The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-23

chc to make with him.
In all the history OF crime there is not parallel
case In that it is stipulated that for thirty
months Hearst will not treat the Southern Pacific by
malicious attack Misrepresentation and that he
will only publish such criticisms (of the Southern
Pacific as may be found necessary to keep and main
tain the confidence of the public Gin the Examiner)
Let every citizen read this carefully and consider
what it means 1t is Hearsts confession that unless
he was paid to abstain his treatment of the Southern
Pacific would be malicious Misrepresentation
from motives of malice malignty.'
AS every lawyer knows, and every business man
understands, in a by which party agrees
for a money consideration to abstain from doing GER
tain things, that absention is the consideration he
gives In a contract between two parties each must
bring a consideration. Hearst brought to this con-
his consideration the promise not to be liar
and blackguard toward the Southern Pacific for
the space of thirty months To restrain himself as
liar and blackguard for that length of time he thought
was worth $4,000 The Southern Pacific. the
other party to the contract looked into his ability
a liar and blackguard, weighed and measured his
capacity for malice and magnity," and concluded
that immunity from his lying and blackguardlsm, his
malice and malignty, was worth 10000, and agreed
pay it These the cold facts written into that
contract. It is advertisement that Hearst used
his capacity liar and Backyard to extort money
In certain districts in the Orient robber bandits live
in the mountains and raid the peaceful people OF the
valleys numbering them and stealing their property
KIDNAPPING their women and holding them for ran
SOM In those districts there has grown up the Gus
tom of making contracts with the chief OF these
thieves under which, by paying a certain sum OF
money to him, the raids cease.
In this case the robber brings to the contract as his
consideration his capacity to steal and murder, and
agrees for fixed sum to suspend for agreed time
the use of that capacity. The people OF the exposed
district figure up the losses of property and HE he has
caused, and conclude that immunity from like losses
for the period fixed is worth the price, and they
it. Can any one discover any difference in the prn-
ciple OF such a contract and the one Hearst forced
the Southern Pacific TO make?
The two contracts, in another aspect differ ma
terialy Hearst had played the Examiner to get public
confidence in it as an ant-raroad organ This con
idence he was abusing by malicious attack and mis-
representation from motive of malice or ma
Lightly" because by being liar and backyard
toward the Southern Pacific he could create public
prejudice very dangerous to that corporation. I'm
less the public confidence given to his paper his
agreement to cease being liar and blackguard for
thirty months would be of less value. Therefore the
Southern Pacific like any other contracting party de
srous OF getting value received for its money, stpu-
lated with Hearst and he agreed that the Examiner
might indulge in enough criticism Of the railroad to
keep and maintain the confidence OF the public In
this respect Hearss contract is unique. Having Sc
cured the public confidence that his lying and black
guardism, his malice and malignity, were truthful
and genuine expressions of sound sentiment against
the railroad he stipulated for permission to publish
innocuous criticism to deceive the public, while he
pocketed the ransom of $4,000 paid for suspension
OF his lying and blackguardism.
So in all OF its aspects, this contract stands as
piece OF unique scoundreism. It is a confession by
Hearst that his preceding attacks on the Southern
Pacific had been malicious Misrepresentation
from motive OF malice or malignity.' 1t is bar
gain made by Hearst that he should pocket $4,000
OF Southern Pacific money for which the company
is to enjoy immunity from malicious misrepre-
sentation from motives of malice malign
ity" while at the same time retaining the public con-
fdence by pretending to be anti-railroadl
1t is as If the robber chief should feel that ceasing
to raid the settlement which paid him to abstain
would inure his reputation thief and murderer,
and so make him less formidable to other settlements
that had not come to terms and therefore he would
stipuate for the right steal kid and kill child
or two!
There were other corporations perhaps the Spring
Valley Water Company, and wealthy business men
who had not been despoled yet, and Hearst desired
to retain public confidence in his paper in order that
he might force these purchase the right to enjoy
immunity from his ability as liar and blackguard
and make them enter into such contracts he forced
out OF the Southern Pacific.
This fellow INDUCES in personalities in his paper,
but it is only because the persons abused have not
seen fit to pay him not to be liar and blackguard
He should understand that he cannot get any more
money in this community by posing scoundrel,
for the experience OF the Southern Pacific with him
proves that he is a scoundrel who will not stay
bought When he becomes sufficiently annoying to
justify it his victims will punish him judicialy, or
condigny, but nobody will be fool enough to buy him
again.