The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-20
FOR AND AGAINST HEARST.
IoHNSON'S SPEECH.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

to the world with an honest wish to ex-
pose shams. to speak the truth and to
establish a paper that, while 1t might be
, personal organ would still be an honest
| one. We came finally to admire Our
| Willie and to speak we'll of him and
! his paper.
When William r, Hearst commenced his
abusive TRADES against c. p. Huntington
and the Southern Pacific Company and
all who were friendly to them and to
| denounce the Funding Bill. and all who
favored it as thieves and robbers. We
thought his course was wrong, his meth
DDS bad and his attacks brutal. but we
believed "our Willie TO be honest in it.
When c. p. Huntington told the truth
] about Our Willie" and showed that he
was simply fighting the Railroad Fund
ing Bill because he could get no more
blackmail from the Southern Pacific Com
pany. we were dazed with the charge, and
as Californans we Were Inundated.
We looked eagerly for Our Wllle's'
denial. but it came not. On the con-
trary. the Southern Pacific Company en-
tered into contract whereby they were
to pay him $1,000 to let them alone, and
that he had received s22. 900 of his black
mail, and that C. =. Huntington had cut
it off as soon as he knew of it. and
that he was getting even now on Hunt
ington and the railroad company because
he had not received the other $4,000 of
his bride He admitted by silence that
the Southern Pacific Company was finan-
ciaily responsible, but that he dared not
sue it for the $4,000 he claimed to be
due because of fear that his blackmail
would be exposed in court.
With brazen effrontery. only equaled by
the lowest denizen of the haunts of vice
|''Our willie" knows so Wen IN every city
OF the globe, he unbushingly admitted he
had blackmailed the railroad company,
but pleaded in extenuation that he did
not keep his contract, but swindled them
out of their money.
He showed himself to be the correct ex-
ponent of a scoundrel. as defined by Bill
Tweed. namely, "A man who wouldn't
stay bought I cannot tell how sad
felt to learn of this phase of Hearst's
lie. had been his attorney. l had re-
garded Hearst as honest. had praised
his Examiner for its course. because | be-
heved it TO be dictated by honest. al
though at times mistaken ideas.
To learn "Our Willie" was nothing but
a common, ordinary, everyday blackmail-
era low highwayman of the newspaper
world-glieved the people of California,
myself included.
/ regret it. For the honor of California
| wish this expose had never been nee
esary; but it is true. sadly true.
We have lost on the Pacific Coast an
idol. We mourn Il leader. We grleve over
a dead and wicked newspaper.
People read the paper because 1T gives
the news in large type. but they say while
reading it, isn't it too bad Hearst should
have sold himself We did not expect it.
He must be wicked at heart. for he didn't
need the money"
If it be given to spirits of the departed
to know the actions of those left behind
them on this earth. the honored and re-
| spected father OF "Our Willie is suffering
now from the blackmailing conduct of his
son. Uaughtero
| And that is the man who has created
all this Juror in California He has IN
| Inundated men. He has inundated peo-
pie You do not know the terrorism that
he has exercised in California with his
, paper. 1t is a paper that has large
circulation. You know how 1T has abused
and maligned and caricatured people In
this house, the honored chairman OF our
committee (Mr. Powers), and other mem
DerS or our COInUllllecs anu Jul hOhOAS
Speaker 1 will not speak of myself. be-
cause | do not know but what | can get
reasonably even with this man before
get through with him. Uaughter) But
he has carried it on for years. While
we knew all these things about him, we
believed he was honest because he said
he was because he had his newspaper,
but he has debauched the public mind IN
California by terrorism, he has terrorized
over every one, he has issued his edlcts
that any man who dares to favor this
Funding Bill shall be driven from pubic
life, shall be ruined. in private life, and
shall be, disgraced before the people and
before the gods But for one knowing
that | am right, knowing that this is
business settlement of the question, | am
willing to stand for what | believe to be
right, even if this Matchmaking paper
does continue to assault me.