The sea coast echo., 1911-11-04
HOME BOY WRITES
FROM CALIFORNIA.


mia, during the course OF private let.
ter to the publisher Of the Echo. gives
the following interesting information
anent the newspaper war" that hai
been carried on in that city, and he also
touches on the political situation in
California and tells how the progress
ives" won. The letter is interesting and
we take the liberty to publish the fol-
lowing extracts:
1t is, indeed. interesting to note
how, all over the country, the wave OF
progressiveness is advancing. Out here
in California, where, for 50 many years,
the people have been ground down un-
der the heel of corporate greed, things
are changing, and the Southern Pacific
Railroad is no longer the dictator OF
California politics. Our progressive
governor, Hiram w. johnson, is a man
among men. pardon that "our", but
/ paid poll tax here, Therefore am citi-
zen.) He was elected little over a
year ago, and, in his promises to the
people, he said that if he was elected he
would oust the machine politics from
the State, and he has done it.
In statewide election, held a short
time ago, there were twenty-three
amendments proposed to the state con-
stitution, all championed by him and
every one of them passed. Among
these amendments were the recall of
judges, equal suffrage for women and
the initiative and referendum. One of
the amendments also gives the railroad
commission the right to regulate rates.
Within the next year look for great
changes to take place in California, but
they will be for the better. Good gov
ernment is going to triumph, and tho
progressives are going to continue to
progress. The railroads and the reac-
tionary newspapers fought hard to de-
feat the amendments, and their defeat
only exemplifies the fact that the day OF
the reactionary and corporate controlled
newspaper is on the wane, and they
must soon meet their destined fate.
The corporations were almost frantic
in their efforts to defeat the amend
ments. The press representing them
went to extremes in organizing anti
suffrage leagues and pointed out to the
people the error OF putting into the
hands of small group of men the power
to regulate rates and the fallacy of the
recall amendment. But it appeared that
the common people, so long the victims
of corporate greed, decided that nothing
could be worse than what they we're now
enduring, and the result was that every
one of the amendments carried by a
substantial majority.
By the way, bit OF gossip about the
fight of various papers here to defeat
the good government administration,
which is now in Office in this city, might
prove of interest:
The Associated Press has rule OF
some kind that city can only have so
many franchises for their service. This,
i believe, is usually decided by the
population of the city. But, be that as
it may, there are only two Associated
Press morning franchises in this city.
One is owned by the Times, that noto-
rious reactionary sheet owned by Gen.
Harrison Gray Otis, which, at the pres
ent time, is SO much in the public eye
owing to the McNamara trial going on
here. The other is owned by the Her
aid, which is also owned by Gen. Otis
The Times is stand-pat Republican
paper, and the Herald, until a short
time ago, was a progressive Democratic
paper. The Herald was never paying
investment for Gen. Otis, but he had te
maintain a paper of some sort in order
to hold that other Associated Press
franchise, and he had to hold the fran
chise to keep some other morning paper
from getting it.
The managing editor of the Herald, q
man by the name of Gibbons. had, all
along, had the editorial say-so in the
paper, but, recently, through some hook
or crook, Otis got it away from him by
getting hold of the controlling part ol
the stock, and Gibbons resigned.
When this all came about. it was ru-
mored that the Herald was soon to &c
out of business, and that Hearst's Los
Angeles Examiner was to buy the fran
chise from Gen. Otis. This would have
left the morning newspaper field in ths
control of the Times and the Examiner
the former reactionary to the core and
the latter as yellow as ever the yellow
peril dared TO be.
When this rumor got out, the Even.
| ing Express, progressive Republican
paper, owned by Edwin 7. Earl,
| multi millionaire and supporter of goot
government, got busy and exposed th,
whole scheme. This gave General Oti
cold feet, and he decided that it wa
better to continue TO run The Heralt
at great loss than to let the peopl'
know just how truthfully The EXPIRES
had spoken. When he announced tina
The Herald was not going out Of bust
mess, Mr.. Earl announced that be wa
going 10 open up morning paper q
support the good government and pro
cressiYe legislation that was then pend