Year: 1878

FAIR DEALING.


A friend in South Carolina, who believes
that THE TRIBUNE has ceased to be an lnde-
pendent journal because it is now denouncing
the frauds of Democrats in the South instead
of the frauds of Republicans, Is at the
pains of writing us long letter 10
explain why he cannot renew MS sud-
scrlption. 1t is not rare event IN the eA-
perience of newspaper publishers to have some
angry reader cry out "Stop my paper! !! De-
cause he does not agree with the edltOr upon
an Issue of fact or principle. The subscription
list of all great newspapers Is con-
stantly undergoing changes, and while
the aggregate circulation shows pretty
regular increase from week to week, or, as IN
our own case lust now the new subscriptions
are more than treble the discOntnuances, the
addition or removal OF indlvlduai hamf'
demands no particular attention. But our
Southern correspondent Is so good type OF
a large class of political critics-n0t among
our own readers more than those OF other
pewspapors-that we may spare the time for
u civil word with him.


He liked The TRIBUNE few years ago,
when it exposed the frauds and robberes OF
the corrupt carpet-bag administrations, ana
demanded fair treatment for the Southern
whites as well as for the enfranchlsed ne
groes and he hoped that the paper would
continue to pursue the same " lndeDend-
"ent COURSE" Greatly to his disappointment
however he finds that its columns now TEEN
"with abuse of the Democrats for frauds al
legged to have been practiSed In the recent
" election" and this he does not regard rs
independence" but as partisan mallg-
pity. There are many such unrcasOn-
able persons A fearless and independ-
ent newspaper" according to them, is a
newspaper that says what they like, and a
RECKLESS and abusive partisan organ" is n
newspaper that says what they do not like.
They not only assume 10 be infalhble in mat
ters of fact and opinion, but they refuse to
admit the possibility of conscientious dissent.
A journal like The TRIBUNE is bound by self
interest no less than by a sense OF justice to
be careful i'm ascertaIning the real facts OF
case upon which it pronOunccs Judgment and
it is probably better informed about recent
events, even so far away as South Carolina. than
most of the estimable private citizens OF that
State who sit at home on their plantations and
rail at the Northern newspapers. THE tribune
has made no rash assumptions" respecting
the recent election, and taken no rumors on
trust; but when it was reported that the
colored Republicans had been practically de-
prived of the suffrage by trick and force, it
did exactly what it did some years ago when
the whites of tho Southern States complained
that they were pillaged and oppressed by
knaves and fools !; 1t sent to South Carolina
the ablest, the fairest. and the most absolutely
truthful correspondent whose services it could
command. and upon the result of his patient
and impartial Investigations, supplemented by
authentic information derived from various
other sources. it based Its policy. II our dis
appointed friends can suggest any other course
for an independent journal to pursue, we shall
be glad to hear what it is.


But they destroy their own case when they
remind lis that we once defended the native
whites against the thicving Northern adven-
turer with the same zeal which dis
play in defending the cOlored man against
the bulldozer. Exactly. Werebuked the conduct
of members of our own party in 1872 because
we thought they were in tho wrong. We are
rebuking the other party now for just the same
reason. If tho Republicans ever return 10
power in South Carolina and abuse their vic
tory as they did before. they will find
THE TRIBUNE an independent censor, as it
has always been. But at this moment
there is no question of Republican frauds.
The Republicans are underneath. The na.
tive whites have no sooner got rid of OPP
pressive rulers than they become Oppressors III
their turn. The method Of the new injustice
is different from the old, but the guilt is
the same. The Northern adventurer and
his ignorant black ally squandered and
stole the public money. The men in red
shirts tried to cOunteract these crimes at first
with firearms, and now they stuff ballot
boxes, and drive Republicans away from the
polls. AS we set our faces against one form
of outrage, 80 do we denounce the other, con-
tending now, as we have always done. for
honest government and equal rights, III South
Carolina no less than in New-York. The
man who steals votes is q more dangerous
thief than the man who steals the taxcs.