The record-union., 1896-06-28
COLONEL AND MAJOR,
THE
GREAT RIVAL ORATORS.
Shortridge and Knight at St. Louis -
Hope Of the Democratic Gold Men.

favor of the free coinage of silver is
the Stockton Mali; here the Demo-
Gratis have no newspaper to advise them
as to finance, or any other large thing
in politics, yet we see the Democracy
of the whole State aflame on the money
issue. The practical abandonment of
the editorial field by a journal OF the
"Examiner's' Importance accounts for
some curious newspaper developments.
1t is the Examiner which sets the pro-
fesSional pace here. In order to cover
its retreat from the domain of opinion
it performs odd notice-catching feats in
the news direction, and its contempor-
aries, which still maintain editorial de-
partments, follow suit. They do not
seem to have awakened to the reason
why the Examiner while jeering at
Mckinley for his refusal to be inter-
viewed on silver, is itself as silent as
corpse on the same subject. Mr.. Hearst
owns two papers, one in New York and
the other in San Francisco. Both pro-
fess to be Democratic. But the gold
standard is as popular with Eastern
Democrats as free coinage is now with
the Democracy of California Obviously
it would hardly do to have the
Journal booming for gold in New
York and the Examiner booming for
silver in San Francisco. That is the
Examiners" special reason for reti-
eence; always there is its general policy
of avoiding utterance on subjects about
which the people feel strongly one way
or the other lest subscribers be lost Mr..
Hearst is a singular young man. Why he
should have chosen journalism as ca
reer battles guessing. With millions in
possession he was under no need to
adopt any career except to gratlfy am
bition, but having selected journalism
why he should follow it as if it had no
other end than the making of money
does surprise For all that the profess
sion means to him, apparently, he might
as we'll have opened a dime museum,
with a lottery on the side. He is enti-
tied to satisfy his taste, undeniably, but
it is open to others who desire that the
profession of journalism shall be re-
spected to say the truth, which is that
the Examiner" has q bad influence on
newspapers of this town. 1t led the way
in reporting the Republican National
Convention, and was National con-
vention ever so vilely reported before?
1t was done on the oceanic scale, the
primary purpose Of reporting-which is
to tell what happens-being forgotten
altogether. To display enterprise by
multiplying pages of matter, written by
as many well-known persons in and out
of Journalism as could be induced to sell
1ooi, ~ nd 10 or of
of twaddle the wreckage of the art de-
partment-this was what was done by
the San Francisco press for the Repub-
lican Convention. And we shall have 1t
all over again when the Democrats get
together at Chicago. We need here as
scarcely any other American city does,
a man with money and brains to go into
the business of publishing a newspaper
intended to be read. Another Charles
de Young, who valued news and COM
pretended the art of condensation,
while being PERFECTLY alive to the uses
of the spread" make fortune in
San Francisco, and make it quickly. He
wouldn't require any morals ors high
purposes, but just good sense-the sense
to know that a newspaper really does
not exist altogether for its own glory.
In talking with some of the gold
standard Democrats I find that they
are not so completely without hope as
one would think they ought to be after
their two-to-one rout at the State Con-
vention. They know now that the De-
anocracy of California is Overwhelmingly
for silver, but they insist that good
part of the boom is mere contagion.
They say that when the representatives
of the party throughout the Union are
brought into contact at Chicago de-
sire for harmony will assert itself, and
that to avoid bolt there will be com
promise. The extent TO which they bank
OH the influence of Mr.. Whitney is anus
ing. Were the ex-Secretary robed and
bearded prophet dwelling in cave
and sanctity, instead of being very
agreeable. well-groomed modern mil
Iionaire with a brown-stone hut on flftn
avenue. he could not be held in pro-
founder veneration by the bowled-out
gold men. Local silverites, however
scott at their hopes. They respect w hit
ney. of course-that is pious Demo
cratic duty-Lbut they declare that thelI
fight having been won they are not 60
ing to be done out of ii by palaver. II
the Eastern gold men want to bolt lei
them-this is a silver year and in sill
yer is the party's only chance. That Is
the prevailing spirit. The notion OF
nominating Teller does not commend
itself. ''I like his cheek" said leading
silver man to me- Does he think that
lust because he has stepped off the Re-
publican train the political railroad SER
vice of the entire United States must be
disorganized? The Democratic party
owes nothing to Mr.. Teller. That blub-
bering speech of his to the st. Louis
Convention wasn't manly, anyhow
Somebody of sterner stuff than ne Is
made of would be needed for leader
even if we were looking around for g
converted Republican, which We're not
There's no scarcity of good silver Dem
ocrats to choose from, and IL Mr.. Teller
cares more for the cause than he does
to be a Presidential candidate, let him
fall into the procession and carry ban
ner like men who are quite as important
as he is. We shall be glad to nave tht
boiling Republicans with us, of course
but they must get rid of the idea that
! though the eyes of the world are or
them. they're bigger than the Nationa
Democratic party.
| AS for the silver Republicans, they
offer a beautiful example of resignation
under afiiiction.
ARTHUR M'EWEN.
ppoTpcTIoN 0E CHIInREN