The Arkansas advocate., 1835-02-13

uile to hetp Hitl out 0i ttle lilnD0S. and are indifferent at least whether he hears from them at all, except by way of can1orous communications because the paper doesn't come.' These men mean no great harm. They would dislike as much to see d poor fellow of an editor starving to death as any body else. But five dollar bill whats that! "a sum like this will make no great difference, sent one time or another, or not at all. Let him wait my convenienee' Individuals of this stamp prove the greatest enemies to many printers success. He eon6des in their general good reputation-
 jays out his plans with reference 10 it--and goes on in the execution of them with as little fear of famine before his eyes as any good citizen who is willing to work hard and maintain a good consclence. Ineed not detail the whole history. Atthe end Of the year he has received about half the amount of his expenses. About double what he owes Is due 10 him, with half dol lar on each subscription besides--whlch he may whistle for with the principal amount because not paid within the year. No paper, perhaps, is to stop untll all arreara- ges are paid up--though few moons pass before 1t has to stop, from the fact that the type founder. paper maker, ct cetera. are too wise to support the establishment a great while fer the public merely to sab- scribe. In some three years he receives possibly q quarter part of the sum due him; and if he isn't ill jail, poor fellow, 1t Is be- cause he was not fool enough to continue to work for nothing and find himself, and has sought some less speculative employ ment. hazard nothing in saving that large number of respectable citizens are every year driven towards bankruptcy in this country, mainly through individuals counted good men in all other respects, not paying promptly, or at all, their subscrip- tions to periodicals. The misery, and vice 1t may be, created annually by this, which should seriously be considered one of our crying national sins, can hardly be calcula- l ted. Does not this subject demand the se- rioGs consideration of the good people of Americal In the way which has been de- scnbed, are our literature, science and arts suffered to anguish. Able and sensible men are constantly either going out or keeping out of such, i'll the general, ill re- compensed employment.
 As regards that class of subscribers who never mean to pay for a periodicat, l shall ssaushni Iilile. about them.. Every publisher opening al aecoHnE fiia q man Wllass4 s.si. tler he nor his aeenf knows any thing l about, as ibe man who trusts him for any other article of trade. There must be u reform in the peeuriary system upon which 1 most periodicals are conducted ts well as among their subscribers.
 Of another rather numerous class of pa- irons to riodieals-namely the ladies' 1 will say word. Respecting them and need not say they are the last indlvi- duals that should be Insulted by flattery-T have the pleasure of being able to testify fa- vorably. They belong, so far as my know ledge extends, as a body-I mean those who are intelligent enough to want peri odlcal--io the class first alluded to--who pay: sufficient proof to printer, bachelor or no bachelor, with no matrimonial argu- ment in addition, that they are the best gitl of heaveE, whether first or last in the order l of creation-a matter he cares but little about if he but finds them enrolled on his list of patrons. The excellent conductor of the Ladies' Magazine can tell me if am mistaken on this point. trust not. ltis not necessary 10 discuss at large in this essay the general subject of the press. Everybody feels its influence and acknow- lodges it's importance. Especially in the form of the periodical publications of the day, it must be considered as the most pow erful engine of this broad republic for the promotion of good or of evil. Take it from the Iand--imperfect aud Unsupported as it is--and you blot out the intellectual sun of the nation. Through the Reviews, Maga- zines and the Newspapers of the day, 1t collects the scattered beams of knowledge from the farthest regions of religion and philosophy, and spreads them far and wide over the land, enlightening, ennobhng and gladdening all--even Ihe most humble of our citizens who come within the pale of It's influence.
 Yet it is with poor grace that the people of this country boast Of the freedom of the press. while 1t meets win icompaiative- ly neagre support from the majority of Its votaries. The future cultivation and ele- yation of our literature, science, arts and politics, must depend upon that popular portion of mankind--the people. Let pure and exalted standard of the press in .he periodical form be encouraged by them, and call forth their united support, and such standard will soon be raised. and 1t will stand as long as the banner of freedom shall wave over the mountain tops and over the blue rivers of inc land of our fathers.