The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-09-28
THOSE HEARST LETTERS.

have deposed General Apathy, as the
striking figure at the head Of the pres
ent national campaign, and placed Gen.
eral widespread Interest In command,
Undoubtedly Mr.. Hearst's intentions
were to advance the cause Of the IN
dependence party, the creature OF his
own conception and execution, at the
expense of the Democrats and Repub-
licans, whom he has hoped to show to
be black sheep. But he has succee led
indifferently well, In his purpose. II
cannot be said that the Hearst born
party has won to itself any great
number of votes because OF the ex-
posures Most certainly the incident
has not injured the cause Of Taftism
Quite aside from the charges as they
effect Messrs. Foraker, Haskell, Arch
bold or others, there Is another side
TO the question that Is Of serious pro-
portions. 1t centers around the ques-
ton: Where did Mr.. Hearst get the
letters? The disclosures rock OF the
yellow-iournalistic methods Mr.. Hearst
might employ In his newspapers, and,
as with the latter, It is not to be sup
posed that the editor politician did not
pay and pay dearly for his material. II
Is not at all difficult to imagine a Sec
end Lion and the Mouse" plot in real
life, with the important difference that
our young evidence gatherer in the
present life drama is not actuated by
an all-compelling love for Shirley
Rossmore, but rather by a love for the
almighty dollar.
Our good neighbor the Hartford
Courant, carries this belief to interest
ing conclusions. 1t points out that the
person who obtained the letters, wheth-
er by surreptitious means or otherwise,
undoubtedly must have tried to obtain
the highest possible price for them,
else he would have been Inconsistency
knave. Furthermore, the highest
bidder was naturally Mr.. Hearst Even
the Standard Oil, we're the proposition
of purchase preached to II. could
not easily have been induced to buy
the letters. for that corporations eager
ness TO buy would only have advanced
the sae-value Of duplicates Of the let
ters, made before the sale, with other
possible purchasers.
ne Independent says Of the letters
They are, OF course, such private let
ters as neither Mr.. Archbold, who
wrote them, nor Mr.. Foraker, who re-
ceived them, would ever wish to see
the light. and it follows that they were
surreptltiously procured, and whatever
criminallty attaches to the purveyoI
must attach also to the receiver of the
goods. But all that is none Of our
business nor that OF the public. Thai
is a, matter for the detective police and
public prosecutor The public Is in
terested in the contents Of the letters
and the political results" But should
1T be wholly? As the Boston Tran
script has pointed out, with the great
er. perfection Of the telephone and 9TH
err non recording means OF communica.
ton of late years, the probability OF
such discriminating evidence as that
now at hand coming to light is stead
lily lessening. In corresponding de.
gree, then, Is the probability Of bring.
ing the many political scape- goats tina
we very apparently still have and vii
nave to the chalk-mark Of Justice ant
into the spotlight of public exposure
is continually lessening, too.
Therefore, in view of these facts, Is II
best for our detective police and our
public prosecutors to proceed with toe
great enthusiasm against those who b,
daring moves now or In the future, OBJ
tain the required evidence to expose
some Of our highest public servants?
code Of the "unwritten law has sprung
UP in criminal murder procedure of lat,
years with more or less justification
Might It not very easily be shown to b.
for the public's best interests to SO ex.
tend the activities of the "unwritten
law" as to include such Of the light.
fingered gentry as we have been con.
sidering?