The San Francisco call., 1898-01-06
CORRUPT JOURNALISM.

HE attention of all respectable people may at
 this moment with much propriety be called to
 the serious plight of the two moral reform newspapers of this city. Within month these sheets have jointly conducted campaign for good government" They have supported Board of Freeholders nominated by respectable association ot merchants, and in the name of those merchants they have claimed part in the victory which has been won. Each has loudly proclaimed itself the possessor of all the virtues and the repository of all the morality of the town. Yet while thus masquer- ading Tn the livery of Heaven each has been serv- Eg the devil in true Satanic fashion.
 One ot these moral reform organs long ago convicted of contracting with the Southern Pacific Company for thirty months of editorial silence at SIooo a month. The brazen effrontery with which it has since coughed down this judgment has been the wonder of the State Evidently it has reasoned that repentance is unproftable for while ignoring its record and while conducting the reform cam palgn to which we have referred It has been de- tected in and convicted of falsifying a telegram, distributing anonymous circulars in the name of a local trade committee for the purpose of iniurng the business of rival, and publishing false want advertisements, to the injury of humble people who sufficiently foolish to rely upon its advertising columns.
 At the same time the partner in reform" of this degraded sheet has been caught and convicted of | trcking business men into signing contracts for advertising and collecting money by threats of legal proceedings under such contracts Confront ed with its infamy, this moral reform organ has acted exactly as its coadjutor in crime did when confronted with the railroad advertising con tract It has made loud display of its virtue and emitted torrent of abuse of its critics
 The Call cherishes ambition to become the | journalistic censor of San Francisco. We do not set ourselves up as paragon of virtue, can we compel any other journal to initiate our efforts to publish truthful news conduct its business as the business of an honest journal should be con ducted It is dsagreeable to expose newspaper cor ruption We know that when the mask is torn from the face of journalistic scoundrel reproach is cast upon the entire profession. We know that thoughtless people will say that in exposing the Bulletin and in laying bare the hypocrisy and cor ruption of the Examiner we are governed by ig- noble motives
 Yet somebody must do this work or journalism in this city will soon be in the gutter When a l newspaper like the Bulletin, upon whose roll of honor are emblazoned the names of James King of William, James Nesbitt, Dr. Futile J. w Simon ton Benjamin P. Avery Loring Pickering and George K. Fitch, descends to securing advertising contracts by fraud and extortng money hereunder by threats 1t is certainly time for somebody to rush 10 the rescue of journalism in San Francisco. Philip A. Roach and George Penn Johnston long ago turned over in their graves for the Examiner The lustrious dead of the Bulletin will have to arise in their winding sheets to do their feelings jus tice.
 But what is the remedy for this kind of journal ism? Will the people continue to patronize news papers which thus in the guise of moral reform gans practice the arts of highwaymen which black mail corporations and business men with equal reckessness and which sell their subscribers the l criminals of society without compunction? The Merchants Association is paying the penalty of as- sociatng with the Bulletin. Thirty-six of it's mem bers- at least have been robbed All the people of San Francisco may yet be called upon to pay the penalty of supporting the Bulletin and Examiner. When that time arrives they will not have it to say that they taken in unawares. The Cali at least will be able affirm that it did its duty dis agreeable and exacting though it was.