The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-29
THEORIES OF JOURNALISM.

referring to the defeat of the railroad
tax, "a more cruel wish than that the
commercial community should consider
the disaster of Tuesday as wholly at
tributable to the DEMOCRAT" The DEM
ocRAT has not been vain enough to
claim all the credit for defeating the
railroad tax; but it does not shrink
from any responsibility 1t may have in
Cured by Its course in relation to that
measure. The observation OF the Times
implies that opposition to the tax was
calculated to provoke the luminosity of
" the commercial community" and that
some terrible and ruinous consequence
must be the result of their ire.
The Times utterance might lead to
the conclusion that fear of the dis
pleasure Of the commercial community
would prompt it to advocate any meas
uro dictated by that community, or to
oppose any to which the merchants
were hostile. The DEMOCRAT supports
and opposes public measures upon en-
tirely different grounds. We respect
the views and opinions OF every class of
the community, but we pander to none,
and fear none. When any question OF
public interest arises, we judge for our
selves, with the lights before us, and as
wisely as we can, whether 1t be right or
wrong. If we believe it to be right,
neither the commercial community, nor
any other community, can influence us
to oppose it; and If we elieve it to be
wrong, we fight it with such ability as
we possess, and would do so II every
class in the community threatened us
with their displeasure.
A newspaper that can be governed in
It's advocacy Of public measures by any
other influence than its sense of right,
Is unworthy of the respect, confidence
and support Of an enlightened COM
munity. Possibly we may have COM
mitted an error in opposing this tax;
possibly its defeat may be what
our neighbor terms it-a disaster.
We are not infallible and we claim no
monopoly of wisdom. But. conceding
that we were wrong, and that the defeat
of the tax was disaster; II there is a
disposition on the part Of the business
community of New Orleans to persecute
and prescribe men or journals which,
in the honest and conscientious dis
charge Of their duty. oppose their views,
and to support and pamper every sheet
that will pander to their ideas. right or
wrong, then we say there is a spirit in
this city better calculated to ruin and
blight its progress than dozen rail-
roads are to build up its prosperity.
We differ, however, with the Times
L in its estimate Of our commercial COM
munity. They may be the narrow
minded, would.be autocrats. ready to
prescribe every journal which ventures
to differ with them, which the Times
represents them to be; but we think
differently. We are of the opinion that
they are as enlightened and liberal as
the business men Of other civilized
cities. When we discover the contrary
to be the case, there will be no longer a
field for the DEMOCRAT in New Orleans
Journalism. In the meantime we shall
continue, in our advocacy Of public
measures, to follow the dictates Of our
Judgment. We do not write articles or
adopt policies to win patronage, but to
serve the State. We are trying by this
conscientious and independent line OF
action, and by printing all the news, to
establish circulation which will make
| it to the interest of the mercantile COM
munity to patronize US. II we cannot
do this, we shall never, get their patron
age by obeying their dictation. or that
OF any other class.
The directors OF the New Orleans