The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-05-03
RELATION BETWEEN EDITORS AND
SUBSCRIBERS.

kELATlON BETWEEN EDIIOhS AMI
SUBSCRIBERS.
A correspondent of the Examiner having
first complained that his communications were
not attended to, winds up by saying that ne
chad supposed the press was free to all 10
this the editor replies as follows
One OF them he thus expresses ~ had
supposed the press pas free to oH.' ~ nat IS
common idea, but il is mistake. Inc press
IL only free fer its editors, and TO those whom
tic editors believe to have good ground for ad.
dressing the public, and something TO say
which the public has an iEterest in hearing
We would recommend those who labor under
this mistake TO consider the following fact -
tina, newspapers are made for the large class
who want to read, and not for the snail class
who want TO icrite.
Our correspondent continues (: "a press
sustained by the citizens OughtkO be free to
them." We do not think so. The sentence
Quoted does not express the true relation be-
tween the '.press aud the citizens" who SUBJ
scribe to il. We will just state that relation ::
lit is the relation Of buyer and seller-no
more nor less. When q man subscrlbes to
newspaper, we simply conceive that ne wants
TO read and possess il. Hebuys il as he buys
meal, oats, shoes, candles, or coat; and when
he no longer wants ii, he ceases 10 take itin-
though not until he has paid what he owes
for it-unless he be thief and a'dlshonorable
scoundrel-as we are sorry to say we have dis
covered good many individuals to be- This
is the only relation bstweenrhe newspaper and
its subscribers. There is no ground for any
demand on the subscribers part, save that the
newspaper be good newspaper, and IN ac-
cordance with the samples which induced him
TO take il. The idea that when man SUBJ
scribes to newspaper, he lays its proprletors
under some undefinable obligation-or that he
has right to publish his compositions therein
with the single proviso that they shall be mot
fensive, is q popular fallacy and most rldcu-
lous mistake, which ought to be corrected. Not
only has he no such right, but the editor who
permits him to put undressing matter in his
columns, infringes upon the rights of four or
FIVE thousand other people, to crafty one IN
dividual. Very few editors act SO absurdly. 1t
newspaper communications contains no new
fact, no information interesting to the public, or
isnot the utterance of some public sentiment,
or the narrative of private injury which ought
to be made public, the editor generally throws
il in the ire-and this is the fate of nine out
of every ten articles written "F0r the Exam
aner."
Commemorative Examiner, and all the 9th.
er political newspapers would adopt the plan
which we found it necessary to adopt that OF
making those, who wish to see themselves in
print, pay for the qualification, they would not
only save themselves much annoyance, but
would confer substantial benefit on the pub
lie. We can see no reason on earth, why a
man should not as well pay for this species of
amusement as for any other. 1t is very seldom
that any person, except the man who writes,
Il: ;,tar in ic 1rnu
and in the mean time they render the paper
heavy and the subscribers, in general, discon-
tented. There is no doubt that the relation
between subscriber and editor is correctly sta
ted but we doubt very much whether one
man in a thousand will be convinced of the
fact, even though one should rise from the
dead to enforce its perfect truth. When man
has once paid his FIVE dollars for newspaper,
in nine ca ses out of ten, he conceives that he
has right to use its columns as he may think
proper, and any refusal 10 publish what he
may wish to write, is sure to draw down
his wrath upon the head of the editor. The
condition of Virginia editor is, on that &C.
count, any thing but envable, for the Virgin
ians are, VIGOROUSLY, the most confirmed scrik-
blers on earth. No people was ever SO beset
with the "cacoethes scribend," the morbid
appetite for appearing in print. One class of
correspondents we like 10 encourage. Persons
who write us letters from different parts of the
country, conveying intelligence, are always
welcome; but as for the whole tribe of long
winded essayists-"get thee behind me, Sa.
TAM"
We have known persons to send budget of
essays, sufficient TO fill at least seven columns
of the Richmond Wing, to that paper, and to
become furious because they were not publish
ed, before and in preference to the news, foreign
and domestic, at time when the Presidential
election was waxing warm and there was not
an inch of space to spare. Such persons, pro-
badly paid FIVE dollars year for their paper.
One OF the Wings columns averages about
$500 ems, so that their essays would occupy,
in all, about $4,000 ems. Now, the price of
setting type is thirty cents per 1000 ems so
that for the insertion of such number of es-
says, the office would have to pay $l3 Is cts.
The subscription being only five dollars, we
Suutlit tuut tHtS 10 paying u iiltAC koo ucdT l0f
an essay.
A number of influential citizens, in New
York. once prevailed upon the manager of
theatre, to give benefit to some charitable in
stitution. None of them, probably, had sub.
scribed more than a dollar from their own pur-
ses the rest was to come out of the players.
Forrest being requested to play, refused posi-
lively. He said that the relation between &C.
tor and public, was identical with that between
buyer and seller, and he was right. He was
under no obligations TO the public, for if they
did not like his acting, they would not come to
see him. He offered, however, If any of the
peculiar patrons OF the institution in question,
would lay down fifty dollars for its benefit, to
cover it with double the amount. All of them
were too modest 10 make themselves so con.
spcuous.