Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-24
California Newspapers Must
Hereafter Tell the Truth
ABOUT THEIR CIRCULATION.
The Examiner Scores It's Point Alter Years
Of Hard Work and the Affidavit fIend
must Goa New DeparIureIn
Legislation.

San Francisco. March 23.--11e legis-
lature. which has just adjourned, passed
"a bill unique In legislation, the effect OF
which Is awaited with much Interest
by the newspapers Of California. Inc
bin merely adds n new section 20 w
penal code and " particularly Fi III
lis provisions IL reads:
An net to add new section 10 the
peunl code. to be numbered JdS' rclaE
ing 10 Misrepresentation as TO the eircu
lation by proprietOrs OF newspapers ana
periodicals. for the purpose OK oDt"'h'hs
INC people OF the state Of California.
represented in senate and assembly, 90
enact as tollowsi
section 4. A now section Is hereby
added TO the pennl code, TO- be known US
section 53S, TO read Us follows;
SECTION 5}S Every proprietor or pup
fisher Of any newspaper or periodicnl,
who shall willfully mud knowingly ms
represent the circulation OF such noWs-
paper or periodical. for the purpose OF
securing advertising or other patronage
shall be- deemed guilty Of miBdcmcan-
Soc. .. This act shnll take effect and
be I'm force Immediately from aud after
It's passage. ,,u
Assenhlymun Afford OF Iulnrc said'
"Ths h intended M q law To- make
,,, nry,spaprrs honest. nnd " there Is
ANYTHING which requires q llulc blNlflnE
IN Tint direction more than legislator
IL Is the newspaper
California las Tor many yeurs been
afflicted with tho largest circulation
mania. Each of the big San Francesca
duiliog had greater circulation thnh
all the others combined. This was pro,
rlnimod from every fence aud deau wall
iu the ritips. and the scenic wonders OF
49,. .frtf hNIWmnNH with M.
until IL hpcHmc "a matter ot daily eN-
uprtntion that the urvHpituus Eloucs ~
IN Capinin would be splcndorcd with
the announcement.
"rhc Chronicle on the CAL or the Ia
nmiupr Inns more than double the cltcu-
lutiou of al It's contemporaries com
bmcd.'
The fashion of prcyariraiion has 80
surpul ia thiE cXubpruut climate thut
pvory newborn sheet tossed on 10y rattle
trappors 100 town Ol more cApreIauonH
than inhabitants, M once laid claim 10
tho largest circulation In ull the country
side and sent US paint pot ana bfuHh
ont into the world 10 bCslubhcr the claim
over everything of scenic prominence.
Tho general public regarded the exc
trayaguut assertions us so much hnmor!
Int the advertisers became beWlldored
In tho effort 10 pick some bits of truth
ont Of the mass Of prpyuricuion lhVy
could not really tell when they gave out
nm advertisement % a persistent sole
Nor whether or not the paper he repre-
scented had anything Ike the enormous
circulation he said u had.
kbont three wears ago The Examiner
concluded that little honesty would be
good business policy, nud us u hnu
achieved a circulation of respectable pro
portions, give ont It's exact hguros' took
oath 20 their correctness ana invited its
pntrons 20 step In ana examine the buuks
Its rivals improved the opportunity of
Iercd 10y the show Of figures and quickly
rlised them n few thousand nll around.
placing The Examiner In the position OF
having less circulation thnu either The
Can or The Cronice.
This did not suit, az all, 40 The Tx
nmnor prepared the Ill., making ia,
Misrepresentation of circulation u mis-
demennor, aud went with 10 before th,
legislature NC Sacramento. AZ first th,
press OF the state thought " was bluff
ON the part OF the San Francisco news
paper. and that IL would make no effort
u pass the bill further than n polu
where Il could secure n certain amount ui
advertising from a. But after a LITTLE
the papers persistent agitation OF On,
subject compelled a belief IN lt earnest
ness.
Then n howl went up. The bill wa,
denounced rs an interference with th'
liberty of the press, aud the legislator,
was called upon 10 kill IL with ucatucs.
and dispatch This was "the lcfislatur,
of II thousand scandals and just az
critical point IN the history of Tie Hill
The Examiner exposed some Of thc pre-
valcnt bribery. This brought the wratl
OF all the rascnls down upon its head
aud the bill was kicked out OF the hall
of legislation without the slightest apOl
ogy.
There was a general newspaper op
proval OF the action, especially hy th
rival san Francisco duilics, and the az
sertOnp nH 90 circulation continued thel
luAuraut scmi-tropic growth.
The EN0mmer waited two years 10
another legislature and again Introduce
IT. little mll. This time it ala not max
any fuss about II aud failed 90 ndvocnt
the passage " the bill Ia its column,
80 the other papers WIRE not SO niue
concerned lhoro were few protestln
paragraphs from the country press aud
little secret opposition, but the imprc,
sion became more general that The ly
aminpr did not have is announced cll
cuaton, and was no moro anxious for IA
passage OF the hin than the rest of then
10. lbere Was no concentration OF opp,
Eition
AZ Sacramento, however The Exam
inor's correspondents were secretly ,
work, aud before the bin had nttractc
nay general attention they hud passc
II through both houses and had SECURE
promise from the governor that h
would sign ". No tlmO was lost IA ol
tanning fulhllmcnt Of the promise. an
on The day the bill was signed came
Eeqnest nom the proprieiors OF tv
San Francisco dniHos that tho signatul
be withheld until they could prose-
their arguments against the bill. Ii
they were one day behind lime.
The Examiner had won LIS point Ev
since u has paraGed the bin az the no,
OF Ing first pagc, and Il Il generally unde
stood that IN is prepared "a nuko nm n
gressiyc fight ON its provisions IL
should, there may onsue one of tho
old-ume newspaper wars which loft
tran Of bitterness and trouble over Il