The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-07

not be claimed to be independent,
nor are its opinions worthy of serl-
Gus consideration. Its influence, if
it exerts any, must be pernlcious;
for, being the expressions of a mind
so bigoted tibet it will not look for
the truth, its teachings must always
be likely to be cratic and their ten
dency to inculcate bigotry and in
tolerance. And, again, that paper,
which is swayed by, every wind Of
doctrine, and which contradicts to-
day what it taught yesterday and
may declare again tomorrow, is not
independent nor meritorious. In a
labored editorial in one number we
can often find it advocating opinions
utterly inconsistent even with other
editorial articles in the same num-
Der. It is destitute of settled con-
victions, accepting this theory to-day
and that tomorrow; and yet it is
not infrequently the case that such
papers claim to be independent.
They mistake Inconsistency" for
independence.
Our idea of an indedendent paper
is: that it shall advocate well-estab-
lished principles, which theory and
experience have proved to be cor
rect, and not allow itself to be divert
ed from this by any considerations
of party nor apparent self-interest.
That it shall recognize that, while
all parties, sects, and associations
sometimes do wrong, so do they all
sometimes do right; and that, while
they all comprise bad men in their
memberships, so do they also num-
Der good men in their associations ;
and that generally, if not always, the
good element is most numerous, if
its influence is not constantly pre-
dominant. Indeed, we do not be-
lieve that an editor or any other
man can abide by one party through
a long succession Of years and re-
main consistent with himself. Polit-
ical parties change their sentiments
radically, under the influence OF
changing circumstances; and, not
only so, but the elements compos-
ing these parties are constantly
changing. No intelligent man will
claim that the two great political
parties Of this country. to-day are
championing the same opinions that
they advocated twenty years ago,
nor even that the principles they
now avow are wholly consistent
with those they promulgated at that
time; yet political truths have
not changed, for principles are eter-
nal.
A newspaper, then, claiming mer-
it because of its independence,
should be untrammeled by party,
but, at the same time, willing to
work with any party which it has
reason to believe will aid most effect
lively in procuring the adoption Of
the principles it believes to be cor
rect in the administration of the gov
eminent. 1t should hold itself free
from party dictation, but not be
blind to the fact that governmental
reforms can only be effected through
the agency Of party organizations.
Because it shall hold with a party is
no reason why it need be the slave
of the controlling spirits thereof;
neither is its afiliation with one pol
itical organization any cause why it
should hate an opposing organiza-
ton, nor, indeed, why it should not
seek to exert a salutary influence
upon such opposing party. Not on
ly newspaper editors, but every cit
izen of this country, should bear in
mind constantly that the country is