Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-02-25

There Is great deal Of good sense in the
following article from the Vermont Patriot:

following article from the Vermont Patriot:
COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS.
1t has appeared for some time that the i'm
portance Of the Newspaper Interest Of the
State is not fully appreciated
Country printers do not attempt TO get up
their papers as cheap as the city weeklics,
which arc simply re-hash of some hall.dozcn
dailies. because they can't do IT, The cheap
city weekles are made up of matter that has
been used in a daily. frequently tr-weekly,
and semi-weekly, and paid for three times
before it goes into the country. They can
well be afforded at nominal price. Country
printers can't compete with such papers. any
better than our country tradesmen can COM
pete with the city craftsmen, and they don't
attempt it. Yet. after all, We don't see how
we are to get along without some country
An city won't do and people who stop their
country, and take city papers. because they
are a few cents cheaper should reflect that
the system upon which they act, would ruin
all sorts of business The country can only
be prosperous by mutual Interchange Of BUSH
ness interests. The farmer raises his beef, his
pork. his butter. and his potatoes, and cannot
rely upon the city as a market for it all. He
must live in some sense at home, and in order
that he may live. other interests about him
must prosper One man, one interest does
not make community The farmer, the
merchant have their products and their mer-
chandise to sell. The printer has his paper
to sell, and it is for the interest Of each that
each may prosper and in order that each
may prosper. each should sustain the other
We put it to the people of the State, if they
would not consider it calamity il every pa
per IN the State were obliged to suspend for
want of patronage; Would it not be consid-
cred an unmistakablc evidence that the State
was going TO seed :" And yet, look at il
how immense a proportion Of all the people
Of the State do all in their power to bring
about that calamity Not town in the
State that has its paper would part with it,
IL there were real ability and business TO sus-
tain it. Still, how little is done to keep it
alive! Newspapers are necessary to the BUSH
ness of the place. Stop all the papers in
Montpelier employing constantly some forty
or fifty individuals, and connected with whom
are not less than an hundred who are fed and
clothed in the place, and making home
business Of $4,000 to $4,000 at least
Still. how many there are among us who never
think of sustaining this large interest who
take not one OF our four papers. and who ex-
them, without dollar in return We men
ton Montpelier only because the newspaper
interest is the largest here Of any town in
the State.
Of what interest to Montpelier to any
place, any County, State. or individeal in the
State. is the success of a newspaper in Boston.
New York, or Philadelphia; DO the men
who publish them purchase any Of our goods
e. 10 ..
to see a mechanic, who is largely indebted to
the printers Of his own place for patronage,
sweating about the streets. getting up club
for some city paper, by which operation he
gets his for nothing Neither is it at all UNI
common to see Postmaster, respectable
portion of the income of whose Office flows
from the newspapers in his village or county,
engaged in the same business, by which he
gets few cents postage
Now, we should like to know what the
shoemakers, for instance, Of Montpelier would
say if ace were to get up club Of people for
the purpose of procuring quantity of boots
of dealer in Boston, representing that by
taking quantity they would come cheaper
than they could purchase them here. and by
which arrangement we should get pair for
nothing;
10 any many man flpnt 10 go Whcre ne
pleases for his newspaper of course we make
no objection, but the simple question is, while
all other interests talk about home patronage
and Sustaining home industry whether the
newspaper interest Of the countryis not of suf-
fcient consequence to be considered among
other Interests as one that ought to be sustain
ed and encouraged instead of being neglected
and left to shift for itself as of no considera-
ton whatever.
II an interest creating and sustaining its
thousands of dollars of business. expending
its thousands Of dollars among our people,
paying its portion of the taxes, contributing
its portion to the wealth, the talent and the
population Of the State, had better be sacri-
feed to the necessities of the cities and the
penny-wise notions Of some of our own citi-
2ens--why, say So and let those who have
their capital invested in the business under
stand it; if not, then let it take a position it
has right to demand. and let the people of
the State consider it an interest to be cared foi.
and sustained, and dealt as honorably by as
other interests are, both in patronage and PEE
cuniary obligations, and let the notion that a
country paper is the last thing to be patron
lied, the last thing to be paid for, be aban-
doned as soon as possible.