The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-22

and Observer, at the Fuller banquet in
Durham)
If a man should put on his spectacles
and come to Durham, initiating the eX-
ample of Diogenes, and walk about your
streets with lantern and make diligent
search to find an honest man. / dare say
he would not feel that he had reached
the object of his search If he should find
some man in his office or on the streets
who bore upon his person or over his Of
flee door the inscription, Il am an hon
est man. ] rather think the quaint old
philosopher would pass that man by
with contempt and go further on. looking
to find the object of his search i'm some
nulet. unpretentious man, who, not her
aiding his own honesty, was practicing
that virtue in his daily transactions with
his fellow men.
Likewise when you look for a truly
independent journal. you do not find it
heralding itself as independent any more
than you find the honest man wearing 4
placard, II am an honest man.
We need a new definition for the term
independent journal" When the time
came in the evolution Of journalism that
some newspapers decided not to support
ticular party. but to be Independent in
politics they were called Independent
Journals, and such they We're Before a
real independent journal, having no fet-
tiers and no ties to special interests or
to political BOSSES free to advocate the
right as IT sees the right, all men feel
like uncovering their heads. In the
civilization of today there is no agency
so potential for good as a truly ;"de-
pendent journal, but we have come to
stage when We need new definition for
the independent journal. The Fact that
II takes no decided stard in partisan
politics is not of itself sufficient for it
TO claim that honorable name. The fact
that il does stand earnestly for the prin-
ciples and success Of a political party
does not deny to it a position in the front
ranks of independent journals. Perhaps
the best definition of an independent
journal is a paper guided and controlled
by man animated by the sole purpose
of serving his fellow men, serving his
country and his God, being true to truth,
and having it's governing maxim the Ian
guage of the great Homer, II am a man,
and whatever concerns man interests
re"
There can be no Independent impersor-
al journalism. Impersonal journalism is
irresponsible journalism, counting house
journalism, dollar mark journalism. cor
poration dominated journalism. We
have papers in this country, Boosting of
the proud name of indsrendcnt. whose
editorials are written and whose policies
are dictated by men who have selfish in.
terests to subserve and who use the term
independent for the same reason that a
man steals the livery of heaven in which
to serve the devil Such journals should
be called dependent iournols." because
they are dependent for the very breath
of life upon TIE men whose money es-
tablshes them for the purpose OF Great
ing a public sentiment that ill secure
to. or obtain for them, some special privi-
lege or immunity Their only claim to
independence is that they do not regular
ly and consistently and honestly support
any set Of principles. They call their
lack of convictions. their mugwumpian
hypocrisy. their subseTvience to the dol
lar, independence, but honest men have
a contempt for such proclamation. The
truly independent journal may not belong
to any political party or may belong to
either of them. The New York Tribune
under Horace Greedy first championed
the doctrine of the Wing Party and
afterwards led the Wings into
the Republican party. but il
was in the truest and highest sense OF
that much abused word, truly independ.
ent 1t accepted no orders from party
bosses, it made and unmade party lead
ers, 1t created a healthy public senti-
ment and conepelled the men al the heet
of the party to which it was attached, tC
stand for the principles which the Tri
bune had originated and inculcated II
supported Wing or Republican candi-
dates because its editor was sincerely
convinced that. through the principles
of that party. the best and highest ser
vice could be rendered to the American
people, but ii was not slavish party
agent Ii was a noble Independent
journal. that. instead of taking dictatioI
from the party, dictated to the party by
all honorable and just methods. Th'
Washington Intelligencer and w w
Seaton: the Louisville Courrier-Journa
and George d. Prentiss and many othe
papers and editors / might name wer
all independent of dictation by any NAL
teal party because they knew that poll
teal parties are essential instruments o
progress. They were practical and no
visionary. honestly independent not by
pocritcally So They sought to accom-
plish needed results: they did not becom
mere scolding. Reconstructed censors
finding fault with men who do things
They made things come to pass.
The New York Times under Georg
Jones, when il did as much even as TildeI
TO drive out the Tweed ring, was indie
pendent in the other sense. 1t claimed
allegiance to no party and fought for n
principles which ii entertained. independ
ent % party The service it reuderc,
for good government and for civic virtue
dnder the leadership of it's great founder
till abides and will ever abide. Tn
lost independent newspaper in the his
DRY of North Carolina was the RaleieI
'entinel edited by Josiah Turner. ]
as intensely. earnestly. aggressivel
artisan--the leader of the brave ant
outrageous men who were resolved 1
escue the State from the corrupt rule o
seeonstructionsts or die in the attempt
hot Manor illustrated the truth tina