Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-10-24
William Randolph Hearst.

anu 10 say everything against him
that language can be made To say.
In fact, so persistent and so extrav-
agant has the abuse been, that it
has excited suspicion as to the
motives of Mr.. Hearst's traducers.
and sympathy for the man has
been aroused.
1t IS significant fact that out
side of the Republican press. which
would of course be expected to
abuse him, the severest critics of
Mr. Hearst are some of the safe
and sane " Democratic papers
which bOlted the Democratic ticket
in 1896 and 1900 and supported
either Palmer and Buckner or Nc
kinley. No language is too ex-
travagant for these papers to use
against him; no statement too ven
omOus; no SANDER too vile. 1t was
thus that Jefferson, the innovator.
was treated throughout his career:
1t was thus that Andrew Jackson
was reviled when he dared attack
the moneyed interest in order to
protect the people; and probably
no public man has ever been more
bitterly asSailed than the great
champion of human rights, vii
liam J. Bryan. Not flaw has
ever been found in Bryan's char
acter; no purer patriot or more
genuine Christian lives; he Is sig
nal'y honorcd the world over. Yet
the vilest language has been used
against him both by Republicans
and their allies.
Hearst was born with a GOLD
spoon in his mouth and a gold rat
tie in his hand. His father made
his millions in gold mines and other
enterprises, and became United
States Senator from California.
Hearst's mother was school
teacher, and is greatly interested
in kindergarten work, to which
she has contributed large sums.
When Hearst left college he made
his first great mistake by asking
his father TO give him the San
Francisco Examiner. a newspaper
which had been losing money
steadily. What Hearst should
have done was to blow in" his
fathers money in wine suppers.
gambling, betting on the races.
and other sports common To the
sons of multi-millionaireS. Instead
of doing this, he took charge of
the Examiner and made it great
paper, and made it pay, He de-
voted his days To it and mastered
the business from bottom to top.
Having conquered the California
newspaper field, Hearst determin-
ed to seek additional fields. He
annouceed that he would enter
New York city. The comments
then made by the newspaper fra
ternity makes very amusing read
ing now. 4 rich young fool, who
will drop his money" was the sum
and substance of the comments.
There was no opening for another
paper in New York, it was said.
But Hearst had a policy. He
went to New York and supported
that policy, and today the Hearst
papers in that city are unrivalled
in circulation and influence. But
Hearst made two objectionable
errors when he went to New York.
With millions of money, he was
courted and flattered by the money
ed interests, and strong efforts
were made to induce him to be-
come part and parcel of the mil
ionaire society set. But he was
busy and did not care for it. He
refused.
This was bad enough, but on top
of this came his earnest advocacy
lOf Democratic principles the right
of human beings To have n fair
chance before the law; equal rights
to all and special privileges to none;
the right of worker to keep what
he produces; eternal enmity to the
idea then and now prevalent in
New York, that government should
help the rich take a part of the
earnings of the poor. The man
was Democrat in heart and brain
and not in name only. And SO he
boldly declared that he was for
! Bryan in 1896, and that his papers
would sppOrt him. Every sO-call-
led Democratic paper in New York
city bolted and fought Bryan; the
New York journal alone supported
him. So far as running the paper,
a - x,-oc f,.ool,- rol;c4oI H. o....l