Griswold .
tions they may become uncompromisingly Democratic or Re
publican. It has been pointed out by Horace White that " inde pendent journalism " is a phrase " sometimes used to signify mere neutrality between political parties. A newspaper of this kind
aims to offend neither party, so that it may gain patronage from both . That is not independence. An independent journal must
offend both parties, and all parties, or must hold itself ready to offend when they go wrong." 29 It is a pseudo-independence that sometimes explains the effort of the press to square the circle, - a paper may make much of its having discarded all liquor adver tisements , but it may give entire pages to showing the evil re sults ofprohibition . Another feature of the newspaper that forms an element in its
personality is found in “ letters to an editor.” 80 If it is not the ambition of every man to be known as the one " who has written more letters to The Times than any other living person ," at least a large number of readers at one time or another write to the press, usually in approval or adverse criticism of its policy. These columns and pages " given up to 'letters to the editor' have come to be considered as among the most usefuland interesting in any newspaper." 31 Sir Charles Walston goes still farther and consid ers the " Letters to The Times" — the occasional publication of discussions by those qualified to dealwith important questions “ one of the characteristic and undying achievements of the
paper." 82 They are , to the student of history, one of the most accurate gauges of the development of the press , and he agrees with Walter Besant when he says, “ The student of London mid
dle-class opinions in the year 1892 can best learn them from the 29 Address at the complimentary luncheon tendered the editorial staff of the Evening Post, November 16, 1901.
This address should be compared with the review of G . S . Merriam , Life and Times of Samuel Bowles, The Nation , December 31, 1885, 41 : 553 - 554 . 30 The Gentleman 's Magazine opened its volume for 1737 with many “ letters to the editor."
31 The New York Evening Post, March 27, 1915 .
33 Charles Walston, Truth , p. 147.
Among the numerous letters appearing in the London Times that have had historic interest may be cited those of Lord Acton , Gladstone, and Archbishop Manning on the Vatican Decrees and the question as to how far
Roman Catholics owed allegiance to the State when the doctrines of the State and the Church were at variance . - The Times, November 9, 24, De cember 12, 1874.
