Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-10-04
Word of Appreciation.

MORALES, Ariz., Sept. 28th 1890.
 EDITOR ENTERPRISE: The survillty to party spirit is the abdication of that moral leadership of opinion which is the great function of the political press. It IS a subserviency which destroys the inde- pendence of a paper, but 1t does not save a party. There IS not party Tn the his tory of our United States which has been utterly destroyed, or overthrown; not the Federal, nor the Whig, nor the the demo, cratic party, that might not have survived long and victorioasly if it's press had been courageously independent.
 The press submits to be led by party leaders, which its duty Is to lead leaders. They dare to disgrace their party, to expose it to humiliation and de feat because they count upon the slavery of the party press. The leaders dare to praise, and to justify wrong because they confidently expect their party press to prolong their words in one vast sustained echo of approval from one end of the globe to the other. The press is never a more benefcent power that when it dis appoints this malign. .expectation-as the Tucson Citizen, in the Governor Woltiey matter-and shows the country that while loyal to party and its policy, it is more more loyal to honor and patriotism. 1t IS the palladium of liberty because 1t is the only power in free country which can alone withstand and overthrow the crafty 1 conspiracy of political demagogues.
 | If 1t does not lead, it is because 1t chooses to follow; 1t is because it does not know that no office is so great as that of molding the opinion that makes parties and Presidents; that no patronage is SC
 powerful as the just fear an unqualified
 criticism brought home to every word ano
 every act of every public man; and com
 mending it's judgment to the intelligence
 and the consciences of every good citizen
 The political press of this country doe:
 not, as a general thing, fulfill its tru'
 function. Until party chiefs in caucuse
 and conventions and Congress learn tha
 there is power mightier than all of then
 combined, which will not come merely a
 their call; which will not be conten
 merely with the party trade mark bu
 which, for the sake of the cause of 1t
 party, and despite Congress and conven
 tions, will advocate only worthy measures
 and support only fitting candidates.
 Thus and thus alone, can the press c any color save its own party from deca and downfall, by forcing leaders to de pend for support, not upon discipline, nc upon party spirit and party patronage, ,bu upon the essential excellence of the part policy and the character of the party cal : didates. When leaders know that the own party press, which goes into ever :. house and reasons with every voter, WI j. ask first of all whether the candidat ] nominated ought to have been nominate' f and whether the policy proposed e lead are worthy and honorable and faitl f ful or have been guilty of wrongs in dea : ings with their fellows, the first case l those leaders will be to provide body e sound doctrine, and to present candidate like the old chevalier of France, ''withol it fear and without reproach."
 r I am proud to believe that in THE E. n rERPR1sE we have such press.
 d PAUL GREGORY, M. D.