The Role of the PRESS

AS YOU WHO READ LAST MONTH'S LADDER KNOW, WE AND WATTACHINE WERE JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF THE PUBLICITY ACCORDED THE DENVER CONVENTION OF THE SOCIETY BY THE DENVER PAPERS. OUR MAIN HEADLINE HERALDED "MATTACHINE BREAKS THROUGH THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE." LITTLE DID WE KNOW. THOSE OF US IN SAN FRANCISCO, FOLLOWING THE LOUD ELECTION EXPLOSION, WERE WONT TO THINK THE "BREAK-THROUGH" HAD TAKEN ON THE DIMENSIONS OF A MAJOR ASSAULT.

THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC PRESS IN THE JUST-FINISHED ELECTION IN SAN FRANCISCO HAS BEEN RATHER STRANGE. THE THREE DAILIES IN THE CITY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER AND NEWS-CALL BULLETIN WERE ALL SUPPORTING GEORGE CHRISTOPHER FOR MAYOR BEFORE HIS OPPONENT, RUSSELL L. WOLDEN, DROPPED HIS BOMBSHELL BY ACCUSING THE INCUMBENT OF ALLOWING "SEX DEVIATES" FREE REIN IN THE CITY.

THE REACTION OF ALL THREE PAPERS FOLLOWING WOLDEN'S "EXPOSE" WAS ALMOST UNANIMOUS. ALTHOUGH THE CHRONICLE IS AN INDEPENDENT PAPER, THE EXAMINER A HEARST PAPER AND THE NEWS-CALL BULLETIN A COMBINATION OF HEARST AND SCRIPPS HOWARD, ALL THREE CALLED THE WOLDEN BLAST "SMEAR". AND ALL THREE WERE EMINENTLY FAIR TO THE ONE ORGANIZATION PRIMARILY INVOLVED THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY.

THE OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY WERE QUOTED CORRECTLY; THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME "MATTACHINE" WAS GIVEN; ALL EXPOSED THE ROLE WILLIAM P. BRANDHOVE PLAYED IN THE DENVER CONVENTION OF MATTACHINE, ESPECIALLY WITH REFERENCE TO THE RESOLUTION PRAISING CHRISTOPHER AND POLICE CHIEF THOMAS CAHILL. ADDITIONALLY, ALL THREE PAPERS REFRAINED, FOR THE MOST PART, FROM CALLING MATTACHINE A "HOMO~ SEXUAL ORGANIZATION" THEY DESIGNATED IT, CORRECTLY, AS A GROUP INTERESTED IN THE PROBLEMS OF HOMOSEXUALITY.

THIS ACCUSATION BY THE ASPIRANT TO THE MAYORSHIP AGAINST THE INCUMBENT TOOK ON THE ASPECTS OF A MAJOR CAMPAIGN ISSUE. HOWEVER, THE PARTISAN PRESS, DAMNING WOLDEN, LET THE MATTER DROP AS SOON AS WOLDEN DID LITTLE MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER THE FIRST ASSAULT. AND MAYOR CHRISTOPHER REFUSED TO ANSWER THE CHARGES, DEEMING THEM TOO SCURRILOUS TO DESERVE RETORT.