Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-12-12
THE PRINTER.

Tor good or evil, than any other, not even ex-
cepting the leroy, or those of the legal pro-
fessson. The press is the great engine Of civ
lllzation, and the printer is not only IT'S engi-
neer, but he is theaife and soul, and the mind
that gives it intelligence and influence"
Western Citizen.
We have frequently been tempted to speak
of the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications
of the printer; and with the above text we
proceed to remark
!. The printer has the power Of doing
more good than any other man. Through his
hands, every book, essay, communication and
letter that is given 10 the public must pass
| He, therefore, is first made acquainted with
every new theory in philosophy, discovery in
science, production of literature, and with eve
nv new thought that is written. lie has thus
the means of becoming very intelligent man,
and his business stands between the audience
and the public he is not only the medium of
communication, but his intelligence makes him
the only founder of publications that are to en-
tighten the people and very often does he be-
come the able author and editor 1t is esti-
mated that there are 1000 serial publications in
the United States at least the proprietorship
of 1900 of these is in the hands of professional
printers. All our country papers are owned
and mainly edited by printers, and at least
two-thirds of all city publications are owned
and conducted in the same way. Thus we
see that the printer not only sets the type, but
actually writes or selects most of the matter
that amuses and instructs our vast population:
How great, then, is the power he wields
?. But not only is he powerful in this, but
the very manner in which he shall execute his
art-the mechanics of printing are powerfully
influential for good when accompanied by that
accuracy which intelligence can impart to
them. There is a captivating spirit in beauty,
and nowhere can beauty be more charmingly
impressed than in the typographical art. a
book sent out by miserable workman, lack
ing all the excelencies of art, is repulsive in
all its pages, and the reader opens it with
disrelish of its contents. But on the other
hand, book of clear, plain letter, and of true
artistic work, possesses an attractive appearance
on every page, and multitudes who are not in
clined to read are led to admire its beauties
and then to overcome. that intellectual dullness
which has kept them in ignorance. Thus we
see that every thing connected with the print
ing art can be made powerfully instrumental
for public improvement.
What then must be done to elevate and Dig
nifty the Art of Printing, and enable printers
to weld the power they possess. On this
branch of our inquiry we make the following
suggestions -
]. The printer must be well paid. In this
Golden idolatry, when every man must either
dig for himself or speculate out of others,
there must be good compensation to secure
the best talent. This talent is required in
printing to make it tell the most powerfully
upon the public good
2. The business of the printer is confirming
and injurious TO health. We wish we had the
bill of mortality among printers, that others
might see how fatal this business is when sed-
ulously pursued. They must, therefore, be so
paid that they need not sacrifice themselves,
and to this end we applaud their attempts to
raise their wages.
s. The public should be generous to the
printer, because the best interests of the people
are in his hands, Those who patronize him
should pay him promptly and with free good
will. They should no more expect to get the
productions of his art, without prompt and lib
eral payment than TO get the sustenance of
their physical life without just equivalent
But many underrate the printers products;
they look upon them as things that can be dis
pensed with, and are often more inclined TO
<
ser s spirit, than to purchase that which will
give them some character in the world, and in
crease their happiness. Such persons know
that they have bodies like all other animals,
but they do not often think they have minds
which can make them great-and perhaps the
truth is they have not, for that is small spir-
it that has not as much regard for the mind as
for the body.
4. Printers themselves should attempt to
elevate their profession. By this we mean,
that they should cultivate that moral purity
which scorns the manners of the loafer. and
drive from the craft all those who may be
found degrading it by immoral publications.
Any printer who sets type conveying an
unholy thought, and calculated to degrade the
reader, should be marked by the profession
and banished from the craft They should
also bring their influence to bear upon all the
publishing houses SO as to forbid the employ
ment of such as are not qualified to do honor
TO the Art. To do this they must combine all
the really meritorious, and swear that no en-
ployer who degrades the art, by immoral pub
locations or by employing incompetent hands,
shall have their services on any terms. Let
the wages be raised 50 that the intelligent and
skilful printers car afford to remain in the
profession, and these can bring such an inf1u-
cnce to bear as will soon make the art what it
should be, the omn'potent power of the world.
Intelligence, virtue, and every improvement
would thus be rapidly acknowledgement
and Herald, (Cincinnati.)