The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-04-24
A MUCH .,RusED EDITOR


.un the gamut of criticism.
In the earlier days of the repuDh
it was even worse, perhaps, than 1t Is
now, and was far more tragical.
If an editor in those days were bold
enough to criticize rival or one hold
ing a public office the penalty was an
invitation to the field of honor"
If one will read Frederic Hudson's
History of Journalism in the United
States" he will probably be surpris-
ed at the number of brilliant and in
tellectual men who were compelled 10
sacrifice their lives on the altar OF
this Moloch of Unreason.
We have lived that part of it down.
We no longer mark the spot as con-
secrated ground where men face eacn
other and shoot each other down Tor
exercising without abusing> the right
of the freedom of speech.
But the cruel and singing invective
and oftimes base and malevolent ae-
cusations that brought the code duello
into existence survives in almost as
hideous a form as ever.
This is shown in the abuse that IL
so freely and profusely heaped upor
Mr.. William Randolph Hearst because
he has something always to say, ana
has so many newspapers through
which to express his views on curren'
subjects.
Mr.. Hearst ought not to be a bao
man. He comes of good stock. There
ought to be something in heredit!
and ancestry. Blood ought to tell. II
the "sins of the father are visited or
the son." the corollary of this plan
in the divine economy ought to be
true, and the virtues of the sire ought
to be transmitted to the son.
William Randolph Hearst's father
bore an unspotted reputation. He
was man of amiable disposition and
splendid talents. He long occupied
an unsullied seat in the United States
senate.
Than Phoebe Hearst, his mother,
no woman in the United States bears
a more beautiful and sublime charac-
ter. She is benevolent. Her charities
are dispensed among the lowly and
needy.
Why should a man with such for
bears be a menace to our civilization?
When Mr.. William Jennings Bryan
made his first race for the presidency
the New York Journal and the New
York American, Mr.. Hearst's publ
cations, were about the only newspa-
pers in what were then denominated
the "enemy's country" that did give
him a support.
Mr. Hearst's support was very 10y
al. For every dollar contributed to
the conduct of the campaign from ev-
cry other source, Mr.. Hearst contrib
uted a dollar. That showed that his
heart was in the campaign, for we
are told that where ones treasure is
his heart is also"
Mr. Bryan was defeated and Mr..
Mckinley was elected, and, some time
afterwards, was assassinated.
Later on Mr. Hearst became a can
didafa for o0uorpf,r Of Nouy v0rly and
in order to defeat him for the part he
took in the advocacy of Bryan and
free silver" Mr.. EIihu Root, in a
speech delivered at Utica, said that
he was commissioned from the White
House to say that William Randolph
Hearst inspired the assassination of
President Mckinley"
To be exact, we quote his words:
I'm President Roosevelt's first mes
sage to congress, in speaking of the
assassin of Mckinley, he spoke of him
as infiamed by the reckless utteranc-
es of those who, on the stump and in
the public press, appeal to the dark
and evil spirits of malice and greed,
envy and sullen hatred. The wind is
sowed by the men who preach such
doctrines, and they cannot escape
their share of responsibility for the
whirlwind that is reaped. This APP
plies alike to the deliberate dema-
gogue, to the exploiter of sensational
ism, and to the crude and foolish Wis
ionary who for whatever reason apol-
ogiZes for crime or excites aimless
discomfort.
81 say, by the presidents authority,
that in penning these words. with. the
horror of President McKinley's MUIR
der fresh before him, he had Mr.
Hearst specifically in his mind.
"And I say, by his authority, that
what he thought of Mr.. Hearst then,
he thinks of Mr.. Hearst now
That was the most malevolent, the
most vindictive, the most cruel and
unfeeling utterance that ever one