The San Francisco call., 1898-02-09
RESPECTFULLY DECLINED.

~ UR valued contemporary, the Mission street | J Boodler, asks us to assist 1t in getting ad- >) vertising" contract out of the Spring Valley Water Company. We are compelled to refuse the request. We are always ready to relieve the op- pressed and uplift the downtrodden in journalism, but we draw the line at corporation advertising contracts We do not solicit such contracts our selves owing to the moral turpude involved in exc cutting them, and much might wish to relieve the financial difficulties Of the Boodler, we are com pelled to decline to assist it in blackmang the water company,
 Perhaps in respect. to corporation advertising" contracts The Call is trie youthful but if it is we cannot help it. We take the same view of our duty to readers taken by the Supreme Court of
 newspapers general duty to its readers in the cele- brated of Fitch De Young. The Boodler will remember that the defendant in that case in order to escape the penalty of be took the position that the owner ot newspaper, by virtue of his own ershp, had right to sell its space and Its influence whomsoever he wished and that therefore 1t was not
 belous to say that he had sold it. Superior Judge was found who sustained this contention on the sa- cred ground that 1t is the privilege of man to do with his property as he pleases. But when the case was taken to the Supreme Court that tribunal came to the rescue of decency and morality. It declared that newspapers readers its clients and that it has no right to sell them to corporations se- cretly than 1t would have to pick their pockets rob their houses
 It may be evidence of our weakness but we think this is good law and good morals. We do not believe the Boodler should be allowed to force the water company to advertise" unless it makes the en- tire business public at the time the sale takes place The vice of the $3oooo contract with the Southern Pacific Company was its secrecy. The Boodler said word ahOut drawjup SJOOO from the railroad treasury that had contracted to treat the monopoly with justice through two Legislatures and State campaign. In fact it kept its readers entirely in the dark the subject until Huntington himself told reporter in New York that the Boodlers enmity due to the fact that he had cut it off the railroad payroll.
 We do not say that the rates of the Spring Valley Company should not be reduced. It seems to us as well as to the Booder that S77S,ooo is an enormous sum to pay in dividends in single year. But how would things be improved for the ratepayers if DOT ton of this S778ooo turned over to the Boodler for advertising? That might contribute to the hap piness of the sheet but would it make the people any happier? The Boodler may think that when it is happy the people happy but we differ from it on that point We think the converse is true When the Boodler is happy it is time for the people to look out
 Even though tHS DOOutI IllBIt put us request TOT assistance in this matter personal grounds we must still decline to grant it. The Boodler elected the present Board of Supervisors and should apply to
 its members for aid It is reported that last year the board got contract and "dur1ped" the Boodler If this is true have hesitation in saying the board was ungenerous, if ungrateful What the Boodler should do this year is to avoid being dumped" We know of no other way in which it get contract out of the water company