Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-03-06
ne PRonosEp lEprToElAL. CoNvENrlox.--It

hShcd an article IRON a Virginia Exchange, up-
on the propfiety5 Of the editorial fateruity of
this State, holding aconycntion to devise ways
and means, as to. how they may better carry ON
the newspaper business We agree with the
Staunton Spectator, that there is need that some
more etiicacious method should be adopted BY
therFess everywhere, than the old system of
long credits and never paid debts The system
now in use by the Western and Southern press,
is a crying evil Out of the great cities, the
publication of newspapers is rarely proRta.
ble,undertaking. In the West and South every
Body lives on credit, almost If man wants,
TODD business Of any kind he must credit, and
in his crediting he must reasonably expect to
lose great deal. Newspapers are without
doubt the greatest sufferers by the credit sys-
tsm; because they are more at the mercy of dis
honest, or what is almost the same, carelessp eo-
Pile. The debts of anewspaper are scatteredall
over the country in little dribs, which Of course
will not pay to go out and collect. In the East
ern cities the business has been made cash
one, just as much as sales of provisions A
man can't go into the New York offices and get
an advertisement inserted, or some job work
done, and leave with the promise to f'call in and
settle shortly" He must pay the cash right
down. These Eastern papers, then, have all the
advantages which cash gives business Item
ables them to take advantage of the markets in
the purchase of their materials, and prevents
any loss on what they produce from them
They sim, however, have no profit on the paper
of itself The subscriptions of the New York
Tribune, does not more than pay for the white
paper, and still more is this the case with the
penny dailies. These last keep aprofit and loss.
account, which it takes several thousand year
fromAth advertising account to balance. They
print their papersbelow cost, calculating to make
theis profits upon advertising.
With these papers the publishersin the small
cf cities and towns are obliged to compete. Ma
NY Of. them have, therefore put down their
prices 10 the same standard. The consequence
is that every day or two, NE read of a paper
being suspended. It would not pay-that is,
more than-a bare living, if papers were prompt
lytpaid for, and it is ruiuous when they are sent
out on credit. And again: There is but a
small portion of the inhabitants Of the smaller
cities and towns who take their own papers,
Most people must lave an Eastern paper or two;
but they do not regard home paper as among
the uoedfuls. Daily papers arc mostly taken by
the professional and commercial men, and these
few claim it their peculiar prerogatiye to dis
continue paper whenever there appears any
thing in its columns that does not tally with
their views 1t is no odds how much these pa
pcrs may toll how much expense they may go
to to set forth and foster the interests Of the
city or vicinity, they must write all their cpin-
ions in fear and trembling.
About one manin ten in our city takes daily;
the daily circulation of each paper, upon an aver
agebeing about 700 Wepresume that, asW Wheel
ingisabout the most intelligent aud eptcrprisiGg
city in the State, incorporation greater in the
other cities and towns. Mosto of thepeople read
the papers, to 6e sure, if they have to go to the
hotels and barber shops to do SO. They regard
the mere reading as a species of patronage, and
feelas much at liberty to criticise aud reprobate
us if they paid three prices for the paper,
Another thing which materially Injuries the
newspaper business is, that business men, who
go East three or four times q year, and who get
job printing done, will, if they think they can
make OF save little, put off these jobs and get
them done in the East. They take AWAY bust.
ness from their owncities and then expect them
to be first class journals. These same business
men are growing rich at the expense of these
papers. which they thus wrong. Suppose tho
papeEs-of this city were to suspend publication,
why, the consequence would be that Unless than
six,pUhths the property aud business would idt-.
Hitlistl 100 ees Cent; and IN less Che
is nothing ID q city that cenduces more to its
prosperity than wellisustained papers.
AGAIN; MANY ot the Railroad Compantes
Steamboats,, lAianata etQt esS md other public
concelns which do aslarge business and have
agtcat deal of printing TO do, take 1t to some
job Woik Csta bIishment where it easi yield them
no return save in sxhorbitant bills; vet when
they have an enterprise ON foot+-an improves iiS
,nent favorable account pf which would en-
hauee their profits they send for reporter,
and think it very hard want. of public spirit,
ifhadoSs not Finterest himself in it; while;
attsrshe does all he can to advance their inter
ess, his paper IS leit to feed as 6estit cais1pon
the thin an. This, also, is vanity and great
vexation.
In.yisw Of al these. things NO think that some
conietence among EDITORS Is needed so That they
Wlay determine upon system of payments.
which win be dgdY lived up % by every paper.
IL the papers do not do 50 much business, they.
willat least not loss their labor and capital in
unpaid. for work. 40 Reasonable man, win OBJ.
ject 70 paying thesnall pittance which will re-
trss' 50 much g does \ newspaper a stop
ought 70 Sbeppt to this gratis system which
causes thezprinter to work day and night--to
waste his health and capital, and then, after
years q trouble aud anxiety, to find himself
pennies in the world.
rue Operator names Stanntonia as good point
for Due Convention. We care not where it is, SO
that Il convenient OF Access Give as 4 good
railroad point, where we can a. least turn our