Litchfield enquirer., 1879-07-10
Whole Truths, or Half Truths ?

IOo lar out Ol TelaClOnS to It. lie Will unQer- stand that party is not an end, but means i; will use it, if it leads to his end-will use some other, if that serve better, but will never con- init the folly of attempting to reach the end without the means.
 Of all the puerile folies that have masquer- aded before high heaven in the guise of reform. the most childish has been the idea that the editor could vindicate his independence only by sitting on the fence and throwing stones with impartial vigor alike at friend and foe.
 Here is the creed of the Tribune, since Greeleys death, in intelligible though some- what inflated form. It says, in short, that it is absurd for an editor not to fight for some party-that there can be no such thing as in- dependent journalism. This is not true; but no doubt it seems true to man like Whitelaw Reid. His own cratic course has been in en- tire consonance with his theory. He has been the the fercest of Rebublicans and the fiercest of anti-Republicans, the fiercest of Tilden partisans, and the fiercest of anti-Til- den partisans; in short, everything in politics but independent. From the fact that he has never been able to make the Tribune an inde- pendent journal, he naturally enough infers, that no other editor can succeed where he has failed.
 It will not be necessary, we imagine, to argue the question of MT. Reid's natural incom- potency for independent journalism with any reader of the Tribune. We merely wish to ln- stance one of those queer difficulties into which editors who do rot masquerade before high heaven in the guise of reform" occasion ally fall.
 It so happened that, just at the close of the last New York legislature, the Tribune was anxiously urging the passage of bill securing lower Broadway and Nassau St. against being invaded by elevated railroads, to the great damage of business The session was so near it's end that any delay seemed dangerous, when a few senators, who professed to favor this bill, had it's passage delayed by a recommitment with the view, as they claimed of necessary amendment. The Tribune attacked these leg islators, particularly one Sessions, Republi- can Senator, and insinuated that he was delaying the bill with view to striking" some of the wealthy men interested in it's passage. Ses- sions replied in hot speech and the Tribune pursued him, newspaper-f fashion, with daily attacks, finally going so far. in it's issue of May 21, as to say:
 Every man who is at all familiar with the political history of the State, knows what the record of MT. Sessions is, in the lobby and out of it, and knows also that it was great mis- fol to hau tn fho mistake which his constituents are not likely let us hope, to repeat.
 Sessions is evidently expecting another nomi- nation, and, within day or two, called at the Tribune office to put stop to attacks which were likely to injure his prospects He suc- ceeded. The Tribune published an adroit card in which he vindcated his good faith, admitted his own hot temper, and proposed a cessation of hostllities To this the editor of the Tribune assented in the following terms:
 All's we'll that ends we'll The bill got through all right MT. Sessions did for it all he promised. He said some things that weren't wise, and he now admits the fact fashion. He finally voted right, which Oftentimes atones for multitude of sins. Let us have peace.
 Here all would have ended. and Sessions would have run for the Senate next fall, un- disturbed by any back fire from the Tribune office, had not his conduct begun to be sl arply criticised at home To quiet matters he wrote a letter which some indisereet' friend had printed, in which he claimed that,
 There never was SC unjust and unwarranta- ble an attack made. The truth was, job was being ''stole" through the Senate, and rendered perhaps valuable aid in smashing it, and the disappointed ones used the Trihune to vent their spite on me.
 This was too much for endurance, and, in its issue of June 30. the Tribune devotes a column to Sessions, recapitulatcs the whole affair, ayers that Sessions was the leader of small band of Senators who were making trouble in the hope of being bribed, and con- cludes as follows:
 It is indeed little irritating to find MT. Loren B. Sessions at this late day claiming the con- sideration that is awarded to men who have lived clean lives. MT. Sessions has been known for many years to the people of the State; he is notorious in Washington and in Albany :: and we have heard many emphatic opinions expressed about him. We have never heard an honest Republican speak of him with con- f1dence.
 No doubt Sessions is the scoundrel the Tri- bune pictures him but the queer part of the business is the consideration alleged for that compact of silence which Mir. Reid kept so faithfully till he was personally attacked: He hastened to this city, and to this office. to beg for quarter. The Tribune, feeling that critical campaign was at hand, that the loss of single District might be National mis- fortune, and that all dissensions that could possibly be avoided should be, was willing to drop Mir. Sessions, not for his sake, but fo,. | that 0f the party. Mir. Sessions wrote letter acknowledging his error, and the Tribune, not aotsttaag to soao the seeds 0f discord tn any Re- publican District, added few good-humered words, letting Mir. Sessions down easy Whereupon, MT. Sessions got up dusted his knees, and started for Chautauqua County with the story that the Tribune had been at. tacking him because he-L, B. Sessions !-bad been smashing jobs 1" His course leaves the Tribune no choice but to state just what was the immediate occasion of it's strictures.
 Here, in nutshell as it were, we get the whole philosophy of partisan journalism. l.. B. Sessions is a corrupt legislator, distrusted | ever, to run for the Senate in the Thirty Third District of New York, next fall, and the Trib. une knowing his true character, proposed to let him be voted for as an honest man, by hon. est men, rather than ''sow the seeds of discord in any Republican District, until it had to speak out in defence of it's own reputation In painting such an unlovely portrait of this ras- cal in high places, the Tribune seems unaware that it is also drawing an equally unlovely picture of it's own shameful partisanship. Can there be now, can there ever have been, such a political emergency as would justify the send ing of known villain to the very place where his villainy can do the most harm2 It is simply the perpetual emergency of the parti- sanship which will always support the rascals of it's own party against the honest men of any other party. In fact, Mir. Reids practice in the matter of Senator l.. B. Sessions, throws a | flood of light upon that theory of his which holds in such contempt 'the editor that can