The record-union., 1891-10-29
LAUNDERING STUPIDITY.

II mas passed into proVer1 that loose
thinking people usually love to discuss the
things of which they know the least, and
the floundering, staggering course of the
Chronicle concerning the Traffic Associa-
ton furnishes perfect illustration of the
truth of this proverb. When few indi-
viduals in the city of San Francisco
called State Convention for the purpose
of forming a traffic association, the San
Francisco Chronicle did all in its power
to promote it. In fact, all the papers of
that city assumed high and mighty anti
railroad sentiment and tone, each vieing
with the other for the position of being
the special organ of the new traffic asso-
citation. It was to be a State convention
Of shippers. Some suggestion was made
limiting the membership in this State
convention to merchants, but the thing
broadened and the San Francisco Jour
mails advocated the admission of pro-
ducers even to the councils of this con-
vention. The convention was held.
There were some self-appointed dele
gates from Fresno, Sacramento and San
Jose, and number of the largest pro-
ducers in the State. The outline of the
association at that time was to unite all
classes-those interested in Eastern or
export shipment as well as those
interested in the importation of merchan-
disc.
In common with other interior journals
claiming to represent faithfully the inter
ests of the localities in which they are
published the RECoRD-UNIoN took the
position that the interests of shippers in
San Francisco and interior points were
not completely identical.
In common with its contemporaries,
the Chronicle had regarded the Traffic
Association movement from the first as
State movement. In it's issue of October
18th it says:
The movement of the merchants of this city
ana me STATE dtiQTqe to form q Traffic ASSOcia-
ton, Is one of the most sensible steps that have
been taken since the completion of the Gen.
tral Pacific Railroad.
Continuing, it advocates the formation
of an association of merchants and
shippers"
As soon, however, as the RECORD
UNION and other interior journals sug-
gested that from the first San Francisco
had resisted the concession Of through
rates TO interior points, and that, there
fore, that city could not be counted upon
as friendly to the maintenance Of that
concession, the course of the Chronicle
changed completely. The Chronicle
quotes from the RECoRD- UNION and says:
The process OF reasoning which our contem-
porary employs is decidedly amusing in view
OF the well-known facts OF the case or the at
tempt 10 set the country against the city we
say nothing, because ID is beneath notice and
even beneath contempt.
Here was a distinct assertion of a per-
feet unity of interest between all sections
of the State in the purposes and plans of
the Traffic Association. The Chronicle
maintains this position up to October 22d,
when, under the head of "A Serious Mis-
take" it declares:
San Francisco, so far as the objects of the
ITafhc Association are concerned, may be
deemed unit, but how can this be affirmed
OF the great State OF California, with its enor-
nous territory and its great diversity of inter-
ests? How can we imagine or devise any
community OF interests ia railroad transpor-
tatton between Los Angeles and Tchama
Counties, or between Fresno and Sonoma :?
In other words, how can a traffic association
ana the city To help the country or the country
10 help thu city? s*s The DANGER to the success
ofthe Trafic Association under the fusion plan
is easy TO be seen when we see 4. T. Hatch
and men OF his stripe thrusting themselves
forward and seeking recognition on the gov
erIing body OF the association.
In this the Chronicle had forgotten the
invitation to the merchants and ship
pers,' published in its own columns. 1t
had forgotten its own assertion that any
attempt TO set the country against the city
was beneath notice, and even beneath
contempt Mr.. Hatch is the largest ship
per of fruit in the State. If any man has
an interest in cheap transportation, it is
the gentleman named, and so far from
thrusting himself on the association, he
was invited by those who set out TO
organize State Traffic Association of
shippers and merchants"
On the 23d the Chronicle appeared to
have had still further light in pursuing
q course which it had so recently declared
to be beneath contempt. In an editorial
on that date, it said:
As to making Joint enterprise of tho asso-
citation 10 include the interior as well as the
city, the more the scheme IS discussed, the
more impracticable 1t appears san Fran
cisco must work alone I'm this matter for the
reason that her interests are not and cannot
Oe Identical with those OF the country.
Our interests are unlike and no amount oi
special pleading or artificially created eX-
presSions of sympathy and affection can altar
the fact
Thus the RECoRD-UNIoN and the C7tro1,-
,cSc came m be perfectly IN accord. ard