The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-16
nongTRrNa ABOUT NEWSPAPERS.

a treat deal has been written IN tue
nont Few years about partisan news
G1 5kporp and independent newspapers.
4 and the weight Of public opinion thus
~ seems 10 be very decidedly IN favor
4 3 what Ia termed nm independent
rGooo." It may impress one. therefore.
Who has no clear and proper idea OF
4 What constitutes an independent jour
~" - very singular that there are.
nevertholess. very many party papers
which arc decided successes M business
enterprises, and which exercise u
Sory great influence in shaping
md controlling public opinion; while.
\ IN the other hand. many papers which
octontatiously placard themselves rs In
3dopcndcnt journals are held IN universal
soontempt, and finally exhaust the sub
lotnnce Of the proprictors and die out.
Dpt this apparent incongruity between
4 No theories Of public opinion and actual
i lots b very easily explained, and turns
4 out 10 be no incongruity at all. To I'M
0orotand Il. Il IL only necessary TO OBJ
I've that public opinion Is very often
WIsor Ia i:s Judgment OF what constitutes
In independent paper than are many
o1nbitlous journalists who indulge the
|ploasing delusion that they are smarter
than their generation. The truth
=, that there are party newspapers
1ndcpcndcnt In the expression Of their
Views. honest and conscientious in their
,n4vocacy Of public measures and In
their dealing with public men, and that
'thcrc are many newspapers claiming TO
~ independent, which arc the obscqui-
.&us Instruments OF corrupt rings and
Bnchcming and corrupt politicians; and
MI this public opinion soon discovers,
The character OF paper depends
lAr more upon the character Of the man
Who conducts 1t than upon It's assump-
tion OF party fealty or Of serene
and LOFTY Independence. II the editor
= IA honorable and liberal man,
and the paper Is conducted with
ability, and backed by capital and en-
torprise, Il will very likely be a business
nnccess. and command public conf
dencc. whether It purports to be the
journalistic representative Of party or
IN independent paper. In either case
10 Will support that party which It's con-
ductoTs believe to be right, and those
measures which he believes to be wise
md proper. II. on the other hand, the
editor be the miserable henchman Of
rings and monopolies; If his cupidity is
deeper rooted than his sense Of honor; il
his columns are for sale, or are In the in
'terest of plunderers of the State, though
Is print IAN independent journal on
every page Of his paper and proclaims
his independence until he is purple in
the hoe, an Intelligent public opinion
swtll readily discover that he is fraud.
chArleton, a pimp, and that his paper is
the mouthpiece or organ Of swindlers,
and blackmailers. Such
y journal will have no healthy life,
though, in q period ofoprofligacy like
Ills, Il may for time survive the loss
of It's reputation for honesty by feeding
ia the nasty nutriment doled out to it
~ the rascals who may have use for its
4roetituted and disgraced columns. 1t
r very easy to corroborate these views
hy citing notorious instances Of
SWhak we have said. The New
xork Times is strong party
SI9per: nevertheless, it has been
SoR Immense success, and exercises a
very powerful influence upon public
opinion. Indeed, few so-called indie
pendent journals command such gener-
NJ inspect as the New York Times. The
NV York Tribune, under Horace Gree
~. WAS . strong, often an unfair, party
-, yet It grew to be great newsps-