-known humorist, and editor of
the Carson, New, appeal, who had con-
| seuteu 10 ADDRESS the meeting.
MIR. Davis was greeted with applause
when he stepped upon the platform.
The speaker started in by reproaching
the committee for selecting such a subject
| as Business for him to speak upon.
Business was something that he was not
| up ln. Why" said he. there is not a
! worse conducted, more slip. shod paper on
the coast than the Carson AppeaL. | own
ranch in one county and q newspaper in
| another, and it has become notorious in
my nelghborhood that when | leave the
ranch and resume charge of the paper,
the ranch thrives and gets along remarka-
Dly We'll. Then, when | get tired of the
paDer and go back to the ranch, the latter
suffers again, but the paper begins to boom.
But when desert both of them and go
down to San Francisco for a few weeks,
tnere IS great prosperity at both
ends" Mr.. Davis then branched off
on semi-serious dissertation on the
| troubles of the poor newspaper man.
The newspaper, he declared, was Looked
upon by many as public philanthropist-
an institution organized and maintained
for no other purpose than to boom every
thing for nothing. Every dealer was will.
ing to have his enterprise doomed, but
When the poor editor wants a new pair of
shoes or hat, he must pay top rates
Society ladies would get up charity ball
and would persuade the editor to give
| them about dollars worth of advertising
free-'for the good of the cause" But
when 1t come to giving out the invitations
they would not provide the editors wife
with one because she could not dress we'll
enough. The speaker said he was de-
| cldedly in favor OF receiving pay for all ad-
vertsing, and he related several humorous
examples of how he was succeeding. In
conclusion Mr.. Davis earnestly exIorted
those present to join hands and pull to-
gether, for in union there was strength. By
doing so they could easily accomplish
what the association aimed for.
Edward Curtis, another well-known
journalist, was the next speaker. Mr.. Cur
It's was received with much applause, and
his remarks were listened to with marked
attention.
Il am glad" he said ito meet the editors
of Northern California. This section of
our State has been SO well served and ad-
vertised by your united labors that I am
| sure you would be welcomed anywhere in
this region and especially here in Sacra-
mento, the very heart and center of vast
and prolific territory. An observing man
who has travelled much told me this morn
ing that the people OF California, taken as
whole, know more than any other peo-
pie he had ever been among. The high
| and wide intelligence that my friend found
all through California is largely due to the
newspaper press of this State that daily
| and weekly furnish to the public every
| variety of Information. More people read
newspapers in California, in proportion TO
| population, than anywhere else in the
world. The great journals of New York,
Philadelphia, Chicago and ST. Louis, with
millions of people surrounding them, have
circulation not much larger than the
| leading newspapers of San Francisco that
penetrate comparatively sparseiy.settled
communities. There is scarcely a man in
California so poor or so ignorant that he
! does not take one or more newspapers.
while IN the East, in. every city and town
and settlement, there are very many who
| never see newspaper, except an occa-
| slonal one they borrow from their neigh
/ bors. Every question is discussed here
| more thoroughly than elsewhere. Our
politics are more intense and vigorous
| "A Convention in one of the older States
is mild affair compared to a California
| Convention. There the regulated pro-
| gramme is carried out and the proceedings
are over in day. Here our political State
| Conventions last through three well. fought
| days, and sometimes the hot.footed con-
tests last whole week. The victory here
| Is indeed the survival of the fttest 1t
| speaks well for the energy and Intelligence
| Of our people that triumphs only come to
| those who have the endurance and ability
| to win them. In growing, active State,
| full OF ambitious people. weak men soon
| go to the wall. The press, vehement and
| aggressive, has no time or force to waste on
nobodies. 1t defends or shoots at targets
worthy of its steel. Yet, in the white heat
| OF political assaults, have never known a
| tirst-class public man to be permanently
| injured by abuse. Like fine gold, he comes
| out OF the furnace finer still. 1t is only the
unscrupulous, the mean, the unsayory, who
get hurt under the fierce calcium light of
| free press.
when man stands before his fellow
citizens candidate for their suffragss, the
press has right to find out al! they can
! about him, and to show him I'D if he is
found wanting. 1t is the editors duty to
| the community. Yea, more, it is his duty
TO keep vigilant eye on heads of institu-
nons dealing largely with the people, like
banks, insurance companies and water
companies.
Not long ago was talking with Sidney
Dillon, formerly President OF the Union
| Paclnc, and now Director in n scora Of