AMERICAN NEWSPAPER BOSS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 165, 6 April 1908, Page 11

AMERICAN NEWSPAPER BOSS.

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST. ■C: Mr. Hoarst enjoys the distinction of being tho best!- advertised man in the United States. ..'Not even Mr. Roosevelt is moro talked, of thero. There can bo no doubt that.MrJHcarsfc is' a power in tho land, but :it is by.no' means easy to, estimate .tho real extent of his' influence. , An attempt - to gaugo his significance is made m the ''Fortnightly. ltoview" by Mr. Sidney Brooks, ail acute'observer of.American life. As an embodiment of his country, Mr. Hearst may: 1)6 ','a- caricaturo and a grotesque," but, as Mr. Brooks avers, ho is a peculiarly Amerioan product. . ■

.. His father was'a hard-headed: and i"ortunato ; Calitornian pioneer, - who, in silver mines, copper mines, newspapers, railways, and rauches, found"tho means or amassing a fortunto of about £4.000,000. Then iio took ,up. politics as a hobby, and. added to his spoils „a. seat ■..in . tho United States Senate.'. -His son had boon sent up. to tho . eastern University of Harvard, but.'.was. ex- : pelled. for sfimo -"mildly mischievous es.capade.". .' Returning to San Francifeco young \\illiam declined: to havo anything to di> : with; tho paternal mines and ranches. ; Kb ; said'■ thoyvclid not,interest"him, but. ho asked for .tho San Francisco ''Examiner. I '' Tho old man -had got all ho-wanted, out .of it when ho mado his - way into tho Senate, so ho handed it over as a toy to tho young man'. William . Randolph Hearst, -however,'' meant tb.tako.up journalism seriously. ,Ho had' studiod,, i'ulitzor's sensational'* methods in tho:"Nev York World," nnd aspired to bo the Pulitzer-oF tho Pacific .-Coast. ' As Mr. Brooks.puts it, he''couducted tho 'Examiner' with tho keyhole for a point of view*; sen-, eationalism for a policy; -crinic, scandal, and personalities for a. speciality ; , all vested , interests jfor a punching bag; cartoons, illustrations,; and connc supplements for embellishments;: and circulation for .an object,' 1 Ho,succeeded- " Senator Hearst supplied the cajiitril, -. arid ,in return, enjoyed . tho doubtful satisfaction, of seeing tho business 'affairs, characters, and priv.ito-. lives' of his friends and-associates hold/up to ridicule and scorn. In a few:years the enterprise was indepoiid-' his supplies. • The senator marked hissenso - of 1 apprehension by leaving ins fortnne to Mrs. Hearst, hut sho is a devotedmother, and tho son has always been ablo to draw.-upon her for any. venture which ;lio had in hand.

; About eleven years, ago Mr. Hearst mndo up his njind to duplicate in Now York his Sail. Franciscft' stjcctss. Ho bought up a disrepukabloiheet called-, tho "Journal,,"- and ;ejitertdi'.iht(j' ; a. lively■ contest -:for ;th6 v ",vel--low.'! bliarppi-oti s hip .'ivit|i tho/ "World." Pulitzer was hopelessly beaten at his. : iown. E&njo; -.'..The "JournaT! made tho "World" positively; respectablo iii comparison with it. At that; iiine.Mr.yHeafst's only object- was to' make.vhis-papiir kiiown.. and talked of;: Ho'discovered a-now stratum of' readers, larger;, d'rid .lower than .aiiy previous propric-l-.jpriKhd;tappedNow, tho •'Journal;' under' other; name's exists in. several cities:.'. VJIr. .Hiearst'owiis.-.'/'a .cbntihental:, chain, of height' pipers; I; published' jji ;the. leading citics of Ataferici«Vv?;i.Sh(l..(maiiy.;-.weekly and' .ihontlilyperiodicals.; He thus addresses daily an audieiicq/jofmbretitlian-. 4,000,01)0 ' people. • "Jheroljf;'; nothing;" says -Mr. Crooks, "to bo saidji'against his journals, ; whibll, in- my judgment;-they do iiot deserve. - But tliero lsjsqniething to T bp said for .them, which has to bc 'said'if the ua'ture of their;.appeal and of M/-. Hearst's power is toj be, understood.' While nlqst bf tho American papers 'in : tho; big/ cities;, believed to be under tlio mlluenqo df ;'tho money power;' Mr. Hearst's liavo 1 never failed to flay the, rich perverter of ipublie-funds and'properties', and the rich i § ambler' iii consolidations.' -They • nily to the masses- how they are .bciiiff rtilibod .by tho trusts !arid the ccnces-'Bion-liuiitbrs,' juggled with by, tho politicians, and betrayed by, their elccted officers. . They unearth; tho iniquities of a great corporation with tho.'sanio microscopic diligenco that they - sguander':';on. following np : ] the clues', in, a miirdcr'"mystery,.;or-:collcctirig' or'; inventing tho'details - .a;.; -.society scandal." •/' When Mr.-Hearst; wad running, rather rnoro than »' year ago,; for ',tho; Governorship 'of Now York State, tho . newspaper / which opposed him-most strongly, "Collier's Weekly,"/had to. .admit. his '.achievements;' It confessed ' that,ho-had'made tho Central and Union pacific' railroads-pay- tho-£24,C00,000 which they* Wed.;tho ;Government,. .that ho had Eecured a model children's hospital for Sin aud',kopt ; tho. Ico ;.Tru.-it .within bounds. in-'New-.Torkj-'thatrhis' : private law department' 'put .somo' fetters on tho Ccal Trust, aiid.was mainly instrumental in l saving<3tfew,;.York from tho Ramapo plot, iwhioh would have saddled the city with a chargo of £40,000,000,f0r water. ; v-

, Mr,,Hearst 3 journals aro now-used mainly as tho means-for .blatant advertisement of his exploits. v"ln .enormous headlines, and with- erery artifice of capitals, .italics, and cartoons; bis papers daily proclaim, drid his--4,000,000' readers hear and ' = believe, that Hearst .has forced a; popular. l mcasurt. through' .a reluctant' Congress, or expe-ed another I'majicial or procured an official enquiry ,into; tho . workings of some detested,(-trust;. •or : rescued : San Francisco from starvation.-' Everything .Mr., Hearst did ,iii : his one !fruitles3 .term as,a. Congress--man-was vaunted',in rthp'.samo extrayagnnt htylo: -vifr.' Hearst has gathered' around him ,wjth;tho-genius of a Carliigio a band of : ablo and 'devoted lieutenants;; : There is' ;Mr Arthur . Brisbane,.; who .'writes' l "'Hsarst" articles; fo-r tho., 1 editoral ..columns .of -tlie jpurnal and allows bis chief to ihave all- tho kudos" of thfiin. , Then there is Mr. Cari'alliq, tlie business manager of tho Hearst publications, .and. thoro aro astute lawyt-rs for Kis law department; and a prince of- or-' gailisers, ?Mr. Max Ihinsen,- to-manago tho Hearst vpolitical campaigns. ~ All of these work together to.pteach discontent, ,and prove Uhat .Hearst, is. always battling for ,feo P' o '.' against' .wealth, and.'privilege. Mr-.;Tiearst is a ; R,ad:cal, and ho..?ppealo to, all!.' Radicals, whether they; are * nofninally Dempcratia -or nominally Republican. His aim, stems to bo? to gather a personal following 'which, will .enable him to hold the balance of;power. .- ■'

v ,By i ;affiI l at. o n.Mr. Hearst is. a but piroy allegiance is hot a fetish, witil mm. ; .;In 1904, ;at the Presidential, election, h6":owned.'.2oo delegates in tho National l)e----mMratio,;,,Convention; ; In 4905 ho ran for 'Now -York:.on an indepen(lon jr. ticket,, and 1 '.'fought:/ Tammany to a Standstill." - •In 1906 he was tho ally.' of a« tbo official Democratic,caiididato for the State' Governorship.' lii 4907 ho broke, with Tammany and DomoCTa'cy ; to. j "fusoV with thp Republicians. That he'; has succeeded himself upon both parties-in turn-isi'in spite of his failure to;secur6 either mayoralty or governorship, to Ms power.. Personally, he'is quiet'/'ineasuredv and decorous in dress, appcaVanco, • and• manner. Ho possesses a ctertain'dry wit,'and is fift. 2in. in height broad-shfluttered, of chest, and hu"o- - ( with; powerful jaw, and largo cterul-; blub eyes., Ho neither. smokes nor drinks ; ho\cschew3 racing* and society; and his only hisfchomo, his papers, and bis politics.',..- Such'is tho man who is the chief disturbing factor rn American public life.