Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-12-06
Our County Newspapers.

OuT NOuhty NcWSpaPcfSs
We feel inclined to put the question t,
our citizens, whether they appreciate a
they should, the value OF the local county
papers! We do this in no spirit o
fault-fnding, for our success thus far ha
exceeded our expectations, and we ought
therefore, to be contented. But we pu
the question for the purpose of drawing
attention TO the subject, and stirring up o
proper degree of public spirit in the mat
ter.
Are these papers appreciated as they
should be! There is not a citizen in
this or any other town, whose name
ought not to be on the subscription list ol
the paper published in the town or neigh.
borhood in which he resides. Every
person who reads this article, and who
is subscriber 10 the paper published in
town where he lives, can answer with
an honest heart, that so far as he is con-
cerned, his local paper is appreciated
but all those who are not subscribers
must answer the question in the mega.
tive. We fear that this latter class is
very numerous; we knoW that it is larger
than it ought to be.
That the publication Of paper in q
town or village, is an evidence of the ad
vancing state of intelligence and public
spirit, cannot be denied. Persons at Q
distance, generally form their opinions
as 10 the condition of a town intellectu
ally and morally, by the fact of the ex-
istence or none-existence of local pa.
per. 1t is an almost infallible lest: for,
wherever there is sufficient Intelligence
and public spirit to sustain newspaper
there one will invariably be found
This is just as much law of nature, as
that grass will spring up in fertile soil.
A person riding through waste of sand
where no grass grows, at once pronoun.
ces the soil to be barren and unproduc-
tive; so person finding town without
newspaper, pronounces it to be wan
ting in those elements, from which alone
paper can draw its nourishment, intel
ligence and public spirit. And the con
clusion is as certain and founded in the
very nature of things, as much in the
one case as in the other. We wish thi:
fact would be borne in mind. There i:
not citizen oil our county, who woult
willingly permit his town TO rest unde1
the imputation of being wanting in pub
lie spirit; and yet there are hundred.
who are pursuing course, which, j
generally followed, would necessarily
result in this; hundreds who are not now
doing anything to sustain the paper pub
lished in their own town or vicinity. In
great majority of instances this is the
result of negligence, and in many cases
other papers are taken, while their owr
are neglected. This, however, is wrong
The influence and means of every citizen
should, in the first instance, be applied
10 that which is calculated to raise and
elevate the standard of intelligence and
morality, in the community where he re.
sides, TO give 10 it tone and character.
This being accomplished, he may then
expand his field of action, and subscribe
to papers published eisewhere-but the
first duty is at home.
Our citizens all want to be apprised ol
what is transpiring in the town and coun
ty. That is the matter in which they
are peculiarly interested. The meetings
OF our courts, and the proceedings before
them-public meetings-political acts
matters of local interest and importance
deaths, marriages, casualties, &C., &c.
these must all be chronicled. Our citl
zens all wish TO keep up with the times
they wish a journal published, to which
they can refer for information on these
points. But how many of them remem
Der that such journal can be kept W
by only great outlay of time ane
money; how many enjoy The result o
this outlay, without contributing one cen
towarGa defraying the expenses; how
many, instead OF subscribing his share
towards remunerating the editor ant
proprietor for their toll and labor, borro,t
their neighbor's paper, and read instruc.
ton and profit from the labor and ex
pense of others, without paying for it
Have our borrowing readers ever looked
at the matter in this light! Have they
ever thought that every time they read i
borrowed paper, published in their owl
vicinity, they are enjoying the frul. 0
other persons labor, and contributin!
nothing in return! If not. we hope tha
they will be induced to do so, aud theI
to ACT.