The Portland daily press., 1872-05-22
How Judge Davis was Defeated.

Our readers have no doubt heard good
deal within the past few years about ''inde-
pendent journalism. To a majority of news
paper men, with twenty or more years ex-
perience in journalism, it has been impossible
to answer the query, "What is independent
journalism In some quarters where it is
supposed to exist it manifests itself by pub
fishing gross falsehoods, and commenting up
on them as if they were facts. 1t throws mud
at party men under the apparent delusion
that nominee of a party should at once de-
clare himself in opposition to the political
creed of all parties. 1t displays what is sup
posed to be spirit of independence, by vio-
lating the spirit of decency and giving curren-
cy to gossip picked up from gossip-mongers
who invent their news items and coin a new
lie every day. But the most remarkable ex-
hibition of the legerdemain of independent
journalists was shown at Cincinnati. The
great principle which is at the bottom of the
idea was illustrated by grand moral exhibi-
ton, which is thus described by Theodore
Tilton in the last issue of the Colleen Age.
The newspaper men-Once a somewhat de-
spised class-exerted a prodigious 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 midnight
over a snipe lunch, and resolved to kill the am
bilious project the next day. The patriotic
cOnsprators were Horace White of the Chicago
Tribune, Samuel Bowles of the Springfield Re-
publican, Henry Watterson of the Louisville
Cou,ier-Jourrdt, Murat Halstead of the Gin
cinnati Commercial, and a few other well
known writers, all of whom agreed in believing
that the Davis interest was pressed by the
Judges money, and that the scheme of nom-
mating political judge because he was pecun-
iarily able to purchase for himself such dis
tinction, 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 positively know the
facts, he feels unwilling to join in the indict-
ment But other journalists believed it to the
point of rage and wrath, and struck their blows
accordingly. Each editor, on the midnight in
question, telegraphed an editorial to his jour
nal bearing heavily against Judge Davis and
copies of all these articles were given to Mr.
Halstead of the Commercial, in whose journal
they simultaneously appeared the next morn
ing, The effect was damaging in the extreme
on Davis's prospects. 1t was impossible for
his champions 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 journalism really means
1t consists of newspaper ring combining to
induce the people to believe that the ideas en-
tertained by three or four men are not in
fact the opinions of scribblers in Cincinnati,
but reflex of public opinion of the people
of Chicago, Springfield and Louisville. And
these men denounce rings, depl IRE 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 a new and pure partyl Their first step is
the creation of a 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 newspaper ring to
misrepresent public opinion, by giving pho
tograph of the public pulse, taken at dis
lance of one thousand miles. The China
man who discovered the secret of roasting
pig was less of an original than these indie
pendent Journalists who seek to purify poll
tics by corrupting the press.
Rings are bad enough, however constituted,
but let us pray that "a newspaper ring'' may
not be among the Affections in store for this
country. If s'public opinion can be manu-
featured at the dictation Of four newspaper
men, we had better place the management of
affairs in the hands of these Independent
journalists" and thus save the trouble and
expense of nominating conventions. But
fortunately the first effort of the newspaper
ring came to grief The idea was magnif-
cent and bold, but the undertakers were call
ed in early to carry home the exhausted pro-
.genitors. We strongly suspect that snipe are
not conducive to the health of independent
Journalists. Journal -