Litchfield enquirer., 1878-01-24
Samuel Bowles.

The death of noted and successful journal is is not usually matter of great pubic mo- ment. The editor among writers is only a scene painter among artists. His work is val uable from it's amount, and it's temporary use- fulness, not for any quality of permanence. Journalists earn vastly more money, indeed, than all other American writers because they large market for their work. Theirs is the sil- yer coin of literature, and it abounds as the worse of the two precious metals will abound in these United States if certain crazy Western and Southern Congressmen get control of our hints. It seems sometimes as if the newspa- per was killing off the book. The former cir culates everywhere, while the latter hardly keeps its old place on the farmers or the me chanic's shelf, but is being hoarded into great libraries, as all our gold is hoarded into banks.
 If Samuel Bowles therefore, had been sim ply great journalist, we should have left it to those who admire journalism more than We do to sing his praises. He was something vastly greater than great newspaper-w writer; he was the real father of independent journal ism in America. His situation was afortunate one for his purpose. He owned his own paper. As the great journal of Western Massachusetts and central New England, the Republican also had a strong local position, with no dangerous rivals to outbid in the public favor before mals- ing itself an assared success. Mir. Bowles could therefore be independent without fear of imme diate ruin. When he expressed views consid- cred hostile to his party, he could afford to wait till the results justified his criticisms. Old subscribers finally found out that if there was much that was. extremely aggravating to the straight Republican or the straight Democrat in his columns, it was pretty generally whole some if not pleasant information. They observ- ed that there was more truth to be seen through Mr. Bowles' spectacles, than through the dis torting lenses of the thick and thin party pa pers. He sometimes made mistakes but they were the mistakes of an honest man-not the mistakes of bigot or knave.
 He was no politician. All the time that he was advocating the election of Charles Francis Adams to the presidency. he scarcely knew the man by sight. He expected nothing from him. He was simply directing the public attention to person whom he considered an enlinently fit candidate This is real, independent jour- nalism. It looks to no partisan or personal ad- vantage, but to the advantage of the whole community. Hence it came to pass, after time, that the words of Samuel Bowles rattled with more or less of approval or disapproval through all the printing presses in the country. Editors copied and applauded because they were | glad to have the opinion of a shrewd observer, known to print just what he really thought, on their side or, they copied and abused and re- futed, because they feared the effect of an hon. est and independent editors word against them. In any case they copied the views of the Springfield Republican, which was sufh- cient compliment, and one they seldom paid to their fellow travellers In t'se old ruts of party | journalism. '
 Whether the independence of the Republican is to die with Mir. Bowles, is question that will interest many. Itistoo good a machine to stop running at once, of course, but mere mo- mentum will not long continue it's headway There must be the old earnestness, independ- ence, and ability combined, to sustain the rep utation the paper has attained under it's old manager. 1 A still more important question is, what is to be the future of independent journalism? No one can yet tell, In this still-water period when no one knows precisely in what the principles of his own party differ from the principles of the other party-it flourishes
 somewhat, and gathers considerable strength ;
 but the time will no doubt come when party
 issues will be clearly defined once more, and the conflict of principles will as violently
 as of old. Thsn, will people on either side be
 tolerant of the Griticism that points out the
 faults of both sides? There are few men who
 can bear to hear cherished opinions attacked :;
 are there not fewer yet, who will willingly pay
 money tc the man who consistently strips the
 sheeps-clothing first of one and then off the