The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-12-29
Che 0flcial Paper OF San Juan County.
URSDAY, DEC. %. 1898.
THE "P.-I." AND THE "FEDERALIZED
PRESS"

While the Post-Intelligencer, from
fits lofty pedestal, is INDUCING in its
animadversions upon the "federalized
press" of this state it might with equal
Justice and consistency extend the
scope of it's criticism and treat its read
ersto littlesvariety by devoting some of
its valuable editorial space to philippics
against Charles Emory Smith, of the
Philadelphia Press. present postmaster
general; Whitelaw Reid, of the New
York Tribune, member of the Spanish.
American peace commission and form
erly minister to France; Perry s.
Heath, of Ohio, first assistant postmas-
ter-general; John Hay, secretary of
state and late ambassador to Great
Britain, for many years prominent in
newspaper work; Consul Smith, of
Illinois, at Victoria, and Immigration
Commissioner Rice, of Kansas, also at
Victoria; Consul Sewall, of Maine, at
Honolulu, and scores of other news
paper men who have had the temerity
to accept appointments under the
federal government, rendered them
because of the services rendered to the
Republican party by themselves per-
sonally and the papers with which
they are or have been connected. And
if the P.-I., under its present owner
ship, desired to turn back to some of
the pages of its own history under the
editorship of the late Frederick J.
Grant, it might find the material with
which to regale its readers with an at
tack upon his memory, honored so
highly by all who knew him, because
he accepted the appointment of minis
ter to Bolivia. Was the Post-Intel-
ligencer ''federalized" then, or when
it sold its influence to Senator Squire
to promote his reelection, after having
devoted columns upon columns to at
tacks upon him intended to show his
unwOrthiness of such position?
A good deal depends upon the point
of view, and it is of course natural
enough that the P.-I.'s point of view
should change with its ownership.
And by the way, why is there so much
mystery connected with that owner
ship? Is it because knowledge of
the facts might make it more difficult
to impress the members of the legisla-
ture with the loftiness of the motives
underlying its course in the senatorial
contest? The Post-Intelligencer is
great newspaper and it is not averse to
having its praises sung by the federal
lied press" 1t ought to be too great
to adopt such contemptuous and
Jsupercilious tone toward the smaller
papers of the state which have not yet
been convinced of the ACCESSIBILITY Of
turning down public servant so active
and efficient in the peoples interest as
Senator Wilson. and turning up in his
place the mayor of Seattle.
~
Among the public men who have
from time to time had the good fortune
to meet the acknowledgements COM
mendation, one of the most prominent
is Robert P. Porter, superintendent of
the census of 1890 and distinguished
writer upon economic subjects. It
happens that he is newspaper man
also. In the fall of 1896 he visited this
state and made number of speeches
during the campaign. At some of
these meetings Senator Wilson pre-
sided and Mr.. Porter had every op-
portunity to measure him among the
people he represents. A year later he
met him in Washington, at the White
House. and he sent to the Philadelphia
Inquirer quite lengthy interview
with him concerning the changed in
.dustrial conditions in this state.
It was published a few days later in
the Whatcom Reveille and the writer
of this was sufficiently interested in il
to preserve it. This was MIR. Porter's
CONCLUSIONS:
~
'Speaking of Senator Wilson's per-
sonality, he simply abounds in faith
and devotion to Washington. Energy
oozes from him like gum from spruce
tree. He is an ideal representative fol
p progressive state like Washington
whose interests he never neglects, polit
ically, commercially or industrially
Ever on the alert and always on thu
lookout for Washington, there woult
seem to be prospect that with re
turning prosperity wisdom will like
wise seek its old roosting place il
Washington and let us hope the frs
evidence of it will be the reelection
Of Senator John l.. Wilson. This will
be the preliminary movement for tn,
complete redemption of the state II
1900"
NEU VnDry ON nj, ~,