The morning call., 1892-10-12
HOW CoRRUPr NEwsPAPERs MAKE
MONEY.

The public havA realized that there. is not
that integrity in she management OF a GER
tain class of newspapers In our large elites
which was usual forty or fifty years ago.
What then would have sunk newspaper
as being disgraceful in the extreme is py
many thoughtless people now deemeo Oh
little consequence. The man who Sells the
use of his columns for the most vicious pur-
noses is often At present looked upon as
heing smart. provided he puts money In his
noctet lie may sell his patrons for pieces
~ silver. He may even advocate the cleo
ton 10 office of the most abandoned charac-
tiers in the community, but how many Spurn
the paper which betrays them? We are led
to these observations from reading some re-
marks which were delivered in the Old
Trinity Church, New York City. by Rev.
DR.. Steele, upon the occasion of the cele-
bratiOn in memory of Columbus, October
9. a single paragraph, which came for
ward by telegraph. reads rs follows:
l feel I am not going out OF my way In sound
ing a nOte of warning 10 the press. would
warn the press of ITS decadence In IFS ho!u upou
The people. and the weakening OF us po"ot 70
hold and guide public opinion. 10 not say tha'
this power mas been LOST put lhost assn euy
mere Is.creat danger Of It. How can IL be other
wise when the press panders 10 vicious tastes,
and is recognized as partisan 10 national mat.
tiers?
There are now not only newspapers which
''pander to vicious tastes" but there are
newspapers which betray the people, news
papers which actually sell their services for
money. We fancy we hear some of cur
contemporaries say: what fools are the
managers of THE CALL not TO take all Of
the money they can get, be il either from
the railroad companies or from the bosses. "
How would il seem for The CALL and
Bulletin TO sell their services to the enc
mics OF the city? Would the public hug the
two papers TO their breasts as they do those
which sell themselves and assist their ene-
mics? The CALL has ia mind an editorial
which it published October 5, 1890. portion
Of which reads as follows:
The history OF the Central and Southern Pa.
eihc Railroad companies In the politics OF this
city and State would doubtless possess extraOr-
binary interest could 81, the facts be given
We, however. VIII notice a few az the salient
points which are applicable to newspapers only.
OF course, we could not even approximate the
amount OF money distributed TO politicians. but
IL must have been enormous. Even with news
papers the amount has been very large. We
speak within bounds whel we say that one or
two hundred newspapers have received gTatui-
ti5s frolL the Central and Southern Pacific Rail-
road compaDes. A single newspaper which we
could name has probably cost the companies a
cool 81, 600 600. Another, which could also be
named. has had 100000 or 100000 We
know Of another paper which had borrowed
money from that cobesIn amounting. say, TO
100000. weekly newspaper has had $4,000
year perhaps for ten years. This would foot
up 100000. Another weekly paper, We cannot
say exactly how much it has had but we believe
$1,000 or $4,000 per annum. running through
twenty odd years. Here is Sl2O. 900 more From
one 10 two hundred other newspapers on this
coast, as We have suggested. have received
money. How much this would amount to in the
aggregate is unknOWn-posslbly 1t would require
RAILROAD officials months even to hunt up the
accounts. The CALL however. would not be
surprised II these disInterested helpers OF tue
railroad company have been paid SIO0 900 or
SI5GOOOO