The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-14
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM.
ORGANS AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE
INDEPENDENT PREss-THE GREAT REvoLU-

ORGANS AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE
INDEPENDENT PREss-THE GREAT REvoLU-
TloN IN AMERICAN JOURNALISM.
From the Philadelphia Times. August 81
The growth in the circulation and influence OF
independents journals intelligence grows through
out the country is just of alarm to the de-
pendent organs of both parties. The time was when
political organs the newspapers of every Sec
ton, but their patrons and mportance have steadily
declined rs free schools and railways and tele-
graphs advanced. until they have ceased to be
regarded by the intelligent men of any party
as either leading or rejecting public opinion.
And their readers have hssened in number
becauserof the marvellous growth of independent
journalism they have become only and more
dependent upon party spoiIs tor their support and
present less claims upon the trust and favor of in
telligent readers. quarter OF o century ago the
party organs Of this city the only newspapers
which felt in the discussion and decision of all
public questions and they the widely cir
culated and prosperous OF Philadelphia Journals.
To-day there are two independent journals III this
city. one of which circulates more than all the
CANS combined, and the other has treble the circu-
lation OF any OF them. In New York and in Boston
the same revolution has been wrought. There
are two independent journals in New York, either nf
which equals the combined circulation OF all tho
others, and in Boston the one independent news
paper equals surpasses the circulation of all the
themselves to the front all independent of party
and of politicians. They discuss public men aud
public measures with candor and tearessness, re-
CARELESS OF consequences. They are constantly as
sailed by organs and party leaders because the
organs hate their more deserving and successful
rivals and because the party leaders hate all news
papers which they cannot make to dance as they
shall pipe.
In another column We present two extracts from
the New York HERALD. the leading independent
journal OF America, and the Media (Pa.) american.
one of the ablest and most readable of the party
Af Dam Itaxrap Gin tfnan hn.
they not only present the between organs
and newspapers. but because they pointedly illus
trate the distinction The HERALD tells how organs
live, why they live. for whom they live and how
and why they condemn the independent journal.
The American admirably embellishes the PIC
ture of the HERALD. and proves how even
of the best OF organs fears the Offices
OF the independent press. The HERALD. like
the Times, is denounced q democratic sheet when
it exposes republican abuses and 1t is like this jour-
nal, fiercely denounced republican organ
when it impartially exposes democratic abuses. In
New York. where there is democratic msrulc in the
city of the Union to divide the duties of the in
dependent press between democratic local power and
republican national power, the OF fearless
and impartial journals fails nearly equally upon
both parties; but in Pennsylvania, where there has
been continued republican rule in city and State in
harmony with the republican rule OF the
nation, the abuses of authority, which
inevitable under all parties enjoying pro-
tracted sway, are mainly confined to
party and the criticisms of the independent press
must, OF necessity, be directed chiefly against the
organization that is supreme in its authority. 1t
racy OF this city and State happen to steal away
while the republican placemen are wrangling over
their plumber fruitful OF abuses, in small way,
which demand and receive the pointed condemna-
ton of the independent journal but it is simply
democratic Legislature once in decade that serves
to work out the destruction of it's party, demo-
cratic Sheriff Coroner IN Phiadeph the chill
dren of republican suicide, forcibly illustrate
the capacity OF democracy to equal the most degen-
crate republicanism in the abuse OF power.
Our respected Media contemporary man:festly
breads what it calls the free lance in politics. but 1t
quite overlooks the higher and nobler mission OF
the independent press The free lance shafts of
criticism of which it insensibly complains by feeble
reading-the comedy of politics. They the
soning by which the annual recurring party battles
relieved of their stupid monotony but the great
cause OF the success OF independent newspapers and
the decline of party organs is in the fact that
newspapers give their readers the
fully and impartialy while organs must sup
press, modify give partisan colOring to every
thing however important news. II 1t can thereby
be made 10 serve party purposes. 1t Is for this
that organs not, and cannot be. news
the news OF the day on all subjects, political or
otherwise, people must lie vi Independent and pro-
gressive Journals, matter how often their polti-
cal sympathies or prejudces may be offended by
issues they are presented. Organs are not
10 be blamed for assaing the independent
newspaper. for the newspaper is the ever present
deadly foe OF the organ and as the politicians
their patronage have the very best tor hating
the independent press, the organs can do no less
than persistenty abuse the journals they dare not
initiate and whose prosperity they cannot hope to
attain. Organs are. therefore, entitled to grow. II
is about tho only compensation they have for limp
ing along in the tar of journalism and none
should give them needless sorrow in their always
treadmill and often breadless work.