The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-21
MR.. HEARST enD HIS PIPER,

character, with none OF the lnstiuC.S "iiiOi ~
even ours worth the tax and the collar which keep
them out of the pound
Mr. Hearst has chosen to conduct this campaign
with mud which he filings at persons rather than to
discuss principles and apply policies
Therefore il becomes necessary to recall the often
sive personality of this man, who was SO long
fugitive to the attention of the people OF TINS CITY,
from the midst of whom he fed and to winch 1or
wears he dare not return while the courts waited to
get jurisdiction of him to punish his oenses against
decency.
From the beginning of his newspaper career Hearst
was blacknailer The tendency was as marked as II
inherited He haggled for price on his silence as
shane1essy as thief bung the value OF stolen goods
at the pawnbroker's.
His paper has for years proessed antirairoad SEN
tirnents and yet whenever it might have been for
idable to the railroad its silence has been offered at
price.
When the Pattison Commission was here in 1887
probing into Southern Pacific affairs there was an OPP
portunity for the Examiner to make good its anti
railroad preenses But it sold its orbearance, pock
eted its price and maintained innocuous attitude
until the commission gone
Hearst's 100000 contract with the Southern Pacific
is notorious history He entered into written treaty.
which he signed copy of which is in existence, to
give the Southern Pacific 'fair treatment for the
period of thirty months, covering sessions of the
Legislature The verbiage Of the treaty completely
reveals the threat by which he forced the corporation
into it. If it would not be backmaed into buying
fair treatment of this perverted fellow the publicity
at his command in his paper would be used IN treat
ing it unfairly. No fact that can be brought to the
attention OF men is firmly established than this
blackn1alina treaty The advertising contract which
cloaked it. and which referred to it condition OF
the superimposed contract hypothecated at
bank and was paid to within $1,000 OF the 100000 1t
called for when the Southern Pacific stopped pay
ent because Hearst had violated his treaty for lair
treatment" OF the corporation. If the only element
in the transaction the advertising contract, why
does he not sue for the $1,000 balance? If the treaty
that tnderlies the contract open, legitimate
and proper transaction as it is made part of the adj
vertising contract why does he go into the courts
on it and prove that he treated the corporation fairly
by proving that the things he printed about
true and therefore fair, and not in violation OF the
treaty?
He does not 90 into the courts because the black
mailing treaty would be declared against good con-
science or public policy The courts would decide
that newspaper cannot make legal contract to
abstain from unfair treatment Of individual or
corporation for money consideration. The courts
would decide that Mr. Hearst b1ackrnailer, and
the public that he was blackguard, when he held up
the Southern Pacific and made it agree to pay him
$4,000 for thirty months fair treatment"
While he was fugitive from civil justice in this
State avoiding the jurisdiction of California courts
he managed his paper through another blackmailer
the fellow Lawrence. We carry on no controversy
with him We kick the dog, not his feas OF course
it is unpleasant for citizens to be held up to public
contempt by the libels which Lawrence prints the
biting of any parasite is annoying But realize
that cur must have parasites and that those who live
on Hearst gain in their power to annoy, as flies gain
in poison by the carbon which they gender
When Lawrence uses pretense of charity to adj
vertse the Examiner and pinches the proceeds; when
he lies fakes, ibes and SANDERS he is living up to
his nature it is true but he does it because he is the
parasite of
The paper, which is feculent with the corruptons
and Matchmaking of Hearst is selected the organ
of reform by the pursts who pretending rectify
politics while striving for power to be used under the
dictation of blackmailer. Mayor Phelan takes
ders from Hearst's parasite, and wig wags Law
rences thumb is raised. The Mayor has right to
select his methods and the with whom he con-
sorts, or whose orders he obeys. The decent com
munity have also the right to judge him by the
pany he keeps, and he cannot complain.
1t may be that there is section of public opinion
not highly commendable opinion, that corporation
is the legitimate prey of the blackmaer Hearst But
the vicious and immoral of his newspaper is not
confined to the Matchmaking of corporations It's
silence has been bought and paid for when it had in
its possession knowledge that if published would have
prevented crime and protected the rights Of the help
less.
When the Pacific Bank was rotting and was sap
ping the funds of the savings bank which belonged to
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