The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-08-10
The Cheap Newspaper Revolution In Eng
land,

The revolution In newspaper literature, which
was commenced and carried out by the Netc
York Herald, in the United States, is within the
recollection of all; and, as every one knows, has
conferred great benefit on the people. Before it
took place the public was press ridden by few
mammot journals, the proprietors of which lord
ed it over the community, and dictated to them
what they should pay for the privilege of read
ing the news of the day, and becoming ac-
quainted with what was going on in the world
around them. After the burden had become
intolerable, the cheap papers were started
by few enterprisng persons, and the move
ment soon extended to Boston, Phiadel-
phia, and other cities, increasing in momen-
rum each year, until the sixpennies are now
tolerated more as the remnants of by gone CEN
tury-as a "reminiscences OF the past-than for any
real worth there is in them.
The struggle which the cheap press had neces
sarly to undergo before it became fixed and per-
manently establls ed, was long and severe; but
1t eventually resulted in victory, and the legit-
mate press of the United States is now conducted
on the cheap system--each paper having been
started since the revolution in newspaper litera-
turc commenced. The good results ofthat revo-
luton are every where felt and acknowledged
Patronage most liberal and extensive has been
conferred on them; and in the city Of New York
alone the daily issues of the cheap press cannot
be much less than one hundred and fifty thousand
sheets, while that of the combined sixpennies
does not equal tenth Of that amount.
After the experiment was tried, and succeeded
in the United States, the cheap newspaper revo.
luton extended its influences across the Allan
tic, and exhibited itself in the metropolis of
England, in the establishment of the Ne'cs.
Previous to the year 1876, the uniform price Of
all the London journals was FIVE pence sterling,
equal to ten cents of our currency-a price which
necessarily confined their circulation within
very narrow bounds; for we may confidently say
that for every person able to pay that sum, there
are one hundred who are not. The News,
like the Ne,c York Herald, commenced its exis-
tence upon the cheap principle, and the price was
fixed at two pence half-penny sterling per sheet,
reduction of fifty per cent on that charged by
the other papers, The old hunkers of the press,
with the London Times at the head alarmed at
the innovation, put forth their energies to destroy
the Ns,os, and crush it forever, lest if it were
successful, its example should have to be fol-
lowed by the other papers
Accordingly, no expedient was left.untried to
sacrlhce IT. As in the case of the New York
Herald, the common courtesies of editors were
refused to 1t, and il was not allowed to ioin in
the benefit OF the arrangements made by all the
others to share in the cost of procuring news
from the continent by expresses. Nothing
daunted, the Ne,cs placed reliance on the public.
for whose benefit it was originated, and as in
the case Of the New York Herald, was success
full. Single handed and alone, it employed ex-
presses, and at its own expense, procured news
TO the latest moment from all parts the world
Patronage poured in upon it, and now the Ne,os