The record-union., 1896-02-25
THE PATRIOTIC PRESS.
How California Lost Millions of Dol
lars.
Lying Reports of San Francisco Papers
About Warships Placed Before
the japanese Government.

(ETOm the san Francisco Wave.)
Had Satan in mood most happy and
inventive, set out to conjure up some
thing which would at once destroy the
morals and jar heavily upon the we'll
being of humanity, no happier design
could have left the laboratory of his
fertile brain than the modern press, of
which the Examiner stands typical.
Inquire among men of intelligence, and
you will ascertain, with them, its in
ftuence is practically no greater than
that of any other lying, bullying swag
gorer upon the streets But there is
class of people-a class probably only
reached by it; class among which it
is difficult to correct error; a class upor
which the weight of accumulated false
hoods has made deep and lasting i'm
pression-which probably believes III
the integrity and patriotism of its pur-
pose. Such people, though ignorant
and ill-adVised, though misled ard
deceived, are, under our beneficent
laws, entitled to a vote having as much
weight as that of the most intelligent
citizen of the community, and therein
lies the danger Of such journalism to
vested property rights. If one could
only elicit an honest discussion from
such paper, much might be done to
correct the misinformation that it
spreads, but it will not discuss; it SIM
ply abuses. Charge it with lying and it
is silent. Prove its statements to be
faisehoods, and it smiles with superior
wisdom and lies again. It's love of a
truth is measured by the affinity the
nickel may have for that particular
truth. It's patriotism is of the style
that offends the least numbers. Its
principles are those enunciated by the
loudest lungs, and reason appeals pur-
poSely to its judgment, unless reason
may likewise show a throng of noisy
followers. It blacklists those who do
not agree with its illogical conclusions,
and, unless the disagreeing citizen ad
vertises in its columns pelts him with
abusive epithets for daring to think
without its permission. The reader
who swears by its integrity to-day may
tomorrow have his reputation torn to
shreds and tatters by it. Generally
speaking, these wrongdoings and de-
partures from truth are destructive only
to personal rights and personal inter
ests, but it has been found that state
ments, intended purely as personal at
ment to public welfare.
Probably every San Franciscan will
remember the great scoop" accom-
plished by the Examiner" when it
smuggled aboard one of our home-built
cruisers a reporter in the shape of a
stoker It's enterprise was the theme of
conversation in the clubrooms and upon
the streets. Probably everyone will re-
IaN, hot 10
which appeared a few days later con-
Cerning the trial trip of that vessel, was
condemnatory Of the handiwork of our
great local ship-building works. The
articles pointed out, with much atten-
ton to detail, numberless defects which
absolutely had no existence outside the
brain of their author. The everyday
citizen was inclined to applaud an act
so public-spirited, and thanked God
that there was one jo1rnal in San Fran
cisco which was determined that the
Government should not be imposed
upon. But the statements turned out
to be false; simply bare, sensational
lies. When the falsity was exposed,
the citizen naturally imagined that the
mischief of the lie ended. This was
long way from the truth, however, for
! mas D6on U6VeIOpeu lIdl EVERY Ilcl1l
published by the press of America re-
flecting upon the construction of Amer
lean ships, or recounting accidents or
misfortunes happening to them, has
been cut out and they have been col
lated and forwarded to the Marine De-
partment of Japan by the agents of
British shipbuilders; and these dis
proved statements of American jour
nails have been strongly urged upon that
Government as arguments against con-
tracing for ships of American build.
A gentleman in Japan interested him
self personally in this matter, and was
shown these very slips, many of them
from our local dailies. Prominent
among the clippings was the Internal
statement that the Olympia was top
heavy. Another statement ran to the
effect that the Monterey, when making
her famous cruise from Valparaiso to
San Diego, had developed a, weakness
of construction in connection with her
boilers, which would necessitate en-
tirely replacing them. This statement