The San Francisco call., 1909-11-21
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influence of the San Francisco
esSS 335s9S'a press. 1t is not necessary here
%%H ! to inquire whether these re-
proaches are inspired by sin
cere desire to reform their
: erring contemporaries are
merely an amusing form of jealousy, but it seems
worth while at the start to point out that the
results Of an election do not supply infallible
test of influence.
A GROTESQUE RESULT
If the popular vote is the full and single measure
OF influence we arrive at at the astonishing
conclusion that the most influential metropolitan
paper in California is the San Francisco Globe,
rect of the malodorous Cakins If the voice Of
the people is the voice OF God then the utterances
of the Globe must by this test be directly inspired
by the Almighty. A moments contemplation Of
these grotesque results might give our cocksure
contemporaries some reason to hesitate. concern
ing the soundness OF their premises.
LET 1T BE ADMITTED
I am not concerned to deny that the San Fran
cisco press exercises the slightest possible direct
influence on elections. The journalistic vocifera-
ton OF political campaigns does not exert any
important influence anywhere. 1t is not deserving
of influence anywhere and neither the wise nor
the foolish swayed by it. The campaign cater
when its significance not understood. The
frantic appeals that appear in print during cam
paigns make the judiciOus grieve, but chiefly they
serve te create a hostile prejudice in the minds
OF the masses, who resent what looks like dicta-
tion. This method OF campaigning which | hope
10 see shortly become extinct, mostly serves to
injure its cause.
ON BECOMING A BORE
1t may be admitted freely that this faulty and
mistaken journalism has attained a more offensive
development in San Francisco than in most other
towns 1t is a tradition OF journalism in this town
that newspaper should always have some sort
OF fight" on hand as a vehicle for everlasting
vociferaton. Quiet people regard it nuisance
and bore. Busy people cast it one side. An
other class inquiries what private the paper has
to grind. Everybody resents it form OF irnpu-
dent dctation
ARGUMENT WITH A CLUB
The theory of these fights is that you have to
let house fall upon a to make him take
notice By keeping up eternal din you are
supposed to make converts. You are far more
likely to create enemies. What you take for argu-
ment assumes the aspect of impertnent dctation
when it becomes the vehicle of perpetual and
nonotonOus din. So lar as my observation goes
this strange journalistic custom obtains in no
other important city besides San Francisco. If
newspaper influence in this city is negligible it is
due largely to this ridiculous practice. Nobody
listens TO a bore.
This strange theory OF journalism took its rise
in the example of Hearst. Hearst believed-some
time ago-that a great newspaper could do any
thing. could destroy anybody and could make presi-
dents OF the United States. He always had a
fight" on hand, and looking back the multi
tudinous series of these obstreperous engagements
/ remember none that he 1t is long record
of repeated failure
WHEN THE WORK IS DONE
1t is a legitimate function of newspaper to
spread and foster political opinion but the thing
is never done effectively except in quiet way
in a quiet time. After the appeals to passion come
to distract the reason the influence of newspaper
becomes negligible. The issues of the next national
campaign being made up now. The people
watching closely every move that Mr.. Taft
makes An attitude of political suspense is held
all over America. The people like and respect Taft
personally, but they fear that good easy while
he hopes his greatness is aripening he has, in fact
fallen into the hands OF the Philstines.
SAME ELSEWHERE
1t is not different elsewhere in campaign periods
Here, for instance, few of the parts of speech
with which the air filled during the recent
campaign in New York city:
by God by the Eternal" "slanderers," "hypo-
critics, scoundrels, defamers reckless liars