Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-12
pRoTEAN POSER

~ friends, men who at one time and
another have endeavored to win re-
| ward and place for themselves by pos
! ing as good" Democrats. It Is with
| feelings of relief that the Democracy
from time to time beholds the lapse
of one of these parasites, even when
that lapse is followed by evolution into
independent existence. When a man
| figures as a Democrat and advocates
Democratic candidates and measures
we may be willing to take him at his
word and call him a Democrat, no mat
ter how much we may doubt his mo-
tives. When at last, tired of his decep-
ton or angry because it has not pro-
| duced the results anticipated, the
whilom parasite stands revealed as the
enemy of Democracy, we welcome
his detection because we can get along
better without him and we hail with
Joy his self assertion and his personal
declaration of independence, because at
last we know how to class him and
where to find him.
For some time the discerning have
been we'll aware that the designer of
the independence league was inimical
to the Democracy and that, far from
being the friend of workingmen, he
was doing more harm to the cause of
the toilers than their avowed worst
enemy could have accomplished. All
that this "friend" of toilers has done
l., .
fectually to deprive workingmen of any
power they might have had by reason
of united strength at the polls.
Democrats are agreed that if it had
not been for the Independence league
champion. William Randolph Hearst,
there would have been a different story
to tell concerning California politics
and the closely relevant interests of the
state. If it had not been for Hearst
interference, instead of having merely
titular governor at Sacramento today
with Herrin the real power behind the
gubernatorial chair, we would have
had a real governor, Theodore Bell. an
honest man whose influence would have
been used constantly in order to bring
about the greatest possible good for
the greatest number of the citizens of
this state. Free from mercenary and
unpatriotic influences, he would have
stood sturdily for the rights of his
constituents, and citizens of California
would have been spared the humiliat-
ing spectacle of a governor acting as
messenger boy and hurry-scurrying
east at the behest of Herrin and Har-
riman. Hearst has had much to do with
the enthrallment of Southern Califor-
mia by the power of the Southern Pa
cific. His part in this is much greater
than most people realize. He is anxious
to obtain credit for all he has done in
the United States, so we do not think
that he should be deprived of the credit
of having delivered this state to the
predominant power therein. His at
tempt to pose as the friend of labor
has been rewarded by only the amount
of credulity generally bestowed upon
posers. That is to say, if a man de-
clares that he is the supporter of
first impulse is to look for motive
which might satisfactorily explain the
phenomenal allegiance. There are other
aspects of Mr.. Hearst besides his Cali
fornia sacrifice of the Democratic party
to his selfish interests which are ap-
parently at utter variance with rational
consistency of conduct While he was
being kicked out of the Democratic
party in California Mr.. Hearst, whose
bewildering multi-locality will puzzle
historical chroniclers, was posing as
Republican in New York; His friend
ship for the workingman is so obviously
friendship for an Interior purpose
only, so plainly is it the friendship that
seeks reward, that it does not befool,
the workingman. Like a belated old
maid who is setting the cap of despera-
ton at the beau of promise, Hearst is
altogether too gushing, consequently
does not accomplish the desired effect.
Independent he may be in name.
Democratic he is not by nature. At
times. if we may judge him only by ap-
pearances and actions, we may quote
concerning him with only a trivial al
teration, a celebrated line from Shakes
peare and say: "How like a fawning
Ge)publican he looks"