Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-12-08
By Request.
Independent Newspapers.

We have no wish to underrate independ-
ent newspapers. The real thing is worth
great deal, both to paper and to its read
ers. 1t is not in these days very rare, be-
cause the great body of newspaper readers
are remarkably keen, as well as honest, and
do not care enough for secondhand opin-
ions to make it pay for papers to peddle
them. On the other hand, the time has
pretty well gone by when party could
give to a really well-managed newspaper
any special hel p or advantage. The work
Of the newspaper ''organ, once important
and profitable, is no longer either, and it
is not so much of a virtue TO be independ-
ent as those who claim tc have a monopoly
of that quality try to make it appear. On
the other hand, it is to be remarked that
there is a cant of independence which is as
insincere as vicious, and the mark of as
low a moral standard as anything in the
Old-fashioned ''organ" ever was. A news
paper does not necessarily lose its servility,
or its desire to mislead, because it loudly
abjures all party ties. 1t is quite as easy
perhaps easier-to make an idol of private
interests or personal prejudiceS, and call on
the public to fall down and worship it, as
it is to set up political party for indis-
criminate approval, And it is quite as easy
to be betrayed into stupid partiality or in
genuious evasion and perversion of the
truth by steady wish to maintain a claim
to peculiar independence, as it is to do the
same for the advantage of g party.
Probably some of our readers may have
made these reflections for themselves, if
they happen to be Of the few who see the
more ostentatious Of these independent"
papers. The course OF the latter, during
and since the close of the canvass, was very
remarkable. They were, by their own
statement, in favor of Gov. Hayes cleo
tion. OF course, they were ''refOrmers.'
No truly Independent newspaper writer is
willing to put up with things as they are.
If he did, he could make very little demand
for his view of how things ought to be. 1t
IS tame business protesting content with
any situation; moreover, no community
could long think that man or paper was
really of higher order than themselves
unless he or it found fault freely Being
reformers, the papers to which we have re-
ferred could not very well refuse to see
that Gov. Hayes was very earnest in re-
form. All his words, backed by his acts,
showed that. But so much conceded. moth
ing could prove the severe impartiality of
these so well as to point out that Gov.
HAYES probably could not do ANYTHING for
reform, and that Mr.. Tilden, who never
even hinted that he wanted any systematic
reform, could and would do great deal in
that direction. The question being which
would improve the government most, the
Republicans or the Democrats, these lofty
guides would not stoOp to Strike a balance
between the evidence for one and the evi-
dence for the other; that, they said, would
be teaching that two wrongs made right.
Their way was to eXaggerate the faults and
failings of the Republican party, to ignore
its elements Of strength and virtue, and to
speak only soft words of the Democrats. If
Tilden has consented to the reputation of
the Resumption act, the Republicans
should not complain, because. if they had
brought about resumption years ago, it
would not now be an issue. II the Demo
Gratis Of the South were pressing rebel
claims, the Republicans should remember
that if they had allied the South to their
party by ties of tender affection, the South
would not be pressing claims. If Mr.. Til
den had cheated the government out of his
income tax, these journals were sorry if
that was to be a disqualification for the
Presidency; besides, the Republicans should
not forget the SanbOrn contracts and the
Credit Mobilier. In other words, though a
great Democratic fault would not balance
a Republican fault however slight, no slip
Of the Republicans was so small that it did
not make the gravest Democratic vice a
virtue. If any one objected that this vas
practically helping the Democrats very
much, and not helping the Republicans at
all, our independent friends replied that
that was none Of their business. They ex-
listed in order to give to the world their
own infallible ideas. Having expressed
their opinion that the election of HAYES
would be best for the country, they were
not going to break down their reputation
for Independence by throwing their infiu-
ence" in his favor, II they did that, they
would be no better than partizans. The
common herd might argue for the man OF
their choice. To be independent 1t was
necessary to argue for the other man.
Since the close of the canvass. these very |
independent organs of their individual edi- |
tors have attracted somewhat more atten- |
tion than they deserve They have pretty |
constantly devoted themselves to showing !
that if Mr.. Hayes is elected by the returns |
Of the State canvassers in Louisiana, it will |
be a great blow to the Constitution and a |
fearful strain on the Republic. One Of |
them-the pettiest Of the lot--informs a |
small circle of readers in western MaSSa-
chusett that if this calamity falls upon the |
country, it will advise submission, but it !
appears unwilling to be responsible for the |
consequences. The Idle Of drifting into a
future where a fourth-rate newspaper in
Springfield will not consent to be response.
bic for events is, Of course, an appalling
one; but as the vote Of Louisiana has ap-
parently been given for Hayes, and must
be returned by its State eanvassers, we do
not see how we are going to be saved. 1t
was reported at one time that Mr.. Charles
Francis Adams-who, as certain persons IN
Springfield are often reminded, is the sec
ond great man in MaSsachusetts-was on
his way to New Orleans to look after the
Returning Board. If he had gone, all
might have been we'll. As it is, we see no
way but for the country % take its Presi-
dent, legally elected by such means as are
provided, and get on as best it can.
As for the schemes of the Democrats
THAR y,r,nstitutinn of the Judiciary in Smith