The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-30

yes, the public sees all right, circum-
stance not pleasing to the railroads. The
amount of negative friendship is made
quate, or the public would not be per-
mItted to see. Railroads trying to solve
them in the interest of the best and most
profita BILE service to their patrons" Yes?
1t is cheering to learn that the custom OF
charging all the traffic will bear has been
abolished. Mills also thinks if eternal
and exact justice could be done railroads
would seldom be criticiz d. To be more
explicit, he says he thinks so. He doe n t.
When man makes statement entirely
ridiculous no answer is necessary beyond
an ejaculation. "Ratsr' is not refined,
but answers the purpose reasonably well.
And no hostile legislation! This sort of
legislation. however, may be necessary
preliminary to the state OF exact justice
for which Mills pines.
And whatever service they asked al
the hands of the pre- they would pay for and
whatever service they rendered the gentle
men Of the press would be paid for in return
And hasn't the Southern Pacific always
claimed to pay for service? Hasn't the
being the case clears the skirts of the
editors, for they pay, too. Except as TO
Mr.. Bryan, who isn't an editor, and who
isn't simply doing what other journalists
do" but has received something for moth
ing, a custom that with equal iervor Mills
denounces and upholds.
So ends the first letter to Mr.. Dodson.
1t was not written for general inspection.
The hope of the author that it would not
be generally inspected may have sprung
from a sense of modesty or that people
(again to use the vernacular of very COM
mon people, such as Mills loves) would
get onto him. Well, they have got.
The second letter is condensat ion OF
his first with few extraordinary decora-
tions added. That it extoIs Bryan is not
to the point. That it throws in a leaven
of politics, jag of social economy, re-
ligious touch does not bear directly upon
the legal nor moral right of the Nebraskan
TO travel free. Mr.. Mills gives the assur-
ance that the World Herald will make
good the obligation incurred. He does
not explain how; probably by negative
friendship. He declares that the. Eastern
papers always make good" the declara-
eAOAA
Millsian line of demarkation between
two schools of journalism. Perhaps
Bryan is not "Wild-eyed anti railroad"
man, as the author of these letters AYERS
with spirit he is not. The evidence GER
tainly is against the hypoth esis that he
entertains toward the RAILROADS anything
more Objectionable than this same mega
tive friendship.
Mr.. Mills is certain that, ''if elected"
Bryan would treat the railroads fairly.
Now who has asked Bryan or any body
else to treat the railroad in anv other
fashion, The fact that Bryan would treat
the railroads iairly does not bear in the
remotest degree upon the sorrowful cir
cumstance that he travels on pass, and
that with pitiful fervor. Mills is trying to
explain that this is rather to the credit of
both of them than otherwise. Neither do
Bryan's "Americanism," his ;'civilized
ideas, his conception of legislation and
Jurisprudence" appear to have any legiti-
mate place in the controversy. His con-
ception of the ethics OF pass getting is
chiefly under consideration. 1t is true
that, as not "a wid-eyed anti-raiIroad
man" Bryan might have some reasonable
hope in approaching Southern Pacific
Official, but still discreet official would
not for this issue a pass and then tell all
about it. The triumph" of Bryan to
which Mr.. Mills refers leaves sense of
doubt. Possibly 10 get a pass on easy
terms, payable in negative friendship, is a
triumph" but 1t has more the aspect of
a snap.
A word may be devoted to Bryan's
orthodoxy, which is set forth by Mills as
aristocratic. The only thing to say about
this is that it seems TO be new and
fairly profitable variety.
In closing, Mills affirms that the ex-
change of courtesies between railroads
and newspapers is universal But he had
before enlarged upon the dealing with
obliga ion incurred. and an obligation to
be made good. Debs was a newspaper
man long before Bryan. What show
would Debs have?
The letters are inconsistent throughout.
They dodge every point that requires
elucldation. They make idle excuses, and
proclaim that no excuses are necessary.
They exalt Mr.. Bryan, and place hum
among deadheads. They proclaim tina:
he did what any journalist would have
onorably done, and virtually that the
editor accepting pass accepts a bride
If negative friendship is discreet s.
lence, Mills should hasten to Law in a
stock of negative friendship and exer-
else II lovingly on behalf of William Jen-
nings Bryan.