▁by ▁George ▁N orton , ▁a ▁pione er ▁merchant ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁and ▁published ▁its ▁first ▁issue ▁on ▁June ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁as ▁a ▁" non - part isan , ▁independent , ▁progress ive ▁local ▁newspaper ." ▁However , ▁despite ▁the ▁name , ▁even ▁at ▁its ▁beginning ▁the ▁newspaper ▁wasn ' t ▁non part isan , ▁at ▁least ▁not ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁word . ▁In ▁a ▁position ▁statement ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁Independent , ▁N orton ▁sp elled ▁out ▁what ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁newspaper ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁sign ify : ▁" Now ▁where ▁this ▁paper ▁will ▁differ ▁from ▁the ▁average ▁dem ocr atic ▁paper ▁will ▁be ▁in ▁this ▁particular ▁— ▁while ▁we ▁are ▁willing ▁to ▁la ud ▁its ▁virt ues , ▁we ▁shall ▁hold ▁it ▁as ▁our ▁right ▁and ▁duty ▁to ▁critic ize ▁its ▁fol lies . ▁This ▁will ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁bad ▁party ▁politics ▁by ▁dy ed - in - the - wo ol ▁dem ocr ats , ▁and ▁for ▁this ▁reason ▁we ▁have ▁christ ened ▁this ▁paper ▁the ▁IN DE P END ENT ▁in ▁order ▁that ▁our ▁expressions ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁constru ed ▁to ▁be ▁those ▁of ▁a ▁strict ▁party ▁organ ." ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁inc arn ation ▁of ▁the ▁Silver ▁City ▁Independent ▁was , ▁perhaps ▁un sur pr ising ly ▁given ▁its ▁location , ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁Free ▁silver , ▁and ▁carried ▁the ▁s log an ▁" Free ▁and ▁Un limited ▁Co in