WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST

San Francisco County

HEARST, WILLIAM RANDOLPH, Editor, San Francisco and New York, was born in San Francisco, April 29, 1863, the son of United States Senator George Hearst and Phoebe (Apperson) Hearst. His father had great intellectual powers and was a conspicuous figure in the early history of the West. His mother is a noted philanthropist and uplifter, having given vast sums to aid in the education of the poor. She has established numerous kindergartens and libraries in various parts of the West and at the present time occupies a place on the Board of Regents of the University of California, to which she gave a building costing approximately four million dollars. Mr. Hearst married Miss Millicent V. Willson in New York City, April 28, 1903. To them there have been born three children, George, William Randolph, Jr., and John Randolph Hearst.

Mr. Hearst received his elementary education in the public schools of his native city, and later attended Harvard University.

Upon his return to San Francisco after completion of his college career, Mr. Hearst was placed in control of the San Francisco “Examiner” by his father, who had himself up to that time (1886) conducted the paper as an organ for the people. This inherited policy Mr. Hearst has never changed; he has made it the guiding principle of all his subsequent newspaper enterprises.

After conducting the San Francisco “Examiner” for nine years with a large degree of success, adding to its prestige as a journal and its value as a property, Mr. Hearst’s progressive spirit sought larger fields. Accordingly, he went to New York, in 1895, and purchased the old New York “Journal,” later acquiring the New York “Advertiser,” and consolidating the two, issuing morning and afternoon editions.

The arrival of Mr. Hearst into New York not only changed the journalistic methods of the metropolis, but was the beginning of a new era in newspaper operation as a whole. Surrounding himself with the best talent to be procured, Mr. Hearst projected his ideas and his personality into the field in such a manner that within a short time he was recognized as the embodiment of a new thought in journalism.

His cardinal principles in the conduct of his papers have been the protection of the people, the correction of government evils, city, state and national, and the enactment of legislation intended for the betterment of the people as a whole.

In following out this policy, Mr. Hearst has been a potential influence in the establishment of progressive reforms, which has purified politics and raised the general moral plane of life in various communities.

After fighting strenuously for five years in New York, with the “Journal” as a militant power for right, Mr. Hearst invaded Chicago, by establishing the Chicago “American,” an afternoon paper. Two years later the Chicago “Examiner,” a morning issue, was founded, and that same year the morning edition of the New York “Journal” became known as “The New York America.” Eight years ago (1903) he established the Los Angeles “Examiner,” and a year later the “American” in Boston. He also owns the “Morgen Journal” (New York), the largest and most influential German daily in the United State, and several other weekly and monthly publications.

All of Mr. Hearst’s newspapers are maintained along the same lines as those upon which he conducted his first publication. In their respective fields they are relentless in their efforts for the eradication of corruption in politics, corporation oppression and other evils of local or national extent.

One of Mr. Hearst’s large and most important institutions is the International News Service, originally organized for gathering and distributing news, covering the especially big events of the world for his own publications. It is today one of the largest news agencies in the world and supplies, in addition to his own, hundreds of other large newspapers. It has had a most important influence on the newspaper situation of the world.

A fact worthy of mention is that Mr. Hearst is a thorough newspaper man. He knows the business in its every detail, from the mechanical to the editorial. He is the active director of his various publications.

Born a Democrat, Mr. Hearst has been a commanding figure in the affairs of his party, nationally and otherwise. He has fathered many sound policies for the guidance of the organization, and was at one time President of the National Association of Democratic Clubs. At times his ideas have not been in harmony with those of other leaders, and on such occasions he has voiced his sentiments editorially and in public speeches. It was such a situation that led to the formation by Mr. Hearst, in February, 1906, of the Independence League, a movement the purpose of which, as avowed by delegates in convention at Albany, N. Y., was to overthrow boss rule and corporation control of the Government. Its necessity was due to the lack of a direct nominations law, which prevented progressive Democrats and Republicans from exercising any voice in the selection of candidates or writing of platforms. The cardinal principles of the Independent League, as announced in its national platform, were direct nominations, direct election of Senators, income tax, initiative, referendum and recall, postal savings banks, parcels post, inland waterways development, conservation of natural resources, physical valuation of railroads, no injunction without notice and hearing, and all contempt of court cases to be tried by a jury; opposition to child labor and the manufacture and sale of prison-made goods; revision of the tariff; all money to be issued by the Government, and “imprisonment of individuals criminally responsible for trusts, instead of merely fining the stockholders.”

The general acceptance of these doctrines today is apparent from their mere enumeration.

Mr. Hearst served in the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses, from the Eleventh District in New York, and during his service at Washington originated and carried to successful conclusion, oftentimes in the face of bitter opposition, various measures of reform. He introduced bills increasing the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and creating the Interstate Commerce Court, the principle of both of which bills has since been enacted into law; a bill to establish the Parcels Post; a bill for the eight-hour day, and the payment of the prevailing rate of wages by all Federal contractors and sub-contractors; a bill to promote the construction of a national system of good roads; a bill to increase the salaries of the Justices of the Supreme Court; a bill to enlarge the domestic market for farm products and increase the industrial uses of denatured alcohol; a bill for the incorporation and regulation of all corporations engaged in interstate business under a national incorporation law, adequately protecting the public against watered stocks and bonds; a bill to enable the United States to acquire, maintain and operate electric telegraphs, paying therefore by the sale of bonds redeemable out of net earnings; a bill to authorize the acquisition by the United States of the entire capital stock and property of the Panama Railroad Company, and to provide for the maintenance, operation and development by the Government of the railroad and steamship properties and lines so acquired; a bill constituting a rigid and adequate Federal Corrupt Practices Act; a bill making railroad rebating a criminal offense; and a bill amending the Sherman Anti-Trust Law, strengthening it as a criminal statute and making it apply to combinations and restraints of trade in and monopoly of products of labor.

Mr. Hearst’s battles in the interests of the people have been numerous and varied, but almost universally successful, and have been of national importance in virtually every instance. Following are some of the notable things he did:

He frustrated the fuel gas franchise grab in New York, in 1896, worth $50,000,000 to its promoters.

He blocked the Ice Trust’s plan to raise its price and started suits to dissolve the combine, in 1900, and forced the price down from 60 to 30 cents a hundred in three months. He fought successfully in Legislature against “dollar gas,” and compelled an eighty-cent rate to be put in effect; similar, but shorter, gas fights were inaugurated by him bringing about reductions in Boston and Chicago. He brought about the conviction of the president and the payment of depositors in the wrecked Seventh National Bank of New York. He caused the electrization of the New York Central Railroad following a tunnel disaster costing forty lives. At the height of the first anthracite coal strike he produced evidence showing combination between nine Pennsylvania railroads and fought the case with such vigor that the United States Government, under President Taft, brought and won an injunction suit against railroads holding stock of the Temple Iron Company, through which the combination was carried on, the case finally reaching the United States Supreme Court. The effect of this publicity ultimately led to rate reductions by various railroads and the radical amendment of the Interstate Commerce law. He started rebating suits against the New York Central, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western and allied roads for rebating, which results in the roads’ paying large fines to the Government.

Mr. Hearst was thanked by the Attorney General Moody for his activity in the case against the Sugar Trust for rebating, which resulted in the combine’s paying fines aggregating $250,000 and the ultimate exposure of its workings, which caused the corporation to refund millions of dollars to the Government in unpaid duties.

He conducted a fight for twenty-five years which resulted in San Francisco getting a municipal water supply and the ownership of street railways. He also produced the first evidence and led in the campaign against the Ruef-Schmitz graft ring in San Francisco, which sent Ruef to prison and freed the city from one of the most obnoxious systems of corruption in the history of the United States. He also exposed the “120 per cent Miller” syndicate swindle. He caused the Southern Pacific and other railroads to rebuild their roads so as to safeguard human life and directed scores of other fights in the various cities where his papers are published which saved the people millions of dollars and lightened their burdens in divers ways.

In his various campaigns Mr. Hearst has been ever ready to espouse the cause of a worthy man or measure, as was indicated in his memorable fight for the adoption of the reciprocity treaty between Canada and the United States. But, on the other hand he has never hesitated to criticize the unworthy actions of any public official, national or local.

Mr. Hearst, in times of disaster in any part of the world, has been one of the leaders in the work of aiding the poor and alleviating suffering. In 1906, when San Francisco was stricken by earthquake and destroyed by fire, he sent the first relief train into the city, following this with several others, and, altogether, raised $250,000 for the relief of the sufferers.

When news of the catastrophe was heard he immediately instructed all of his papers to spare no expense and to leave no stone unturned in an endeavor to secure all supplies in their respective cities and ship at once to San Francisco. His instructions were to hire special trains or to attach cars to any available train in order to reach the stricken city at the earliest possible moment. From Los Angeles he sent one special passenger train containing provisions, doctors, nurses and medical supplies, and later sent a special from Chicago containing one hundred doctors and all available medical supplies. The steamer Roanoke sailed from Los Angeles, containing twenty-two carloads of provisions, four of which were contributed by Mr. Hearst. Trains, under his lease and orders, were made up in Chicago, New York and Boston, each containing numerous cars, filled by him with provisions and clothing. Almost every day one or more cars from the various headquarters established by Mr. Hearst throughout the country were sent forth containing supplies contributed by him. This was kept up day after day during the entire period of need.

Five years previously, when Galveston was almost swept out of existence by flood, Mr. Hearst performed similar services, sending one relief train from Chicago and one from New York, which rushed provisions, doctors and nurses to the scene of trouble. He also raised and sent $50.000 cash.

At other times he contributed freely to the relief of starving thousands during famine periods in India and Cuba and to disaster victims of other parts of the world. To the earthquake sufferers in Italy he sent $35,000, composed of his own and other contributions made through the efforts of his publications.

By a vigorous editorial campaign and personal effort, Mr. Hearst was instrumental in securing reforms in the cause of humanity in the Congo district, where the natives had been the objects of cruelty and oppression unequaled in any other country on the globe.

Although he has lived in New York the greater part of the time in recent years, Mr. Hearst has lost none of the civic patriotism he felt for San Francisco, and when the matter of the Panama-Pacific Exposition was up in Congress, threw all of his influence and the weight of his newspapers into the fight which the business men of the Bay City were making for the great fair. His work, with that of the others, finally won the honor for their city.

Among his clubs are the Pacific Union, of San Francisco; the Manhattan Club, Union Club, National Democratic Club, City Lunch Club, Press Club, National Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club and the Atlantic Yacht Club, of New York, and the Chicago Press Club.

Transcribed by Donna L. Becker.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Pages 73-74, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, 1913.

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San Francisco County

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