, 1876-07-23
AN OPEN LETTER TO W, F, STOREY.

/ 10 Mt Editor nf the C.aic7Jo Times.
CHICAGO, July 22.-Having had the temerit
to assail the so-callcd independence OF tn
1Tn.es, m unfortunate individual who sign
himself Murray Waltman seems to have in
CURED your animosity, judging by the an1mu
OF an editorial published in your issue Of tn
2lst inst Not being q s'constant render" o
Inc organ OF the Washington Administration
referred to in that editorial, am ignorant wha
ground OF complaint the offending party ma,
have had, but should infer from the tone of tht
reply that he must have cut deeper than yor
care to admit. Being, however, con
slant reader Of the Times, I am in
| clined to the opinion that, in the light
Of recent developments, his position Is
not only plausible, but tcnable- Ny notion OF
an S'independent aud fcarless' newspaper is
not tone OF. those e1nasculated dishwatery heb
domadals OF the neutral sort,'' SO graphically
described by you, but straightforward, out
spoken sheet, attacking public vcnality and
corruption wherever exposed, regardless Of
party, place, wealth. or influence; vigilautin
the interest Of public good; Of decided con-
victions, warranted BY the signs of the times;
truculent to no party ring-1naker; obeying no
party-whip. aud, above all, neither coloring or
distorting facts to accord with whatever views
it may have entertained before becoming cogni-
zant OF such. Such a paper would be "inde-
pendent aud fearless" How well you have earn-
ed that title is attcsted by your large
circulation, Tor all men, not morally towards,
admire independence, even il coupled with sem
sationaIism.
How well you are entitled to the motto now
may well be questioned That you can adyo-
cate Tllen and still be Independent, no ono
can possibly doubt; that you can believe the
St. Louis platform a new evangcl, aud still
maintain your Independence, is not to be g,les-.
toned; but that you should suddenly bcvo,ne
the champion Of the Democracy, past, present,
and to come, in the face OF the constant tone OF
your editorials for two years or more prior to
the st. Louis Convention; that you Should as
suddenly become impressed with all the virtues
Of Tildcn, when any reader of your paper
Knows that you did not believe him
ct tnan for the place prior to that Convention;
lis every misdced, political or private, and to
magnify his virtues in truly Democratic style;
that yol, should feel called on to show that the
Democratic party is the embodiment of all the |
virtues. and always has hcen looks strangely as
party hack In any event, it might afford |
psychologists field for speculation to asce:- |
lain by what mant1 ;or moral so.ncrsauIt the |
direction ol your thoughts had been SO entirely |
hanged.
consistency has been called a jewel, but it
'stimation. Tic *'putri1 relninisccnce ~
suddenly becomes purified; by some
atllatus Tilden becomes your prophet. Lido
1ot presume to inquire BY what line of argu-
nent you have satisfied yourself that he can do
10 wrong, nor do know BY what soph!strY you
'rriyed ut the opinion that the. Democratic par
; Is low, and always has been, band Of i'm
But think the conclusion fairly
Tarranted that, being SO blindly infatuated by.
heir numerous virtues, you cannot judge fairly
i fnhlr fAfrnS TO1r ~ 1f71Y,ta1 hair I