The San Francisco call., 1898-09-03

\X the tactics of audacity in their efforts to make The Call and the public generally pay the tax imposed by the revenue act upon thelr business, and are now trying to accomplish the same unlawful end by indrection. In other words they nave dropped the boldness of bandit and are now playing the sneakthief
 On Thursday the officers of the corporation, whose disloyalty leads fight against the war revenue Dill and whose greed induces it to snatch stolen money when it can sent notice that unless The Gall pald for the revenue stamps for packages of newspapers shipped by the company it would refuse to carry such packages That notice at once raised issue The Call was only too eager meet. 1t declined to be held up and bled by the disoya corporation, and in an editorial gave notice yesterday that 1t would carry the case into the and make the fight tor prn- cipe on behalf of the public
 This morning we have to announce that the presi- dent of the company has weakened The prayers of that pious official have probably been answered by warning of conscience that when intends to vo- late the statutes of his country and rob his fellow man it is best to do it the sly and by cunning means that cannot be punished in court.
 Accordingly, from John J. Valentine, president of the company there was received yesterday back down couched in these words Referring to my communication of yesterday and the report of our Manager Rowe to the effect that you insist upon not furnishing revenue stamps for your shipments of newspapers have to say that 1t is of course imma terial to Wells Fargo & Co., whether you furnish the stamp or whether the price for service be made to include the stamp, which is also within our province therefore we will perform the service as usual and amend our rates for same so as to cause you no inconvenience.
 This letter 1t will be seen evades raising a test case for the courts Wells, Fargo & Co. will not carry out the threat of Thursday to refuse to carry packages for The Call. Fear of the law will prevent them doing that but they make sneaking claim that they will get the price of the stamps by means which the conscience of the president permits him to practice when he wishes to evade his taxes and vio- late the laws.
 The Call has no hesitation in declaring this morn ing that the sneak of yesterday will prove impo- tent as the bluff of Thursday The tax-shrkng, dis loyal company will no stand to the posi- ton than to the old Express charges upon pack ages of The Call are not paid by The Call, but by its agents to whom the packages sent We give notice to all these agents that ii they fight this claim of the company The Call will sustain them. If Wells, Fargo & Co. charge them, any one of them as much cent more than the rate they have been paying according to agreement let them refuse to submit to the extorton, go to the courts and The Call will make the fight for them.
 Wells Fargo & Co., are wrong, and the president knows it. It requires great legal skill to under stand the meaning of the revenue act in the clause imposing tax upon the business ot express companies; it requires very great piety to have conscience clear enough to perceive that to rob neighbor by violation of law is offense against the Almighty as much a violation of the Ten Com mandments. The president of the corporation knows these things He knows his company has stand ing in the courts or in morals and in the face of a fight against it will not attempt maintain the posi- tion
 It is very well known that with the exception of the president the local officials of Wells, Fargo & Co., were in favor of paying the tax as the law re- qured and would have instructed the subordinates to do so had not combination of express companies in the East decided to shirk the tax and make the public pay it. That combination was made in viola ton of law It itself illicit coalition, and conspiracy to deraud the Government or the people or both was its object. The officials of Wells, Fargo & Co., surrendered understanding and conscience to the dictation of this combination and result the corporation has become involved in disgraceful sit uation which it can neither maintain escape from without sneaking
 Dispatches from the East announce that the com bination of express companies there has already gone to pieces The public has only to stand firmly witt The Call and the claims abandoned there vii be abandoned here also. If, however, Wells, Fargo & Co., persist in raising the rate of charges a to take from the people the amount required of th corporation by the revenue the people will not b without remedy.
 Express companies operating in other States art compelled by the laws of those States to pay license tax which in every is far higher than the stamp tax levied by the nation for the purpose of defraynt the cost of the war California hitherto has neglected this source of raising There is reason O.. 11.1 k o11a< to pay a State license, and if the company insist upon shirking its war tax and throwing the burde1 upon the people, there will be very potent apparent to the Legislature why that license la, should be imposed this winter