The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-21
ANNExNG SAN JOSE.
Latest Move Of the San Francisco
Papers.
(From the San Jose Mercury

49, VAN
Papers.
(From the San Jose Mercury
AS this public well knows, it is not
the way of the Mercury to complain
about competition. 1t recognizes COM
petition-legitimate and fair COMPETE
tomas one of the wholesome facts of
business-good for the community and
good in the long run for all concerned.
In its day-and it is getting to be
pretty long day, since before a great
while the paper will turn the half
century mark-the Mercury" has had
it's share Of competition and it has al
ways met it in fair and manly spirit.
And if, Of all the long list of morning
newspapers which have appeared here,
the Mercury" alone survives-if like
the rod of Aaron it has swallowed up
it's rivals-it is because it has wasted
no energies in winnings and repinings,
but has faced the music and won it's
way by being at all times a better
newspaper than the other journals
which have sought to supercede It,
Recently the three great daily papers
Of San Francisco in combination with
each other and all with the Southern
Pacific Railroad-and a pretty lot of
bed-fellows they are-have entered this
field, coming by a special fast train
from San Francisco and reaching here
at an early hour. We have felt this
competition to be in a business sense
unfair, but have made no protest, re-
garding it as a matter Of business. We
have felt that the good sense of the
community would recognize in the eff
fort of the San Francisco papers to get
into general circulation here, an as
sault upon the business interests of
San Jose and upon the independent
community life of the valley For, if
the city papers should come to be gen.
orally read herewith their announces
ments of San Francisco business houses
and their invitations to buy in the city
rather than at home-the effect would
inevitably be to demoralize local trade.
1t is to help their advertisers, to draw
trade away from San Jose and to San
Francisco, that the city papers which
so hate each other, have combined in
an assault upon this field-an assault
supported by a united contribution Of
upwards of 81, 900 per month.
Our instinct was right. At the end of
two months almost no perceptible in
crease has been made, 50 we are told.
in the circulation of the San Francisco
papers here. The people of this town
and valley understand that in the local
press they are well served as to news
and that in the local press they have
staunch and faithful advocate They
see that their local press is clean and
wholesome; that it aims to be fair in
its opinions; that it is decent in its
methods. They see, on the other hand,
that the city papers are vile scandal
mongers; that they make a trade of
political and other forms of lying; that
they breed moral corruption in those
who read them. These considerations
have prevented the early train project
from succeeding here. But the wish to
capture this field-to annex San Jose to
San Francisco in a trading sense-fs
great among the San Francisco store
keepers, and, urged by their advertis-
ers, the city papers are about to make
another and a supreme effort.
1t is conceived by this conspiracy of
San Francisco papers that the reason
why they make no Roadway in the eff
fort to supplant the Mercury" in this
town and valley is because they do not
carry the local news; and in the hope
of remedying this defect-for their adj
vertisers demand that the trade of San
Jose shall be brought to San Francisco
it has been arranged to print here a
local sheet or supplement to be folded
into the city papers upon their arrival.
Thus, each subscriber here to the Eek
aminer," Chronicle or Call, can
have his paper plus the local sheet. A
man has been found in San Jose with
so little regard for the interests of this
town as to lend himself to this project
"a project whose only purpose is to
destroy local trade in the interest Of
the San Francisco business houses.
There WILL of course, be an effort to
disguise this purpose, and part of this
effort is to carry some local advertise
ments in the local sheet, the main pur-
pose being to give it standing, a sec
ondary purpose being to help pay the
cost. In other words. advertisers Of
San Jose will be asked to support the
project organized to do them up. A
holder piece of effrontery we do not
recall. Apparently it is believed that
the merchants and advertisers Of San
Jose are a pack of fools so blind as not
to see that the project is a direct as
sault upon their interests.
Now, the Mercury" does not need
to point out to San Jose the lines Of
expediency and duty in connection with
this matter This is not the first time
assault has been made upon the bust
ness independence of this town. This
time it comes in very subtle form and in
the guise of privilege, for it is de-
clared "a great thing" that the city pa
pers can be distributed here before
breakfast. But it's nature is clearly
seen. It's success will divert to San
Francisco much If not the greater part
of our local. trade. There can be no
doubt, we think, as to the end. This
effort will fail because it ought to fail
Some folks are as changeable as So
bill.