New-York tribune., 1918-06-06
Report of Common Council
in "American" Declared
Misleading
Resolution Not
Acted on Finally
Church Organization Uree.
Lawmakers to Take Inn.
mediate Action

ELMIRA, N. Y, June 5.-City on.
Gals and prominent citizens to-day re-.
pudiated the report of a meeting ~
the Common Council at which. 90 I
story in "Thc New York American.
stated yesterday, Hearst and his pub.
locations were officially whitewashed
Mayor Hoffman and Alderman CIV
g. Morgan were among those who
branded the American" dispatch -
misleading" and another example n
Hearst's journalism"
The dispatch captioned "Elmira Kin.
Plot Against Hearst Papers" anal
printed under a June date line re.al
as follows: "The agitation against II.
Hearst publications died a natural
death here tonight when the CommoI
Council of Elmira voted to Law the mat.
ter on the table"
No Action on Hearst Matter
The Common Council according n
Mayor Hoffman took no action on II.
Hearst question Monday night. tn.
Beard of Aldermen, who met as cha
committee Of the whole, just before ths
council session did vote to table I
resolution aimed against Hearst hu,
Mayor Hoffman added, this did not set.
tie the Hearst matter definitely and [
only indicated the decision OF Iii.
aldermen to postpone action against
Hearst until later.
The American" dispatch omitted tn. /
fact that at the Common Council meet.
ing the MEMS Own" Bible class all
the Park Church, Elmira's biggest and
wealthiest religious institution, ure.
sented another resolution urging the
Common Council to take action or ths
original anti Hearst measure. offersd
by Attorney Richard Marlowe. This
resolution was read into the records Of
the council and automatically went 10
the committee of the whole. Thus Al
anti-Hearst resolution is still beforee
that body and, according to Mayor Hotf-
man, viii come up at meeting shortly.
Early Action Urged
The resolution reads eve, ths
Mems Own of the Park Church. urd
! gently petition the Common Council of,
the city OF Elmira to take positive at.
+ flrmatlve action on the resolution al
ready offered opposing the buying anf
selling of the so-called Hearst pape4
in this city"
This was passed by the class la$
Sunday. A committee including Dn
s. D. Harrison and Frederick Mae
Naire presented it to the Council The
Rev. A. G. C6rnwell, pastor of The
church, said to-day that the "mens
own" probably would take further ae
tion if the Council failed to protect th
city of Elmira against the Hearst pub
lications.
Dispatch Called Misleading
"The Americans story read Mayor
t Hoffnan's statement, "saylng that the4
agitation against the Hearst papen
had died natural death was mislesd.
ing. The committee of the whole din
vote to lay the disloyal paper resou.
ton on the table, but did not in sny
sense mean to indicate that the Heanf
| question here was definitely settled.
Our action Monday night mersl
indicated that we have delayed express
ing Elmira's sentiments against Hears
until more propitious time. Tb
question. / believe, will come up later
Whereas the committee of the whole
had decided unanimously to pass
resolution against disloyal papers lsaI
Friday, when we met Monday nighy
the aldermen were divided, and rsths1
than give the matter a political turn
and thus make it lose its effectiveness
we decided to hold off for TING
After the meeting Monday soma OF III
aldermen expressed regret that we nsd
not pushed the measure through. Tn9
American story, however, is anofne
example OF Hearst journalism"
Political Issue Raised
"The Board of Aldermen on Friday.
said Attorney Marlowe, "were. unsns
nous in their decision to pass a rese
luton against dlsloyal papers. The!
framed a measure along the lines
the one I offered, simply omitting "a
names of the Hearst sheets.
"The Hearst agents have been nsf
ever since l presented my case to ~
common council. They have oee
threatening and bulldozing every5od
engaged in fighting the Hearst papes
including city officials. In addition
this they have been flooding the ce3
munity with free copies of the Ama
cam and doing all in their powef
stem the rising tide of public indio
tion against Hearst.
when it became known that
Board of Aldermen were unanimom
regards to resolution, these de.
men renewed their efforts. re-
that they have been able to give tss
political turn and have temporaruT
vided the Board of Aldermen into
tisan factions. d
II believe, however, that when
Democrats in the common council
ize they have been used as toon
Hearst they will change their atsa'
and vote for the resolution" -
A city official here supplements
by stating that the Aldermen
evenly divided on the Hearst ~
ton, the six Democrats opposins
passage. Mayor Hoffman, wso iHs
the measure, this official SAID,
have cast the deciding vote ana
the resolution through. had it nos
deemed wiser to wait until the
could act unanimously.