Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-04-04

Published Daily and Weekly by the
INDEPENDENT PRINTING CO.
Bic nde 8 u. no Corner Queen & MnrtlnSt
yOLDME 2. MO- 4.


DENT enters upon its second |
year. The enterprisn when started |
was a hazardous one. Its enemies |
predicted it's demise within less |
than three months, and while its |
friends stood nobly by it, they had |
grave doubts of its success. It's
Projectors, however, had carefully
surveyed the field and counted
the cost" before launching their
craft upon the wreck-6trewn sea of
journalism. We knew that an in
dependent courageous newspaper
one that should be the reflex o. ,u.,
single mans mind, that shou ~ e,p
free from parry tram rs and
which would express IT'S; bonest
judgment without fe Ar or favor
was needed in Berl ,eley county. as
it is in every otf 4er county of the
State. With this conviction and
the confident hope that the intel
llgent ana reading public of this
community would appreciate our
aim and support our efforts, we
began nblication. Our hum
bic undertaking met with a gen.
erous welcome, and from the day
The INDEPENDENT was issued
to this, it has won new friends
daily. Steady, straightforward.
persistent, intelligent effort has
been the rule in the conduct of the
INDEPENDENT from it start; our
labors have not failed of apprecia-
ton, and basing our hopes for the
future on the success of the past,
we enter upon the second year
with none of the doubts or mis-
givings which characterized the
Inauguration of the enterprise.
The INDEPENDENT is now a fixed
fact-On a solid basis. 1t has
''come to stav.'
Already we have become pow
er and reference in the community
that we reach daily and weekly,
and we earnestly hope that our ex-
ertions have been and will be pro-
ductive ofthe good we aim at. We
endeavor TO gain the proud posi-
ton ola reference by being enter
prising, exact, careful and reliable.
II may seem an easy task to exer-
else these qualities, as the general
idea prevails that it is easy enough
to be an editor. "Why," said a
friend of ours once, a reading
and an educated man he
was, too. "Why, all you
have to do is 10 write something
and clip something, and there you
have it, That is just the point,
but what to write and what to clip
are serious questions every day.
We must search for the hidden
and exercise discretion in choos-
ing from The patent, common mat
ter. Each day has its interest in
the town, In the world of news,
and in the realms ofopinion. There
are items TO pick up and utilize, to
conde0se or to elaborate, views 10
endorse or oppose, as readers crave
infOI nation or amusement, or a
sense of right dictates, and the L.
Dor ofgiviDg all that isgoing read
able and reliable, fact and
surmise event and COM
ment, imposes q burdensome
and unceasing task on the paias-
taking and conscientious Journal
ist. We realize this, and have en-
deavored 10 make orr knowledge
of practical use; have done the
work as we'll as we could under
all the circumstances, and have
been honored with the app OLA
ton Of thousands Of those whom
we seek TO please.
We entef upon the second yeac
with high hopes and sill greatef
determination 10 please. The long
protcacted illness OF a membe; of
the editorial s,aff, and other un-
forseen circumstances compel us 10
delay the promised enlargement
of the paper for short time. Dur
ing the present year we expect to