Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-04-24
THE CHRONICLE.
FRIDAY, APRIL II, 1857.
PRINTING-FOR GLORY!

The WillIamsport Gazette of the Sth
inst. has an article of some public and
much private interest, from which we copy
the following common sense hints {:
"CorsrRr NrwsrAPERs.-From time i'm
memorial, il has been the custom Of the pub
ll,hers Of country newspapers 10 complain Of
poverty. and we believe the complaint is a
IIst oue-one founded upon reality. But have
our friends of the country press ever taken
the trouble 10 investigate the true cause OF
their poverty Some years ago we stated
wha, we considered one reason for H. and
Time has only served 10 confirm US in the be-
lief Of what We then asserted. We said then,
and We repeat II now, that there are too many
country neUspapers. Take Lycoming county
as an example. In the name of reason, what
necessity is there for five papers IL, or
what business is there in il 10 maintain them
al a point above the level o. fpover,yl None that
We know of. And as in Lycoming, SO IN every
county. With the exception Of Lancaster,
Berks, Allegheny, Philadelphia, and two or
three other thicky populated counties. none
OF them are capable Of supporting property
more than one newspaper: and yet there Is
scarcely one but has from two 10 half dozen
dragglng along through a miserable existence,
constantly complaining of want of money
a1i everything else. There seems 10 be a
mania for starting new papers. Some do it
because they imagine great heaps of money
are In be made by 1t, but large II. .alorlty be-
cause they know nothing about the business
they are undertaking. Politics., too, is pro-
Life source of mischief in that way. Every
new faction that starts ups suddenly seized
with the notion that II must have a newSpa-
per to uphold its doctrines, and forthwith
bod < IupaI NJ the ,.fS III.
ing one, or else the money for It IS bed from
the adherents TO the new faith, and some
man persuaded 10 make his fortune by pub
fishing It. The paper exists a year or Two
and dies but i'll the meantime a new turn IN
politics is made and another is brought into
life, or the old one revived. with new name
and new notions of government. So are
born, and so die every year, lot Of sheets
that hardly gain the dignity Of a newspaper
While there are men foolish enough to start
country newspaper because they believe
they can make money by 1t. or because a new
party desires it, or because one-horse vii
lage needs an organ there will be a contin-
uation Of the cry tce tUa,t money
Whenever printers of newspapers that have
a"standing in society will, en- masse, say to
advertisers, "we must have our published
price, or We will not do your work." then
and not ill then, will they begin 10 live inde-
pendently. We have made an individual ef-
fort in that direction. with some good results,
but We can not work such a reform alone.
We have lost advertisements, but have the
satisfaction Of knowing that we have not be-
lied our terms much, for We have received
nearly full pay for those inserted, besides
convincing ourselves that unanimous ef-
fort of our friends would work total reform
IN Few months.
And what is TO prevent universal system
Of advance subscription If papers are re-
fused until the subscription is paid, how is IL
TO be avoided Do our brethren suppose
that there would be a cessation Of newspa-
per reading because people must pay for il
When a newspaper is in such delicate sit
uation that its publisher dare not ask for his
OWL, for fear of being left withou, subscri-
bers he can take il as the very best of evidence
that his paper Is not at all necessary TO the
existence or welfare of society, and he might
as well stop at once and find other business.
Let US have Just as many country news
papers as the wants Of the public demand,
and no more. with publishers sufficiently in
dependent to do Justice TO themselves, and We
will guarantee the end of the necessity for
this pitiful whining
These views may not be reiished by
some Of the fraternity, and may be attri-
buted to sel6shness or lack of business
liberality: but we ask any man of obser-
walton to recall the past and look at the
present, and say, is 1T NOT TRUE that
We have too many newspapers in the coun-
try that We are apt to charge too low
prices! that more money is wasted in
printing than in any other business call.
ing ! and that the few who measurably
succeed, foolishly lose much and supply
unworthy men with news BY failing to re-
qurs advance payments?
In addition to the GaseYe's friendly sup.
gsstions, We would add few which are
enforced upon US BY twenty years prac-
tical connection with the press in the in.
terror Of Pennsylvania.
ist We take too many apprentices,
ana tor too short terms The evil of this
- h'h tsdged jours-poor workmen-
.Na worst of alD q constant temptation
20 '0e needy to issue those epbemeral rags
usnominated "papers" which "not enrich
'nsm but make us poor indeed"
"a We lack in mutual endeavors to
promote each others interests and advance
each Others honor. We need more per.
''psI ae1uaiItsncs friendly associations