Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-14
a JOURNALISTIC SIR ORACLE.

luefe IS no UOuDJ budt Mlk0O O6 1OuuB
made ten strike when he got himself
appointed on the worlds fair commits
sion, and a sense of his worth and ca
pabilities induced that body to elect him
as one of its vice presidents. This
places the distinguished proprietor of
the Chronicle in the position of sort of
journalistic Colossus OF Rhodes, only
more so. He straddles the continent,
so to speak, and with one foot on the
Pacific and the other on the Atlantic
coast, the affairs of the great lakes are
to him in medias res, as it were. This
is a position calculated to crafty
the ambition of any ordinary
man, be he journalist, statesman,
or general egotist. 1t will be the grand
function of Mr.. De Young, every time
he arrives in Chicago, to graciously dis
pense his views to the waiting reporters
of the windy city. 1t is perfectly sale
to say that the leading virtue of this
gentleman, with his journalistic bring
ing up, will not on all occasions be
modesty. From time to time he will be
tempted TO assume an &c cGthedrc air,
and to talk as if he knew it all.
In fact, with his tall building and
well compacted cheek, he may
on occasion think it O. profitable
thing to play Sir Oracle. The poets
version of this interesting role doth run,
if we err not, somewhat in this fashion:
4 10 fba
ing pord,
And when ope my lips let no dog bark
OF course, these utterances are tele-
graphed to the four corners of the
United States, and the proprietor OF the
Chronicle thus succeeds in getting in
good deal OF discursive opinion on per-
sons and things. When he devotes
himself to the worlds fair his outgiv-
ings are generally wise and weighty.
We are afraid that we cannot concede as
much to his general and political views.
Saturdays Chronicle contained out
givings from Mr.. De Young telegraphed
from Chicago. He gives his views as to
political matters and things in Califor-
mia. In a breezy way he assured the
reporter who interviewed him that no
respectable Democrats in California ever
mentioned Governor Hill in connection
with the Democratic nomination for the
presidency. This will be new and
pleasing information to those Demo
Gratis who have thought that Gov
ernor Hill would make a strong and
acceptable candidate for president, and
who have never heretofore suspected
that they were not respectable. They
will probably look upon this utterance
of Mr.. De Young as something like
what Sairey Camp characterized, in the
instance OF Bailey, Jr., in Martin Chuz-
zlewit, as "bragian importance. After
disposing of Governor Hill, Mr.. De
Young proceeds to say that Cleveland
would be beaten out of his boots, and
| that Blaine can have the nomination If
he wants it. 1t strikes us that we have
heard that last remark before, with
such people as General Alger and others
as the interlocutors.
But we had almost overlooked another
observation of Mr.. De Young. He says
that California will support no man for
president who will not in advance prom
ice to give this state cabinet position.
We almost feel like summoning up
courage enough to ask Michael which
billet he has numbered for himself. He
feels such an absorbing interest in having
slashing navy on the Pacific coast that
the position of secretary of the navy
would seem to fit in very well with his
abilities and aspirations. But in euch
matters there is such wide room for
speculation that we forbear.
1t is just possible that Mr.. De Young
may change his mind about the cage Of
carrying California by Blaine or any other
Republican when the results of the cleo
tions in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio
and Iowa are announced. There is a
sort of feeling abroad that the people
are ION to" the Republican party, and
that the period when breezy predictions
of victory for that organization could be
safely made has passed, and passed per-
| haps forever.