The San Francisco call., 1896-10-04
THE ELEVATION OF JOURNALISM


When w. r. Hearst emerged from the
classic shades of Harvard College and the
gentle joys of dallance to engage in jour
nalism there was much hopeful expecta-
tion INDUCED in by those who had lofty
ideas OF the American newspaper and OF
its possible elevation. 1t would have
been high and noble ambition in Mr..
Hearst to attempt the realization of these
hopes by lifting the paper which had been
purchased for him out of the depths of its
past unworth and plscing it upon pedes-
tai of merit, virtue, honor and repute be-
yond suspicion and worthy of public con-
fidence and praise.
The young man entered upon his career
rs journalist with every imaginable ad-
vantage. He had wealth, education, a
good presence, popularity and an honored
name. No man ever had better oppor-
tunity to lift journalism to higher level
and TO keep it there without descending to
the ignoble policies, the degrading meth
DDS and the slayish expedients which
those of low instincts and limited means
have too frequently been tempted TO en-
ploy. He could have repeated and i'm
proved in San Francisco the career of
George w. Childs of Philadelphia or Elliot
F. Shepard of New York.
Instead he chose to waIlow with In
creasing frequency and desire in the
filthiest pools which the bogs and fens of
modern journalism afford. He endeavored
to build up the power and influence of
his paper by methods which would have
disgraced the most unconscionable fraud
and faker who haunts the entrance to q
country fair. He has been utterly re-
gardless of the yesterdays and to-morrows
of newspaper, and has counted the
friendships, the duties and the principles
OF either SIS nothing compared with the
sensations of to-day. In the same Issue,
ana even sometimes upon the same page,
his paper has paraded its owners
hypocrisy in mingled praise and blame of
vice or virtue, according to the passing
whim of the hour. By partnerships in
lotteries or worse; by purchased con-
nivance at frauds and swindles in public
and private service; By paid complacence
in the presence of political infamies; by
unblushing encouragement and advocacy
of all that is false and hollow in daily life,
and of every sham ana folly which have
iOI pSSS kOAAutAOn "a hHC
human mind; by the ridicule OF every
aspiration and effort for the betterment of
society; by daring endeavors at the levy
of olaekmail upon public officials, and by
successful and self-ooniessed extortion
practiced upon private corporations, 1t has
made itself feared as well as hated by
every lover of truth, honesty and decency
in the land.
A man who has inherited wealth and
has acquired power by such disreputable
means sometimes cherishes the aspira-
tion TO wash up and be gentleman. The
owner of the Examiner has never indulged
in this laudable desire and may be ex-
cused therefor, since an inspection of the
files of his newspaper would impress any
ssne-minded person with the utter hope
lessness OF the task. 1t has been left to
this willing exponent and organizer OF all
that is base and ignoble in modern jour
naIism to amply deserve Macaulay's ia
nous castigation OF Barrere, Whatsoever
things are false, whatsoever things are
dishonest, whatsoever things are unjust,
whatsoever things are impure, whatsoever
things are hateful, whatsoever things are
OF evil report, If there be any vice, if there
be any infamy''-all OF these things are
blended in this the most shameless and
abandoned bawd and pander among the
newspapers OF to-day.