Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-05-31
5fliscellamy.
From the Boston Journal.
Independent Journalism Exempli-
fed

independent Journalism ENempiI-
fed.
Our readers have no doubt heard a
good deal within the past few years about
independent journalism" To major
ity of newspaper men, with twenty OF
more yers experience in journalism, II
has been impossible to answer the query
"what is independent journalism 7" In
some quarters where itis supposed to ex-
list it manifests itself by publishing gross
falsehoods, and commenting upon them
as if they were facts. 1t throws mud al
party men under the apparent delusion
that nominee of a party should al
once declare himselfin opposition to the
political creed Of all parties. 1t displays
what is supposed to be spirit of indie
pendence, by violating the spirit of de-
cency and giving currency to gossip
picked up from gossip-mongers who in
vent their news items and coin new lie
every day. But the most remarkable
exhibition of the legerdemain of indie
pendent journalists was shown at Cincin
matt. The great principle which is at
the bottom of the idea was illustrated
by grand moral exhibition, which is
thus described by Theodore Tilton in
the last issue of the Golden Age;
"The newspaper men-once some
what despised class-exerted a prodig-
ious power at Cincinnati. Thus. when
the Davis movement was at its hight,
and its managers confidently predicted
the success of their candidate, FIVE or
six gentlemen of the press met at mid
night over snipe lunch, and resolved to
kill the ambitious project the next day.
The patriotic conspirators were Horace
White of the Chicago Tribune, Samuel
Bowles of the Springfield Republicans,
Henry Watterson of the Louisville
Courier Journal, Murat Halstead of the
Cincinnati Commercial, and few other
well known writers, all of whom agreed
in believing that the Davis interest was
pressed by the Judges money, ana that
the scheme of nominating political
judge because he was pecuniarily able to
purchase for himself such a distinction,
ought at all hazards to be baked, or as
Carlyle would say. "squelched." How
far this accusation was true the present
deponent saith not As he does not pos
itively know the facts he feels unwilling
to join in the Indictment. But other
journalists believed it to the point of rage
and wrath and struck their blows accord
ingly. Each editor on the midnight in
question, telegraphed an editorial to his
journal bearing heavily against Judge
Davis and copies of all these articles
We're given to Mr.. Halstead of the Com
mercial, in whose journal they simuita-
neously appeared the next morning. The
effect was damaging in the extreme on
Davis's prospects. 1t was impossible for
his champion from that moment to win
any new recruits for their hero. 1t was
his death-blow,"
The secret is out! The myth has
thrown aside her invisible garments =
We now know what " independent jour
nalism" really means. 1t consists of
newspaper ring combining to induce the
people to believe that the ideas enter
tanned by three or four men are not in
fact the opinions of scribblers in Cincin-
natl, but reflex Of public opinion of
the people of Chicago, Springfield and
Louisville. And these men denounce
rings, deplore the evils of the caucus
system. deride political clubs, and are so
heartily sick of the corruption of the
republican party that they want to Gre
ate new and pure partyl Their first
step is the creation of newspaper ring.
This grand moral idea is one of those
occasional conceptions which originate
with men who are politically muddled.
They want pure party and they create
a newspaper ring to misrepresent public
opinion, by giving a photograph of the
public pulse, taken at distance of one
thousand miles, The Chinaman who
discovered the secret Of roasting pig
was less of an an original than these in
dependent journalists who seek to puri
politics by corrupting the press.
Rings ara bad enough, however con-
stituted, but let us pray that "a news
paper ring" may not. be among the Attic.
tons in store for the people of this coun-
try. f"puolic opinion" can be manu-
featured at the dictation of four news
paper men, we had better place the man
agement of affairs in the hands of these
" independent journalists" and thus save
the trouble and expense of nominating
But fortunately the first
effort of the newspaper ring came to
grief The idea was magnificent and
bold, but the undertakers were called in
to carry home the exhausted progenitors
We strongly suspect that snipe are not
conducive to the health of independent
u Mr.. Perkins editor of the Wood
stock Post, has in his possession Bible,
10 which are added the book of Common
10 o..