The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-10-10

IL mas been asserted that newspaper can
not be entirely independent, that it must
have leanings strongly in one direction.
That may be true. A paper that has
always been Republican will naturally see
the best in the candidates of its former
persuasion, yet there may be times when
the newspaper can with very good grace,
and with perfect propriety, refuse to sup
port candidate merely because the paper
has been partisan journal and the man
in question is party choice. This opin-
ion is completely voiced by two leading
journals of this State. The NeDdrk NeaCs,
which poses as an independent journal,
says: "The partisan newspaper that sticks
by the nominees of its party through thick
and thin, regardless of honesty or fitness,
is rapidly losing caste in New Jersey
1t was not very many years ago that
the independent newspapers in New Jer-
sey could be numbered on the fingers
of one hand, but now conditions are rap
idly changing, and even some of the old
party organs are asserting independence
from boss rule and are repudiating unfit
candidates. Others are going a step fur
ther and cutting entirely loose from their
former party affiliations
The Neaoark Ad0ertiser, which has been
and is one of the strongest Republican
papers in the State, notes the above from
the Neaoark NeaoS, and comments thus ::
1.-THE changed conditions described have
been in process of development for several
years, and they are manifest in all the cit
les of the country. There is in New York
city to-day no newspaper of prominence
that is thick and thin party organ.
The Tribune, owned by Whitelaw Reid,
now our ambassador to England, set an
example in 1879, when It supported Gree
lev on the Democratic ticket against
Grant, and while it to-day upholds Re-
publican principles it shows at times a
refreshing independence.
philadelphia journalism was once rab-
idly partisan. All of the leading news
papers of that city, with one exception,
are independent and actively opposed to
the present Republican regime and local
ticket In Boston, Chicago. Baltimore
and other cities the same change of tone
of the newspapers that reflect or are
guided by public sentiment have. indie
pendent leanings. Old mossback organs
that chung to the old order of things have
either died or lost influence.
THAT this regenerating spirit has been
at work in New Jersey journalism was
remarked by the A9gerttser in recent
editorial article and it is strikingly mani
| tested this year. One of the stalwart
Republican party papers has been the
Camden Courier, which has now greatly
tempered its partisanship and criticises
party men and measures in way new and
strange to Camden County. The Hudson
| Observer, Democratic paper, largely cir
culated in Jersey City, lends its support
to the candidacy Of Mayor Pagan, Re
publican. for reelection.
"a great stimulant for independence in
| journalism was afforded by the election
of Theodore Roosevelt for President last
year. In that election party lines were
fairly broken down. The people wanted
Roosevelt, and they voted for him by an
enormous majority. The great popular
charm of the man was his independence
of character. He would not stand for q
party wrong. He would not favor bad
policy or measure simply because it had
| the Republican trademark. He would
not be guided in his administration by
selfish interests intrenched in the Republi
can party, and he was ready to fight In
justice or wrong no matter where and in
what guise it raised its head. The exam
pie of Theodore Roosevelt has beer
inspiring for people and newspapers
1t has bred a spirit thai is revolutionizing
politics all over the land.
"Men have come to reason that while
they should be steadfast to cardinal princi
pies that they believe in, their loyalty tc
Ina rfx 4 zof Two carxrif11da Il
organizations which may indeed trample
upon those very principles. They are led
to believe that party principles have
nothing whatever to do with the business
affairs of State, county and a munich
pality, and when they consult experience
they find that it is the injection of politi
cal craftsmanship in these affairs that is the
cause of misuse, extravaganza, corruption
and betrayal of the public trusts.
What can it profit me. and how shall
1t crafty me, says the reflective Republi.
can or Democratic voter, If l vote for a
member of municipal or county board.
or for members of the Legislature, or fol-
Governor, from the narrow view point
of a political partisan? Am l doing my
duty as citizen to myself and my fellow
men when cast aside all other consider
ations and vote as a partisan only !?
There is wonderful amount of self-ex-
animation going on, and it is helped ma
terially by the spectacle of the control
of party organization by powerful corpor-
ate interests and by the revelations in re-
gard to the donations of immense amounts
of corporation money to political cam
paign funds, to be used largely in the
debauchery of the electorate.
"a stream rises no higher than its
source. A political system is the reflex
of the people to whom 1t belongs The
journalism of a country is the reflection
of the public thought and the public
morals. The growth Of independent jour
nalism has followed the lines of the popu-
lar thought. 1t is the gradual outcome
of changing conditions among the voters
themselves. The great questions before
the State and the nation are not strictly
partisan questions. Some of them are
questions of class. Equal taxation, the re-
striction Of franchises, the popular election
of Senators, municipal ownership, the re-
vision of the State Constitution, and other
questions before the people of this State
are not partisan issues. for they equally
concern the interests of all citizens alike.
Ii party organization would make them
partisan to uphold selfish class interest,
then that organization should be opposed
by its own members and stricken down >
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