The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 29, 1897, Page 7

THE SAN ¥FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 1897. T W.H. MILLS UNMASKS W.J.BRYAN Says the Nebraskan Is Not a Wild-Eyed Anti-Railroad Man at AllL WOULD TREAT THE CORPORA- TION “FAIRLY. Two Very Interesting Letters to Editor Dod- son of Red Bluff on the Subject of Passes—A Stinging Slap for Western Journalists. hat William Jennings Bryan came to California on a pass, and that he rode out State the easy fashion, has heretofore been the subject of remark. sure of | ation among his iriends, a storm of ned to believe it. When the truth of this charge i to his resc nt der When the defenses they threw un were k into a condition of stupefiad p 1z upon the fragments of their idol. Some he g d together, but the fracture was beyond remedy. hern Pacific issued the pass that was first 10 come to ght. Since then he has expended much time in composing letter and endeavoring mind. mourn- The more he has written the fiercer he has made the imperrections of Bryan. It had been well for the Nebraskan es been cast into the depths of the wastebasker, and the eru- em cultivated the beauuful art of silence. Mr. Mills not only gave but he gave Mr. Bryan away, throwing his own personality in for 3ryan, according to Judge Lawlor, whose veracity has not been questioned, asked for the passes on the ground that ihe Southern Pacific owed the Worid-Herald a debt t could not be co lacted by any other means. This implied not only that the Southern Pacific was a bad debtor, which may in instances be true, but that Mr. an was part and parcel of the World-Herald, which is not true, Thus Lawlor, The foot is one free yawp, apened his mouth so wide that he put his foot in it. to the discomfor: of Lawlor but the quiet of his environment. way in which the Bryan pass business obtainea notoriety, it will be remem- ed, was through the talgativenesa of a conductor who in line of duty had inspected Jtitor Dodson of the Red Bluff Sentinel was told of it, and, venturing to spread formation, was met by charges of jnduiging in romance, was used forit. Mr. Dodson got tired of this, and He learned it, b only a less benign t from Mr. Mills 1o <0 atus of the case. permission to break this seal of secrecy, Thus it happe he got the information in a . t there Sre two Mills letters to Mr. Dodson, each than the other. n effort to be wor: They were written to prevent, if the affair from obtaining public Whether they have served this purpose 1 that perhaps could be safely addressed to Mr. Mills over a long-Jistance ¢ letter consists of words deftly wrought into contradictions. It A«adefense it As an unconscious wh ry standn is unique. ck at real newspaper nt it may be rated a gem. It will be noticed men it is novel. m a lite at what is a *‘pass’ i tweedledum which THE CALL has already had occasion to exploit. The letter in all its imposing array of verbiage is tine reading. Here it is: @1 s M) pmnd OFFICE CENTRAL PaciFic RaiLroAD CO. LAND DEPARTMENT. ROOM NO. 26, 4TH FLOOR, HOBART BUILDING. SAN FRANCISCO. July 13th'97? D. Dodson Esq., Red Bluff, Cal.—Dear Sir: Answering yours of July 12 permit me to say that Mr. William J. Bryan traveled from San Francisco to Portland on an advertising ticket, he being authorized to do so by the World-Herald of Omaha. On the ledger of this office the World-Herald stands charged with that fare. Mr. Bryan is a journalist and has been nearly all his 1life. He is connected with the Omaha World-Herald and the World-Herald gave him the au- thority to contract for advertising in ex- change for transportation. This was done and the case was not different from that of the members of the California Press Association, who recently made a trip to Oregon and Washing- | ton. The advertiser's ticketwas issued on re- quest of the Omaha World-Herald, and its right todo so is certainly unquestioned. Mr. Bry- an's use of the ticket is above criticism—at least at the hands of his fellow- journalists, who, unlike himseif, get most of their trans- portation without any charge whatever. The journalist who would seek to make capital out| of this incident would be singularly unmind- ful of the obvious and eternal impropriety of placing the journalistic profession on the deadhead list. Invery truththere shouldbeno free transportation given to any one. Whoever travels free travels at the expense of some- body else. There are certain classes of people in the United States who become privileged classes by reason of their ability to travel over railroads without cost. The great mass of transportation givento journalists iswith- out consideration, unless a negative friend- ship may be regarded as consideration. The very wealthy travel without pay. Ministers of the Gospel travel at half fare or travel free. Large land-owners seldom pay fare. Large freight-payers, suchas merchants, seldom pay fare. The fact is that the railroads collect T4re Iiow viiau QUWErOus Douy callied tne common life of America. The common people pay when they ride. The uncommon people ride free. There is, therefore, a sense in whic}h t.l:xe the information was confiden- | perfect as to grammar, the punctuation excellent, and the argument | is also an ‘advertiser's tieket’ —this being the tweedledee | Nin * DOWN WITH THE CORPORATIONS THROTTLE THE MONOPOLIES " -, = = £ /H E ////#//u/l/tfl/(fl/l//li‘”, ez I U TUEL H kl' MR, g ww et <SS NS R & ) A\ t“‘\ FOANAURANY SSSSES = 3 ; Woe Unto Them Tkat Do Evil—and Are Caught. . travel of the uncommon class is a burden- to] those who pay, and if there was such a thing as eternal and exact justice equivalents would be measured inmoney. Then the man who withheld leriticism of the cond-ct of a railroad simply | because he hoped for free transportation would; {have to ask the railroad to pay him for his| silence and the true relation would be unmis- takable. On their part the railroads are do-| |ing the best they can for the country. They| |have problems to solve which the public does| inot see. They are constantly trying to solve them in the interest of the best and the most |profitable service to their patrons. If eter- nal and exact justice could be done railroads| would seldom be criticized. They would never| be subject to hostile legislation, and what- ever service they asked at the hands of the | press they would pay for and whatever service they rendered the gentlemen of the press would| be paid for in return. The Bryan incident is not one which any journalist can afford to| criticize. Mr. Bryan is a fellow-journalist and is doing simply what other journalistsdo. Yours very truly, & Then the second letter, the ona intenaed to arm Dodson against the assau'ts of the unbeliever. 1tis full of meat, and is presented with the other so that there shal! be nothing lacking of the brilliant s owing made by Mr. Milis on behalf of himself and his fellow-journalist, William Jennings Bryan. Here is No. 23 (3197.-3M) sLne | OFFICr J‘CENTRAL PACIFIc RAILROAD CoO. | LAND DEPARTMENT, @oom no. 26 aTH FL00A. HOBART 8UILOING, SaN FRANCISCO, July 21st'9Y D. D. Dodson Esq., Red Bluff, Cal.—Dear Sir: Answering yours of-July 20 permit me to say that Bryan paid his fare for the most part in this State. He had a pass on account of the World-Herald from Omaha to San Francisco, but not to Los Angeles. Mr. Baker and Mr. Foote paid his fare from Sacramento to Los Angeles and he insisted that they should receive from /him the money in return. He stated to them that if he could meet me he could make it all right, as he was a journalist and regularly employed, which are the facts in the case. He paid his fare back from Los Angeles to San Francisco and Sacramento. From that point he had a pass charged to the Omaha World-Herald on advertising account, which that paper will {make good. Thdse Eastern papers always make good the favors extended by our system. Mr. Bryan is not a wild-eyed anti-railroad man at all, and if he were elected President he would treat the railroads as fairly as any other in- terests. The fact is that he is an American, thoroughly imbued with American principles, and entertains civilized ideas and concep- tions of legislation and jurisprudence; and the people who suppose that his triumph will be a triumph of communism and nihilism are going to be fearfully disappointed. Mr. Bry- an is a very devout man, religious by nature, a Presbyterian, which is one of the aristo- cratic forms of orthodoxy. I have not the slightest objection to your using this letter with any individual who has charged you with lying. Mr. Bryan's position in this matter is just as respectable as any other journalist in the United States, and the custom of the exchange of courtesies between newspapers and the railroads is universal. Yours very truly, There is no reason for accusing Mr. Mills of saying anything that isnotso. Any- body who reads these letters can draw any necessary conclusions. Yet it is strange that it is so proper for Mr. Brvan to ride on a pass because he is a journalist, and not proper for newspaper men to do the same thing, particularly as Mr. Bryan is not a journalist and hasn’t been *‘nearly all his life.” ior a brief period be was connected with a daily journal; that was all. If Mr. Mills does not intimate broadly that a newspaper pass is practically a bribe, then his effort to convey thought has been futile. Avain, he says distinctly that the pass in question was issned not in view of an existing obligation, but with an eve to the future. According to Mr. Bryan, as translated throu-h Mr. Lawlor, the gentleman who got the pass told another story. Sad as the refleciion may be, there is a fib at large. No one of the trio has yet come to the rescue of the others by claiming 1t as his own. “The great mass of traneportation given to jrurnalists is without consideration unless a negative friendship may be regarded as a consideration.” Hear! hear! It isthe voice of Mills dictating to his typewriter a few words that may not exactly belt the earth, but will find no difficulty in reaching from sea to sea. It is the ponderous wisdom of Mills in a state of eruption. “Mr. Bryan’s use of the ticket is above criticism—at least at the hands of his fel- low-journalists, who, unlike himself, get most of their transportation without any charge whatever.” From the newspaper men of the Pacific Coast there will come one chorus of thanks for this slap. Nor yet will the ccckles of their hearts warm to the declaration that Eastern papers make good their obligations, conveying as it dces in p!ain terms an insinuation that Western papers do not. The second letter is a curiosity. Wandering from the main issue—the issue of a pass—it touches upon economics and religion, takes a dab at politics and closes with a statement that does not accord with preceding ones. Ii Mr. Bryan’s position in the matter is ‘“*just as respectable as any other journal- EDITOR D. D, DODSON OF RED BLUFF. ist’s” why have the others been accused of accepting free rides, paying therefor, however, in & mysterions quality known as ‘“‘negative friendship”? It would be pleasing if in a third letter Mr. Mills would explain what nezative triendship is. That railroads are to expec: no hostile legislation in case of Bryan’s election is interesting, but irrelevant, save as an ex- cuse for Mr. Mills himself. That railroads should not be adversely criticized is also interesting, but Mills could shout this at his typewriter until the heavens roll up as a scroll and railroads meit with a fere vent heat and never pelieve it the least bit. As to Mr. Bryan’s orthodoxy being not only first ciass, but actually aristocratic, the plea may bs advanced that Bryan did not geta pass on account of his orthodoxy, and indeed tat he is welcome to cheer his moral parts with any variety of comfort= ing belief he may choose, provided it do not incluage the privilege of posing as a journalist and securing one of the justly celebrated ‘‘advertising tickets” which Mr. Mills with free and gracious hand bee stows upon the worthy. Thus stands the master up to date. Mr. Bryau got his passes and Mr. Mills has gone extensively into literature to ex= plain, but doesn't explain. In fact he makes a bad matter so much worse that Bryan and his friends will rend their rai- ment figuratively, put ashes on their heads also figuratively, and some among them will swear, not fizuratively. Al- ready within their savage breasts, torn beyond the point of soothing, great schemes of vengeance are being formus lated. These may go to the extent of pro- viding a muzzle for Mr. Mills, who tires them when he merely talks, but drives them to distraction when he talks to a typewriter. THE FINEST FOR THE FRIENDLESS An Entertainment for the Beunefit of the Police Association. The Frawley Company for One Week at the California Theater. Police Choral Society Will Perform Between the Acts, and There Will Be Other Attractions. /Owing to the heavy drain upon the tunds of the Widows’ and Orphans’ Aid Association of the Police Department during last year and this year a committee was appointed about two mont:s ago to devise ways and means for increasing the finances of the association. The commitiee appointed was Captain Wittman, chairman; Sergeants Duncan, Moffitt, Perrin, Hotaling snd Gleason; Policemen O. C. Phiilips, T. R. Judson and John Fitzhenry. C. M. James, re- cording secretary of the association, and Sam H. Rankin, financial secretary, were al:o made members of the committee. Tne committee held several meetings, and it wus finally decided to conclude a contract with the Frawley Company for a week’s engagement at the California Theater, commencing Monday night, Sep- tember 13, with matinces Wednrsday and Saturday. The play selected is *“Men and Women,” which met with such pro- nounced success when played in the Bald- win Theater about two years ago by the Frobman Company. One of the chief at- tractions will be a ‘‘kinetoscope drill” of the police, as shown when marching re- cently on Van Ness avenue. Duarinz each performance ibe Police Cuoral Society, which bas now attained an enviable state of proficiency, will render several glees between tne acts, and there will be other attractions. The choral society alone will be worth the. vrice of admission. Tue association is founded upon charity and benev.lence. Previous to iis organ- ization on January 13, 1878, the custom prevailed in the department of raiinga subscription for the benefit of the family of a deceaszd police officer. It was no ne’s special duty to start a subscription, nor were any bound to <ubscribe in such case. But by the organization of the as- sociation two objects were contemplated and attained, One was a decent though unostentatious funeral, and for this pure pose §100 was provided; the other a bene- fit to the family or other d-pendents, or the nominee of the deceased member, and for this purpose $1000 was provided. A 1esponsible committee was also formed to act in visiting the sick and ready to at- tend the vur:al of the dead. The original membership was ei:hiys eight, the force then numbering 180. In 1879,0owing tothe Legislature passinz an act increasing the force to 400, the member- ship had increased to 181, aud this year it is close upon 600. The number of deaths from the organi- zation of the association to the present time is 118, making a total oi $128.700 paid to the widowsand orphans in less than twenty years. Last night the secretary was notifiea of the death of ex-Sergeant James Cavanagh, who was on the retired list, making nine deaths this year. The largest number of deaths in one year was last vear, the total being thir- teen. Inayear and eight months $23,000 has been paid cut, which is a very heavy drain upon the funds. The public bas always responded liber- ally to all entertainments for the benefit of the association in the past, and it is confidently expected that the present en- terainment will be no excepiion to the rule in that respect. The present officers of the association are: President, Captain Spillane; vice- vresident, Leutenant Burke; treasurer, Sergeant John Duncan; recording secre- tary, C. M. Janes; financial secretary, Sam H. Rankin. “'Specislization Miss Anna Strunsky, a student of Leland Stanford University, will address the Ameri- can Branch S. L. P. this evening, at Washing« ton Hall, 35 Eddy street. The title of her ad- dres s is “Specialization in Vocation under Capitalism. NEW TO-DAY: Do You Want part of that 810n0? Get Schitling's Best tea at your grocer’s; save the yellow tickets; and guess the missing word. Rules of contest published in large advertisement about the first and middle of each month. A29