The record-union., 1899-10-03
ANNEXING A CITY.

The three morning papers of San
Francisco have made an arrangement
with the Southern Pacific Company for
a train service between San Francisco
and San Jose at O'Clock in the morning.
BY this arrangement they propose to
annex San Jose to the city of San
Francisco as suburb. The people Of
San Jose are therefore in the presence
of a. crisis in the history Of their city
which will determine their future COM
mercial relations.
Heretofore San Jose has enjoyed
through point privileges; that is, its
rates of transportation from the great
commercial centers of the East are
common to the other wholesale cities
OF the coast, such as Los Angeles, Sac
ramento and San Francisco, and by
this means San Jose has been city IN
its own right. But a morning service
pers to the doors of the citizens Of that
city will create eventually an interest
in San Francisco Of a. character so far
reaching as to break down the inde-
pendent trade relation that San Jose
has heretofore sustained with its sup
porting territory
The constant reading of San Fran
cisco papers by the people Of San Jose
will eventually concentrate their inter-
ests in San Francisco, its social, finan-
.cial and commercial affairs, to such
a degree that the trade of San Jose
will pass to the greater city. It has
been said that it is the misfortune of q
great man of any period Of his history
to live under the shadow Of a greater.
This maxim has application in the re-
lation of cities.
1t is already the misfortune of San
Jose that it lives under the shadow OF
a greater city. This misfortune is TO
be augmented, if it's citizens turn their
backs upon It's local press and patron
ize, even TO a considerable degree, the
press Of the metropolis. The merchants
of San Jose will very soon find that
the concentrating Of interest on the
affairs of the greater city will have an
effect upon their trade, and San Jose
itself Will lose it's commercial indie
pendence and all other attributes Of in
dependence will accompany this ele-
ment into extinction.
There. is a relation between the pros
perity and growth of a town and It's
reputable press that is clearly defined
and reciprocal. "A prosperous conf
munity must have a vigorous, respect
ed and respecting press, and it cannot
have it without adequate support along
all the legitimate feeder lines by which
a press is maintained. If, therefore,
''the mirror of the community" is
dimmed by unwonted foreign rivalry,
and this by tacit consent Of the conf
munity, the situation will resolve itself
into that of a town without a press
capable Of one iota of assistance to the
community. No town, then, can afford
TO permit foreign press to shoulder
its local journals out Of the way. If
it does the town will take greater
harm than the press.
The town that is dependent upon "a
neighboring town for it's news. for its
literature and for the advocacy Of its
interests, will find itself very much
disappointed. The press Of San Fran
cisco will have regard for the highest
interests of San Francisco, and not
OF San Jose. The local press, crippled,
obstructed and impoverished by the
competition offered by their San Fran,
cisco rivals, viii struggle along. ad-
vocating the highest interests of San
Jose in a feeble way, and eventually
all the first-class journalistic talent will
emigrate from San Jose and the town
itself become a Baden, or an Oakland,
or an Alameda, having neither poIit-
ical, commercial, social nor other i'm,
portance.
The three morning papers which re-
ceiyed at the hands of the Southern
Pacific Company the favor of this
train, or the possibility Of reducing
San Jose to a mere suburb, are con-
tinuously lying about the Southern Pa
cific Company From the standpoint
of that corporation, and in the Ian
guage of the immortal Edgerton, they
lie by day and they lie by night. They
lie in. the very wantonness of a lust of
lying
Hence the wisdom of the corporation
in affording them facilities for extend
ing the zone of their influence for the
purpose of destroying the business and
character Of the Southern Pacific Com
pany is past finding out.
Small rest is given Admiral Dewey.
With scarce eight hours solid repose
he is bounced off to Washington to
undergo two days more of reception.