The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-30
THE COMING NEWSPAPER.

We find the following refreshing an
nouncemcnt in the Danville Register:
'For the information OF tho obtuse and
| thlck-headed II may be well enough 10
| saw that The Register Is now, always
| has been and expects always 20 be u
! Democratic paper. IL has always stood
! up for pure Democracy and always eN-
I poets 10 do So but The Register IS not
now never was and never Will be. under
| the leadership OF its present editor. a blind
partisan. It has never through blind par
tisanrv surrendered It's right or failed in
rs duty 10 criuciss the short cominEs
OF public officials and legislative bodies
be they Democrats or what not.
The Register utterly repudiatcs the vi
cious and unholy doctrine that the crea-
lures OF it's own party are necessarily
immaculate and can do no wrong while
acting under party authority or enjoy
ing honors granted nv the party.
In short The Register IS simply nom
partisan. notwithstanding. independent
Democratic newspaper. under no obllsa-
tions 10 any ring. clique caucus or con-
vention for favors past, present or pros
pectivc, and therefore responsible to no
ono for ifs uttcrances on any subject The
Register is Furthermore q newspaper. and
submits its claims to the public only as
such.
That's the stuff, The days OF the
one-sidcd newspaper are numbered. There
was a time when the party organ -four
ished. II printed only one side OF the
news and harped continually on one
string But the time came when the
people tired of the party organ. They
demanded the news aud so the party or
gan passed away and the newspaper came
into existence. There IS not a paper I'm the
country to-day with any pretensions TO
being n newspaper that does not print the
news more or less correctly. regardless
Of tho fact as 10 whether the news is
favorable or unfavorable 10 the party
which il represents. But there are many
partisan newspapers which 30 along
with the party which they represent, no
matter how far that party may so astray,
and these papers change their views ~
often as the party changes. They do
not have any opin;cn OF their own, but
permit their policy TO be dictated by the
party bosses. If the party forsakes its
principles and runs after strange gods,
these contemporaries never dare - lift
their voice in opposition, but readily
wheel themselves into line and enthu-
siasucally proclaim that the party is right
whether or not. They are like Sir Joseph
Porter. who
Always voted q. his party's call
And never thought Of shouting for him
SELF at an
We believe that the people Of this coun-
thy are getting tired Of that sort Of jour
nalism. We know that down in their
hearts the people have more respect for
the newspaper that stands ~ its conylc-
tions and refuses 10 train with the party
when the party goes wrong.
The p0rtisans are abusive, OF course
ana for the time the newspaper which
pursues such course Will lose something
Of that mysterious thing which we call
popularity. nut the truth and the right
win prevail by and by We believe that
there is q growing demand in this coun-
Try for the newspaper that fully and
fairly presents the news. and that honest
~ and fearlessly and Independently dis
cusses an public questions. regardless OF
The dictum of the party.
Thl, does not by any means imply that
newspaper should not have "a party af-
fuation. 10 is the duty Of every news
paper 20 aid in the effort TO secure good
government and the party which in its
opinion most surely tends TO that end
should have its cordial support. The
point that We make is that such support
should be that OF an Independent ally
rather than that Of a blind slavish par
tisau
The people Of This country have had
some very plain and impressive object les
sons within the past several years, and
they viii not soon forget them. They
have seen 10 what extent that sort OF
partisanry viii lead Them If unchecked,
and they are beginning TO see that the
safety and welfare of the country largely
depend upon those conservative journals
which, in a. time of excitement, instead oG
attempting TO mhame the people for the
sake Of temporary popularity. do what
they can TO bring the people TO reflection
and to prevent them from going wrong
These are the newspapers which must
in the long run win the confidence and
good will of the public.