The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-12
AN IDEAL PRESS.
Chat With Charlotte
Perkins Stetson.
APPEARS IN A DUAL ROLE.
Posing as interviewer and Inter-
viewed, She Talks About the
Present Movement.
APPEARS IN A DUAL ROLE

This is an interview AFTER the fashion
OF modern journalism. If any re adler is
struck by the singular aptness of the
questions asked In furthering the line of
argument, holding 1t surprising that such
consecutive and pertinent interrOgations
were forthcoming, let it be explained a;
once that this interview" is a soliloquy.
Furthermore, it is not, as so frequently
happens, com posed by the reporter without
the subject. but by the subject without the
reporter.
Mrs. C. P. Stetson was interviewed by
CALL reporter as to her views on the effort
by California women to purify the press.
and gave them as follows:
"You have been asked before to give
your ideas on this movement, have you
not?"
81 have, repeatedly"
And why did you not responds"
Because the papers making the request
were so prominent examples Of the evils
our etition seeks to remove"
'Do you mean that you discriminate in
writing for the daily press?"
81 do, most assuredly."
"Then you hold THE CALL to be above
reproaeb-beyond Improvement?
"Oh, no, don't go as far as that; but L
hold it TO be the most decent of our local
morning papers, and therefore prepare to
speak through its columns. especially Oh
this subject"
what do you think of this movement
of the women-will it do any good?"
Observation-Disclosures good. In the
first place it will have some weight in the
81 q
an index of popular feeling. The eager,
earnest way in which our women have
worked to circulate these petitions is proof
of a good deal of genuine feeling No
business depending on popular patronage
can afford to wholly disregard SO plain
demand"
"Do you not think it mistake TO have
this solely women's movement"
"a mistake? | don't know what you
| mean. You might as well ask If [ think
it mistake to have more women than
men go to church. 1t would be better, of
| course, if the men were doing this also
but they are not. The thing needs to be
done, and what the men won't do the
women must, that's all. There has been
nothing to hinder the men of this coast
demanding higher class of journalism,
but they have not done it. The women
have"
You think. then, that this effort will
succeed-that our papers will turn over a
new leaf on receipt of this petition?"
by no means. 1t will take more than a
petition TO do this"
what would do it?"
"Two things. One a change Of heart
among newspaper men-a sort OF general
conversion. 1t would have to include
every one of them. A great moral COM
bine, as it were. These transformed
journalists, moved by a high sense OF
moral responsibility, would sim ultaneously
and unanimously elevate and purify the
press; and The public. unable to get bad
paper if they wanted j., would be elevated
and purified perforce."
do you anticipate any such reform
among journalistic?
"Noi with a cheerful eertanty-no"
''What is the other thing you referred
to?''
IAN equally unanimous reform in the
general public-a universal demand for
| better papers. backed by an equally uni
versal refusal to buy bad ones. But don't
anticipate this either"
"Then you think nothing can be done
we can't have better papers?"
Indeed we can, and that as soon as we
want them"
"And how can this be done?"
''By the simplest of processes. Take the
best paper you have, and urge it upon
your friends. Refuse to buy, read, write
| for, or advertise in the bad ones. Then, if
the one you take displeases you. say so
| at once, promptly and firmly. The papers
depend absolutely on their subscription
lists and sales. Don't be deluded by think
| ing the advertisers support the paper-it Is
the buyers of the paper who support the
| haof 70
read our worst papers, those papers would
have to reform or die"
"Why don't the women do this?"
"Ahi Now you touch the weak point in
the movement. Because it is not the
| women who pay for the paper. Some do,
of course, but by far the greater number
of subscribers and almost all the daily
purchasers are men. A protest from
angels would not do the papers as much
good as cold quiet withdrawal of patron
age from subscribers
"Then you think the petition wasted ?"
"On, no. l told you before that it
would do some good as an indication of
the improvement in popular taste. 1t will
also affectthe subscription list somewhat,
no doubt.
But the great good to be done is to the
women themselves.
How so-w1at good will it do them Pr
sit will DO them good in two ways. For
one thing. it will show the limitations of
mere Influence expressed in words, as
compared with practical power expressed
in money. But beyond that is higher
| good and one much needed in the COM
paratively new society of this coast. Our
women are not as fully awake to their pub
lie duties as those of the older cities of our
Country and Europe. They are behind the
times in this respect. and this earnest at
| tempt to do great and good thing for the
general public carries It's blessing with IL.
Perhaps before few more years are past
we shall see the queen of society and
mistress of the home exertlng her benefi-
| cent power in this exceptionally dirty city