Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-27
w. R. HEARST, PERENNIAL
CANDIDATE

MI E1tdISl Is the OWtl6T Ol d CudlI
of newspapers In Boston. New York
Chicago. San Francisco and Los Ange-
| les which hold the palm among Amer
lean newspapers for sensationalism,
unscrupulousness and defiance of the
principles of journalistic deoency.
D.. Mr.. Hearst has served a term in
congress, but his service there was
| chiefly remarkable for the number of
times he was absent from his seat and
! the complete lack of impression which
he made on the work Of the house. He
has twice been a candidate for Office.
running against Mr.. Mcclellan four
years ago for mayor Of New York, and
against Mr.. Hughes three years ago
for governor of the state. His political
trustworthiness and his availability as
leader Of an anti-Tammany move
ment are indicated by the contrast af-
forded by those two candidates. -Four
years ago he waged a campaign of bit
ter denunciation against Tammany and
its leader, Mr.. Charles F. Murphy. One
short year later he accepted the nom
nation of the Democratic party for
governor Of the state at the hands of
convention dominated by the same
Mr.. Charles F. Murphy and the same
Tammany, changed not a whit in the
twelve months that had passed"
1t will thus be seen that in the hunger
for office which has obsessed him it
makes no difference with Mr.. Hearst
where his nomination comes from. He
is perfectly content to take a nomina-
tion at the hands of Tammany, If he
can get it. If Tammany nominates
someone else, then he is equally con-
tent to take his nomination at the
hands of such a nondescript aggrega-
ton of cranks and sycophants as COM
posed the mass meeting in Cooper I'm
ion, which gave him his latest nomina-
ton.
One of the saddest spectacles that have
been afforded the people of this country
for many years is the ruin of what
might have been an exceptionally use
full career by the desire for Office under
whose spell Mr.. Hearst appears to have
fallen.
Among certain men in New York who
claim to be informed, 1t is freely
charged that Mr.. Hearst is the victim
of a '1eg-pulling syndicate COM
posed of the principal employees upon
his papers, who have sedulously, in sea-
son and out of season, encouraged this
longing for Office. and. having created
it, have used it to their own particular
financial advantage.
That Mr.. Hearst has spent a large
part of the millions left him by his
father and given him by his mother in
bis unsuccessful pursuit of political
distinction is undeniably true.
| It is also true that much of this
money was disbursed by Mr.. Hearst's
immediate associates and employees,
who, by reason of the positions which
they hold upon the New York American
and Journal, to which papers he gives
most Of his personal attention, have
been enabled to acquire great influence
over him.
These men, 1t is charged by New
Yorkers, have grown rich while dis
| bursting as political funds large part
of Mr.. Hearst's fortune. Certain it is
that Mr.. Hearst has grown poorer by
reason of these disbursements. This
last fact was emphasized two years ago
when he found 1t necessary to put him
self under such obligation to Mr.. Har-
riman for financial assistance as utter
! ly destroyed the independence of his
Pacific coast journals. Previous to the
time when Mr. Hearst was compelled
to accept the assistance of Mr.. Harri-
man to restore his finances which had
suffered so much on account of his
various candidates. for mayor, COVER
nor and president, his Pacific coast pa
rers-the San Francisco Examiner and
the Los Angeles Examiner-had led in
the fight against the intolerable ag-
gressions of the Southern Pacific upon
the political and business interests of
this state.
Since about July, 1907, when Mr.. Har-
riman came to Mr.. Hearst's rescue,
both his Pacific coast papers have been
notable as being no longer in the ranks
of those who are fighting the Southern
Pacific company.
And these facts suggest the somewhat
saddening reflection that a man who
through his various newspapers might
have been the greatest power for good
that this country has known should
have sacrificed his opportunities for
serving the people upon the altar of
small personal vanity.
| AS the proprietor of a chain of fear
less public journals published in the
great centers of population of the coun-
| try, backed by the millions of money
that he had inherited, and devoted with
earnestness and singleness of purpose
to the cause of good government-mu-
nicipal, state and national-Mr
Hearsts opportunity for serving his
country would have been almost limit
less. In this role he would have so
won the gratitude and admiration of his
fellow countrymen as to have given
him a foremost place in his countrys
life while he lived, and in its history
when he passed away.
AS it is, he has elected to sacrifice
all this and to devote his journals to
ministering to a cheap personal ego
tism that has won for him the con-
tempt of his fellow citizens, where he
might have had their unstinted ad-
miration.
In place of being the fearless cham