The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-10-11
From the Newbern Progress.
NORTH CAROLINA JOURNALISM.

The Elizabeth City Pioneer and the WILLIAMSON
Banner are both temporarily suspended Cause
inadequate patronage. .f.
Now here is food for reflection. These two pa
pers have suspended because their publishers were
not making enough to continue them, and there
are several more now going on in the State that
will have to follow suit at no distant day, unless
their proprietors have sinking fund on which to
draw The fact is we do not know of more than II
or Is publications in the whole State that are pay
ing enough to justify their continuance fof = day
WHY then are they continued? Is it that the pro-
prietors expect to do BETTER in consequence of the
hattering promises that have been held out to
them, after awhile? Ifso, we can only say, vain
deluson In North Carolina all newspapers must
depend principally upon local circulation and local
business, and any paper, if properly started and
judicousy managed, that does not pay in one or
two years, had better be abandoned.
We know that it sometimes happens that good,
energetic and even talented men embark in jour
nalism and fall but these instances rare; and
consequently it is time that men were beginning
to realize that it is folly to embark in any business
for which they are wholly unfit by habit, education,
energy and natural talent The blacksmith,
shoemaker, carpenter, brick mason, who has
been bred to his business and thoroughly under
stands it, and adds to this promptness, energy and
strict integrity, will do well in any community;
and why?-because he has been bred to his
business and knows all about it. We might just
as we'll expect dray driver to succeed at law or
physic as that the lawyer or physician would
succeed at journalism. Each man to his trade.
The Harpers are printers; so is Bonner, the Ledger
man; so are Bennett and Greedy; so is Crutchfeld
of the Petersburg Express; So was Col. King (now
deadl the founder Of the Charleston Courier, which
is by the by Of the best paying publications in
the country. We mig ght enumerate many more
but these are sufficient to show that nearly all the
successful journalists in this country were acquainted
with the tolls hardships and vicissitudes of a
printing Office before they entered their of
prorrieto,ship.
Hon. Edward Everett is an orator and scholar,
but he could not keep daily paper living six
months, if its continuance depended upon its
income Bonner, it is said, after giving him ten
thousand dollars for 50 articles, has offered him,
before the articles have all been published, five
thousand dollars to quit This, however, must be
hoax.
The newspaper business is like everything
else-more depends on the man and the manage
ment than on locality, and opinion is that
papers generally get about what patronage they
deserve-sometimes more These remarks are not
intended to have any particular application, but
are thrown out in the best feeling, with the hope
that they may be the means of arresting, to some
extent, that mania which at this time evidently
exists among those who have no practical talent
for the business for editorial honors and emoluments.
Elizabeth City Pioneer will soon be resumed.