Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-06-29
NEWSPAPERS Now

genuily has invented, and enterprise forwarded
it is question of serious doubt whether or moi
the vocation of the printer has been much i'm
proved. The adverse we arc afraid is too true
In point of dignity and responsibility. the press
although rcrr from restraint, and with, we may
say !, perfect carte blanche Of privileges, is moi
more elevated in its character to-day, than il
was when Franklin, its great pioneer first gave
tone and position to the American press. We
do not intimate that the press in many respects
has not improved ON the contrary il is Il mai.
ter of sincere qualification. rs well as of surprise
that human ingenuity has been able to accom-,
pIi,h 50 much in comparatively so short 4 time
When We speak now OF the condition of the
press, we mem It's moral condition When we
assume that the press has not improved, we pre-
sumo the exceptions which all general PROPOSE.
liuns contain will bc funnd
Our object however, is not TO moralizc here
on the duties. usefulness, and sphere of the press
! We have few practical thoughts which We dc.
sire to submit, and which We intend as II sort OF
review of the press at home. Our observations
will be made from pecuniary puint Of the
question, and will be confined strictly to our
own State as it is not polite that we should
know any thing about the al:lirs of our neigh.
borS. The time was when the press Of South
| Carolina might he regarded rs Il profitable in.
veSlment, and person 4 few years ago hid some
inducemcnt 10 90 into the business, with the bc-
Lief mat with Il proper energy and application
TO. business, he would be abIe to reap the re-
ward of his labors. What is the inducement
now? Within the last half dozen years, the
number of newsp pers within our State has
Increased nearly one hundred per cent We
| a. T,L IS ,,,
press, and can call 10 mind nearly, if not quite,
one dozen and half of newspapers which have
come in;o existence during that time, and about
half Of that lumber have, during the same Pc
ROD ceased to exist. Some few came and went,
cmplalicay "the wonder of an hour" 1t is
now difficult To keep pace with the many chan
res which are constantly taking place among
editors and pruprictorS, and the different papers
which have been merged within 4 few years
shows TOO plainly what the businc IS is in South
Carolina. Itis even hard to rccorct now the
names and places Of NIL the papers, who are the
editors, &c, for we scarcely welcome one into
the editorial clair before he gets tired, and we
are called upon to chronicle his sudden exit.
These things are serious disadvantages to the
| business, and soon our State will be known as
the restless, changing little State of newspaper
dom. 1t is surely no compllacnt to the State,
To sny the lcnnt of.it.==---.-
The legitimate Inference IS, that the ncwspa-
per business is entirely ovcrdunc, and the con-
cluSion seems very reasonable TO us that the
present number of papers in the State cannot
be sustained. 1t is hardly 20 be supposed that,
depending as our country papers do upon local
patronage. which is now So much divided, they
can b. sustained with any degree of profit or
satisfaction to those who have their conduct in
hand. We will now cndeavor TO ask 4 few qucs-
lions: What is the object OF establishing news
papers in the country! Is it only that the pco-
pie may be acComm Odated, and that they may
have light and be made wiser and better? These
are certainly very commcndab!c and worthy
traits in the character of these enterprises; yet
we opine there are few conductors of the press
whose bpncvolcncc is 50 largely developed, that
they are led into this calling from no other mo-
tive Men generally have but little brncvolence
10 spare. ana We assume that the inducemcnt is
either 10 make money or acquire reputation,
perhaps both, which arc perfectly admissible,
unless unworlhy employed. Here we have 4
picture: A. imaginrs that i newspaper is i'm
portant and essential 10 the growing prosperity
two already: but being IN aye for prolific con-
Il prospectus the nrw-hedged bantliug appears,
and all seems bright and promising. But Il
Change comes over the spirit of its dreams, and
the sober reality breaks in upon the mind, that
all is not gold that nliitrs. Materials and labor
are cash articles, and at this time are particular
ly high; day after day, and Week after week, the
practical details Of printers life are being
| lcarncd-thG mnltilldinous and rcXatiOus Cares,
ut every point, and 1T every step, show the pro-
prclor-rdlior that his vocation is by no means
Il sinecure. In vain are PATRONS appealed to and
urged to the mark. Promises 10 pay, compli-
mcnlary notices, congratllalory cpslIcS, and all
tie other coaricslcs of the craft, will not put Il
| single dollar in the pocket, or pay the printers
wages. A few months Of this surl of experience
satisfies friend 4. tha; he Is driving al uphill
business. He therefore concludes that the best
way to do, will TO get out rs easily rs possible,
and he is no, long in finding some one else who
is as eager as he was 10 get his name in pa-
per- lie sells out to B. and the same results
are experienced. B. sells to g., and thus it
rocs on, not descending from sire 10 son, but
in the course of two or three years rs many
changes have taken place, and finally the enter
prise dies out for want Of breath-patronagG-
in other words, money.
This is no fancy sketch, as unfortunately The
history of too many papers IN our Stale shows.
| We might tale unluld Of even more melan-
cloly character. but this is sufficient for our
present purpose.
We are led to conclude naturally that there
must be reasons for all this, and it seems prop
er that We should Just here try 10 find one. The
press is TO blame for this state OF things, and
we must, without intending to be invidious,
charge great deal to the multiplication of half
priced papers, which have essencd so suddenly
and so greatly the terms of subscription and
advertising, that with the present high rate OF
materials and labor, with The amount Of losses
which are necessarily incidental to printing cs-
Establishments, it is Ecxt to impossible Tor new
papers TO stand without good deal of bolster
Ing up. We do not object to our friends VINO
furnish their papers at one dollar, for there Is
but little made at best upon the subscription
list but we iOin issue ut once, where they ad-
vrriisc ut merely nominal rates. This is the
cause Of the failure Of the country press TO re-
muncratc those who undertake to conduct pa
pcrs and look 10 the proceeds OF the same for
remuneration. And such will continue to be the
case with every paper whir' undertakes TO ad'
vcrlisc for little or nothing, merely to get the
rum rs they vainly imagine, but which will final,
IL prove that sort of nope deferred which ma
keith not only the heart sick, but the pocket
very light.
If tie press of the State is only intended ia
give amusement and notorcty TO those who arc
engaged in its management or TO give thu
people more knowledge and power, let us plant
This 4" rnlcrum and lever al all the cross road.
in the country, upon every hill and mountain