The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-05-03
CRLED EPITHETS AT HEARST.
Mayor GaynOr Attacked Late Rival.
Extraordinary Occurrence at
Newspaper Banquet.

fishers association was thrown into
riotous and prolonged disorder to-
night, when Thomas T. Williams,
business manager for W. R. Hearst,
was refused permission to speak as
he rose to reply to biting criticisms
Mayor Gaynor had just made on Mr..
Hearts's part in Journalism.
For twenty-five minutes the uproar
continued, while men stood in their
chairs and women craned from the
balconies of the banquet hall.
'Mr. Hearst is not present. am
his friend and have a right to be
heard,' shouted Mr.. Williams, climb
ing onto the speakers table and shak-
ing his first in the face of the mayor.
Situation Tense.
"Put him OUT 'shut up" "free
speech" came from all parts of the
hall.
The POSTMASTER, c. N. Wright, Of
the Cleveland Leader, hammered IN
vain for order, while Mr.. Williams
stood impassive, but obstinate, and
waited to be heard.
> "This is a disgrace to the press Of
the United States. 1t must end,''
shouted Adolph S. Ochs, proprietor
of the New York Times, as he stood
on his chair behind the toastmaster
and begged for a word. -- .--
Mr.. Williams, I promise you, has
less than forty words to speak, let
me say them for him.
"No, no. yelled the diners.
'Mr. Williams says" began Mr..
"No, no." broke in the thoroughly
angered diners, with added insist
ence. RI ~
Succeeded by Laughter and "Dide."
Mr.. Ochs sat down, while the Or
chestra thundered "Dixie,' but Mr..
Williams still kept his feet and a
semblance of calm was not restored
until the Rev. Newell Dwight Hills,
of Brooklyn, with a witty and fel1cl-
tous speech brought laughter that
drove out anger.
The directors, executive members
Of the Associated Press and the
American Newspapers Publishers as
sociation had met at their annual
Joint banquet at the Waldorf Astoria.
Several hundred sat down to the
BANQUET tables. Mayor Gaynor, the
\ guest of honor and first speaker, took
for his subject "The Press in Its Re-
lations to Public Officials He spoke,
as is his wont, and as he had been
invited to do, without mincing words.
Mayor Gaynor Speaks.
"Those having power" he said,
"should use it Justly, kindly and mod
erately. That makes their acts all
the more effective. I measure my
words in saying your power for good
is immense. Your power for evil is
not so great as some may think.
s'The public official who tries his
best to do right and who knows how
to do right, can not be hurt by you.
Some may abuse him, even lie and
forge about him, but they are power
less to hurt him. You can nelthe
make nor unmake an honest and COM
petent official.
"The press as a whole is just to
public officials. When the election is
over, it's wholesome wish is to see
that the one who is elected gives good
government and to help him do so.
But if a publisher or editor be himself
perennial offce-seeker he may de-
sire to assassinate every one in MS
way and then, alas, what a disgrace
he brings on Journalism"
A Ou hCGAA St
These references, unm1stakaoly
drawn from the mayors own political
experience in campaign of unex-
ampled bitterness, just passed, he
drove home with names and spec1hc
instances, in an attack of almost un-
exampled bitterness on VIM. Ran
dolph Hearst, who ran against MIN
for the mayoralty, and who has since
criticised his administration sharp
ly, he applied epithets seldom heard
in public speaking.
Then followed the scene heretofore
described. When order was restored
Woodrow Wilson, president OF
Princeton university, emphasized the
decline of the editorial in power, and
the growing Importance of the
prompt, accurate and unbiased news
gathering.