The Washington herald., 1906-11-04

ing to beuttle the President provoked
immediate resentment In Brisbane's flock.
Account for this. If you can.
Hearst has endeavored repea .edly to
make Il clear through his nswspapers-in
that big-type. gaudy way so characters
tic or them-that he makes no war upon
honestly acquired wealth" CT upon cap
itaI amassed through legitimate means.
He directed special attention to fhe late
Marshall Field as the type Of rich man
all men should respect and honor No
finer tribute was paid to Chicago's mer-
chant prince than that in the Hearst
press. 1t was reserved for Senator Bev-
eridge-a conservative statesman until
this Campaign-to suggest that some
means should be found 70 distribute these
millions left By Marshall Field. Hearst
has not made himself generally under
stood. The masses who read his news
papers are little disposed to draw any
fine distinction between rich men-be-
tween wealth honestly acquired and
wealth dishonesty acquired. The tenden-
cy is to create antagonistic feeling against
wealth, however acquired; TO provoke hos
tiilty toward men Of millions. whoever
they be. Hearst knows it, and possibly
deplores it, A millionaire himself, the
mission he is engaged in holds him aloof
from other men Of big affairs. Those who
by chance come in touch with him are not
infreQuently won over to the man. while
continuing to disapprove Of the newspa-
pers he edits.
A few months ago the chamber Of com
merce Of Los Angeles gave a reception
in his honor, and it may fairly be pre-
sumed to have been the happiest moment
Of his life. thus TO be greeted by the
substantial business men Of the second
city in his native State. They, at least,
understood him.
II the masses fail properly to interpret
the outbursts in the Hearst newspapers. Il
is no reflection upon their intelligence.
Statesmen, too, err in the same way. Once
Hearst newspaper representative in
Washington interviewed Hon. John Sher-
man, then in the Cabinet and got from
him prompt and specific answers to some
momcntOus questions then propounded.
Next day the Hearst newspaper gave I'D
the whole of the first page to exploiting
the interview. Secretary Sherman forth
with repudiated it absolutely. and il was
branded by opposition newspapers as n
fake. The Hearst paper stood discredited.
An editor. high in authority. by direc-
ton Of Hearst. made q trip to Washing
ton to see the Secretary, who received
him coldly, but finally consented to read
over the interview as printed. Then he
frankly admitted he had been correctly
quoted
But repudiate the big type" said the
Ohioan angrily.
This episode is not intended to convey
the idea that the Hearst newspapers are
above peTpetrating fakes. The keen quest
for sensational news inevitably leads to
just that sort of thing
Overzealousness in promoting Hearst
policies is also responsible in some degree.
no doubt. for an unfairness in the news
and editorial columns that the intelligent
reader cannot fail to detect
With party lines broken, classes arrayed
against each other, speeches attuned to a
low key. and vituperatiOn rending the air;
with philanthropist lining up with Tam
many pirate, is it any wonder that the
New York campaign is uncertain? The
very fact that once great party. ira
duced unmercifully through his newspa-
pers. should take up William Randolph
Hearst and make him its nominee for
governor is a climax Of radicalism that
emphasizes the unprecedented conditions
existing to-day
Suppose he should win? Would he reach
the White House two years hence? Not
as the candidate CT the Democratic party.