The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-07
DEsPIsING PRESS OPINION.

Secretary Lansing of the Southern Pa
ciic Company remarked Thursday to the
Railroad Commission: 81 despise the
opinion of the press" That is to say
assuming that Mr.. Lansing knew the
meaning of the word which he employed),
he looks down upon the opinion of the
press with contempt and scorn. In order
to desplse thing the despiser must be so
far above it that to him it seems utterly
contemplate and not to oe taken into
account in the general scheme of the social
organization. Thus an elephant, if he
should SO oondescend, might despise a
worm, if he happened to learn that such
things as worms existed.
Doubtless, among his personal friends
Mr. Lansing is regarded as an amiabIe and
intelligent gentleman, and likely they will
feel rebuked by him for not having dis
covered, until he brought the matter to
their attention, that he bears the same
relation to the opinion OF the press that
the elephant bears to the worm. They have
| received notice to regard him hereafter
with bountiful aoce ssion of awe. Surely
none would grudge him that distinction.
1t is an education 10 reflect that above
and beyond the thousands of earnest in
telligences which mirror and in a large
measure mold the civilization of the age,
there exists in this far-away California,
along with its Yosemite, its Mount Shasta,
its big tees and its monstrous squashes, a
splendid Force, in the brilliant effulgence
of whose shining all the things which men
have hitherto accounted wonderful wear
the pallor of a glowworm in the MONDAY
sun. Standing upon the towering emf
neDce of the secretaryship of the Southern
| Pacific Company, the Glance finds far be-
| low squirming mass OF indistinguishable
| despicables, all fat and colorless, and
among them the opinion of the press.
Thus does Father Time carry in the hip
pocket of his trousers razor with which
| to slit the weazands of our conceit.
| We could not aim to uphold the power
and dignity of the press where the press
should be despised. For whatever mean
or unjust thing it does it deserves the
scorn of better and nobler forces. II any
fraction of it, at any time, should enter
| into conspiracy for the betrayal of any
public confidence which it assumes, o,
which by the nature of things it invites. il
is prowling coyote instead of faithful
! shepherd dog, and should be driven
! out for the safety of the flock. II
may be that now and then an
individual endowed with less conscience
! than ayarice, or by reason of inherent
| shortcomings for which he should not be
/ held accountable, or by a temporary
| lapse of Judgment, puts damaging hand
to one of the many helms in the journal
| istic fleet and strays abroad over the wide
seas as pirate. 1t may be that here and
there journalist, under the stress of what
/ he may deem dire necessity, so far for
| gets himself, his manhood and the grayest
! of moral obligations as to defend oppres-
| sion and greed. 1t may be, to take more
specific ground, that here and there in
| California there is a journs list who, moved
conscientiously or otherwise, defends the
interests which Mr.. Lansing represents
and thus arrays himself against the well
fare and progress OF the people who repose
confidence in his intelligence as journal.
| ist and faith in his implied assumption OF
a public trust.
Mr.. Lansing might well despise all these
and possibly it was they to whom he
referred. If so, the great maiority of clean,
independent, able and conscientious news
papers in the State viii heartily applaud
his dictum. For the press of California Is
overwhelmingly opposed to journ alism o.
those kinds. The publishers are now turn
ing their energies to the development Of
their splendid commonwealth, and in that
pursuit have the courage to stand forth in
a broad light and express their opinion
concerning all the agencies which burden
the people and hamper their prosperity.