Year: 1877


that the political course of the HERALD dis
pleases most of the prominent and infu-
ential democratic and republican politicians.
Some of them do not hesitate to speak Of
our journal as detestable and disorganiz-
ing sheet; they complain that its hand is
against every man-meaning that it impair
TALLY exposes the schemes of the politicians
of both sides and they assert that it reck-
lessly tries to break up parties, and leads
the people not only to distrust, but even to
despise their political leaders. They point
out, with bitterness, numerous instances in
which the HERALD has brought to naught
their designs, and they complain that no.
body can tell weok or even day before
hand which party it will next attack


We admit, with pride, that this is all true
Judged from partisan point OF view the
HERALD no doubt is, as it always has been,
and always means to be, a purely mis-
chievous and mischief making journal. We
confess frankly that no party leader OF either
side ought to put his confidence in it, for it
is pretty certain to trip up his heels the
first time he is in the wrong. AS party
organ it Is, to use piece Of political slang,
an extremely "unsafe" journal, and de-
serves the severest denunciations Of the
"war horses" 1t must always be alike
odious to democratic and republican
managers--and this because it is really the
organ Of another and far more important
class-the people. namely.


The HERALD is the organ of the indepen-
dent voters, and the independent voters are
the NATURAL enemies of the war horses and
machine politicians. The HERALD's duty is
to defend the rights of the people against
the plots and schemes of the partisans;
hence it exposes the self-sceking of political
managers Of both sides, and it is quite natu-
raj that these should hate it and watch it
with constant alarm. These gentlemen re-
gard q newspaper as one of the tools of their
trade. When a man sets up in politics his
first object is to lay in a newspaper, just as
when another man sets up as burglar he
begins by buying a kit of jimmies and
skeleton keys. With the help of an organ
he scatters abroad political misinformation,
and appeals to the fears, the resentments,
the prejudices OF the people, in order to
turn these to his own use. Hence poll
ticians regard d public journal as prop
erly an organ of the opinions of one
party or the other, and when they find one
which bears no such allegiance they resent
its existence as something out of the nat
ural order Of things as disorderly and dam
gerous. Faithfulness to party is their
highest ideal Of public virtue, and they can
not see with patience man or journal
supporting or opposing now one and now
the other side, as either is right or wrong.
It seems to them inconsistent.


We need not tell our readers that the
HERALD has no sympathy with these narrow
views Of the functions Of journalism or the
nature Of public virtue. The newspaper,
in our view, is bound to give its readers the
news, all the news, impartially and cor
rectly. Thus it enables them to- form .
judgment of their own on public affairs. In
its discussions its true aim should be to help
the public to a correct opinion, and it is
bound always, and at all hazards, to defend
the public interest; the rights, the security
and welfare Of the people. But if 1t does
this it must necessarily attack and expose
all who endeavor to subordinate public to
private interests; and it will be hated and
will be denounced Us inconsistent by all
who find themselves thus opposed. To-day
it praises and supports o public man or
party for sound and patriotic course; next
week or next month it attacks him for
blunder or a selfish scheme. To him it is
oo.to;r1,, n 81 ,ourpo1. nv fba
great public, whose interests it Defends it
is seen to be entirely consistent, and it is
because the public has learned to trust the
HERALD because it knows it to be fearless
and faithful to the country's interests, that
its support is so eagerly sought and its
opposition is SO greatly feared and bitterly
resented by the partisan politicians.


We have often expressed the belief that
American journalism would presently rise
above the 'par:y organ" level, and that all
journals whose conductors hoped to exer-
else real and lasting influence upon pub
lie affairs would liberate themselves from
party tranmels. This reform goes on more
slowly than is desirable, but it is a fact uni
versally recognized that the journals Of real
and wide influence in the country, whose
opinions are looked for and whose favor is
most anxiously desired by the politicians,
are precisely those which are most con-
spicuously independent of party allegiance.
1t is even true that party organ gains in
influence in the degree in which it
shows itself possessed of courage to resist
on occasion the dictation Of its political
masters


II is not the Office Of an independent jour-
nal to interfere in party nominations or
policies. 1t cares not which party succeeds,
but it demands sound policy, patriotic