The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-01

SIEBE AND THE POST.

1t is not right that the transaction be-
tween John d. Siebe, Republican candidate
for Assessor. and the EUeRing Post news
paper should be passed over in silence.
Eena!ity in the press sooner or later ensures
the degradation of public morals. The facts
in this case are simple.
1t is affirmed on oath by credible witnesses
that a proprietor of the Erening Post visited
Siehe's store and demanded $1,000 as the
price of The Posts support of Siebe, stating
that the paper had just bought new press
and expected candidates to pay for it. He
added that in case Siebe refused to pay the
Post would be against" him. When this
statement was first made it was understood
that the newspaper justified the action of its
part owner and held it to be no wrong in a
public journal to demand money from a can
didate whose cause it espoused. But lately,
We observe, that Mr. Hirsch the gentleman
who called on the Siebes, puts in a general
denial and says that "the statement that
any words were used which could in any
way be contorted into a demand for money
is a malicious falsehood." An issue OF
veraciiy is thus raised between the Siebes
and Walenstein on one side and the Eren-
iag Post proprietor on tie other. and the
public are left to judge which Of them is
most likely to have told the truth.
Another newspaper, in a pretty well
known case, pleaded in court few years
ago that an editor had right to sell his edi-
torial opinions as well as his advertising
space II, therefore, Mr.. HirSch of the Post
did demand of Siebe $1,000 for the support of
his paper with the alternative OF its h0stil-
iIy if tie money we're not forthcoming, he
had precedent for his course. 1t cannot,
however, be justified by any canon of NOR
ais. In every public urnal portion Of the
sheet is for sale openly, at set price, and
every one is free to buy so much thereof as
he chooses 10 advertise his wares or his call
ing, with the restriction that his advertise
meDt must contain nothing libelouS or indie
cent But another portion of the sheet is
presented to the public as not for sale, being
occupied by statements of fact and opin ions
which are given out as the honest views of
the editor Cd the current issues OF the day.
When an editor mixes up the two depart
mentS, and makes merchandise of his edito-
rial columns as he does of his advertising
columns. he commits fraud on his read
ers-a fraud as glaring as that Of Judge on
the bench who sells justice.
1t was currently said on the street when
Seibe first charged the Post with blackuail-
ing him that the attempt would not injure
tie business of the aper nor degrade the
standing Of its propr etoIs. 1t was stated
that the moral tone of the community was
SO low that venal journalism reused neither
surprise nor indignation. These views, we
trust, were baSed on an erroneous measure
of the moral fiber of our people. 1t is true
that, in the II wspaper business as in other
businesses, knayeS do occas ionally flourish,
and their sheets do command patronage from
persons who hold their owners in contempt.
But the measure OF prosperity they enjoy is
won by extraordinary effort protracted over
periods OF years, md IN the teeth of for
midable obstacles. 1t is not accompanied
by tie respect or the influence which sue
cess ought 10 command 1t proceeds not
from a 1t llow-feelng for venality, but from
a too general indifference to the duty which
should stimulate every member of the COM
Dunity to punish a knaYe wherever he finds
him.
In the meanwhile we see the effect of
news aper venality and Indifference to
truth in the utter want of influence pos
sessed by sheets of tolerable circulation.
There are newspapers read here as to which
no one ever believes word they say.
Their statements of fact pass as the idle
wind until they are corroborated. They
cannot influence many votes or add much to
the general stock of information. When
they espouse a side in controversy it is
taken for granted that they have been re-
tanned ON that side; the public do not imag-
inc that they reached their conclusions by
honest reasoning or with an eye TO the pub
lie Onnd