The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-01
were engaged in an unprotected indus
try but the Cleveland organs have Fe-
manned silent on that point.
The Independent Newspaper.


The difference between neutrality
and independence is SO clear that it
need not be discussed. To be neutral
Is to take no side. To be independent
is to be untrammeled, to take the side
that most commends itself to the iudg.
ment or the desire. There are Of course
shades of neutrality and Of indepen-
dence in the public press.
The Independent newspaper used to
be the newspaper that had no party
utilization and struck at either side as 1t
pleased. In recent years the indepen-
dent newspaper has been the newspa-
per which slid out Of the Republican
ranks and supported the nominees and
the measures of the Democratic party.
These newspapers have become as
partisan as any in the land, but they
still insist that they are independent.
More than this, they make the bold pre-
tension that they are the only indie
pendent newspapers, any newspapers
seeing anything bad in the Democratic
party and anything good in the Repub-
lican party being rank impostors.
Strangely enough this view Of the in
dependent newspaper has been very
generally accepted.
The New York Morning AduerIieer has
arisen to combat thispreposterous claim.
1t takes its text from the so.called indie
pendent Boston Herald and lays on val
iantly. The text and the hard.hitting
comment are worth reproducing:
Editor cockerill is about the red hottest Har.
rtson partisan that the campaign has thus lar
developed In journalism. He ought % pun IN
his Independent hanner.-Bodo Herald -.
Why Is the editor referred 70 any less inde-
pendent now than he was year ago, or nXe
years ago, for that matterH To advocate canoi'
dates or measures with absolute independence
70 ayod the party COLLARS ne duty Of ,S eySty
ouadrenniAl national election. To remain neut-
raj IN such contest would be neither true IN
dependence nor true AmericAuism. The Boston
Herald prides itself asatruly independent news
paper Il acknowledges, we believe, no party al
legiance. II would Shudder II claSsed aS Dem.
ocratlc organ, and yet II has been vigorously
supporting free trade and Cleveland for several
years.
The Boston Herald, Independent, sup
ports Cleveland and all that he repre-
sents. The New York Morning Advertiser,
independent, thinks the election of
Cleveland and the endorsement of the
platform he stands on would be bad for
the country.
To oppose Cleveland and free trade is
as compatible with real independence
as to advocate Cleveland and free trade,
and has besides the great merit of plac-
ing the champion on the American side
of great public question.
Your true Independent does not think
it necessary to oppose at every step the
welfare and the progress of his own
country.
Two West Virginia Office Holders.
Two West virginians in an important
federal office have made good records in
the past eight years. The first was
Hon. Joseph S. Miller, who was Com
missioner of Internal Revenue under
Mr.. Cleveland. Under Mr.. Miller's ad-
ministration the average cost Of collect
ing the internal revenue was s.S6 per
cent Of the sum collected. That was
considered at the time to be good bust
ness management and the INrELLI-
eENcER was glad to give Mr.. Miller due
credit.
Hon. John W. Mason is the other
West virginian referred to. Heis Mr..
MilIer's Republican successor as COM
missioner of Internal Revenue. Under
his administration the cost of collection
has been reduced until during the fiscal
year ending June 80, it amounted to
only 2.7S per cent, and great many
thousand dollars have been saved to the
government.
The comparison is not made to cast
odium on Nj. Mason's Democratic pre-
decessor It, is simply made to show
that if the Democratic method OF man
aging this important branch of the gov
eminent was business-like and eco
nomic, the Republican management
has been more SO, and is even more de-
serving Of commendation.
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