age ▁ 1 6 ▁to ▁ 1 ." ▁on ▁its ▁Page ▁ 2 ▁m ast head ▁throughout ▁its ▁first ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁publication . ▁N orton ▁announced ▁that ▁" ow ing ▁to ▁continued ▁ill ▁health ▁and ▁pec uni ary ▁interests ▁elsewhere ," ▁he ▁had ▁" dis posed ▁of ▁The ▁Independent , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁good ▁will ▁and ▁subscription ▁list , ▁to ▁the ▁Independent ▁Publishing ▁Co ." ▁in ▁a ▁Page ▁ 2 ▁fare well ▁letter ▁published ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁Independent ▁Publishing ▁Co . ▁was ▁owned ▁and ▁operated ▁by ▁William ▁B . ▁Wal ton , ▁a ▁Silver ▁City ▁att orney ▁and ▁Democratic ▁politician , ▁who ▁combined ▁his ▁Grant ▁County ▁Dem ocrat ▁into ▁the ▁Independent , ▁a ▁combination ▁that ▁was ▁advert ised ▁at op ▁each ▁edition ▁through ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁The ▁new ▁publish er ' s ▁first ▁act ▁was ▁to ▁publish ▁an ▁announ cement ▁just ▁below ▁his ▁prede cess or ' s ▁fare well , ▁announ cing ▁that ▁" A ▁radical ▁change ▁will ▁at ▁once ▁be ▁inaugur ated ▁in ▁the ▁political ▁views ▁of ▁the ▁Independent . ▁The ▁independent ▁policy ▁adopted ▁by ▁Mr . ▁N orton ▁finds ▁no ▁favor ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁management , ▁and ▁hence for th ▁this ▁paper ▁will ▁advoc ate ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁party ▁as ▁expressed ▁in ▁the ▁Chicago ▁platform , ▁and ▁will ▁render ▁sta unch ▁and ▁active ▁support ▁to ▁party ▁interests , ▁in ▁national , ▁territorial ▁and ▁county ▁politics ." ▁Wal ton '