The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-31

Vi Tue republican, army. UenorM W00O Is Vory
properly in favor Of fighting. II Is the only
hope ofthe party.
REMOVAL OF THE PAPER DUrr In EsaLAND-
It's EFFECT ON THE NEWSPAPER PREss.-The ma
jority obtained by Mr.. Gladstone ON the second
reading of the bill to repeal the duty on paper
removes all uncertainty as to the passage Of
the measure. The boon conferred by it ON the
working classes Of Great Britain will be i'm
mediately felt, inasmuch as it will at once null
tiply the number of cheap journals, and Of
cheap publications of every sort. 1t does not
follow, however, that because the experiment
of cheap newspapers has proved so successful,
in pecuniary sense, here, it must be attended
with corresponding degree of success at the
other side. Their number will of course be
largely increased, and the majority of them
will no doubt be able to sustain themselves.
But to attain the influence and the prosperity
which the same class of journals has reached
amongst us, conditions are required, which We
do not expect to see Immediately fulfilled in
England.
The newspaper press in that country has
hitherto existed almost entirely by the atten-
ton which it paid to class opinions and preju-
dices. Had it depended on mere party organi-
cations for support, it could never have be-
come of much importance. The proof Of this
is to be found in the fact that almost all the
leading English newspapers have changed
their political course whenever it suited their
fancy to do so, without at all endaDgering their
circulation. The truth is, that independent OF
politics, they addressed themselves to particu
lar social and intellectual interests, aud what
ever they lacked in consistency in the one was
made up for by their steadness in the other
Besides, with people so rotinifre as the Eng
lish, it is not easy to displace long formed ha
bits, and it might be said of the family news
paper as of the family Bible, that it can boast
its place in the affections of successive genera
TONS
All this will be difficult and slow of altera-
ton. Amongst the working classes the penny
papers will undoubtedly find large and i'm
mediate circulation; but the circulation will
only pay its own cost. Their influence will
other sources increase, unless they work
on system which will bring all ranks
within the reach of their operations.
This is only to be done by an immense amount
of enterprise and energy exercised in compe-
tition with their old established rivals 1t will
not do merely to rely on such support as the
working classes can give them. They must
become newspapers in the true sense of the
word, and vie with their predecessors in the
neio Ii IL -A'"inmant of the promptest and
fullest intelligence. By pursuing TINS Uvu.se,
they will attract large advertising patronage
to their columns, and with it, as q certain re-
suit readers of every class. Such has been in
great measure the career of the cheap news.
paper press in this country. 1t would never
have succeeded unless it had been conducted
in q spirit Of emulation and independence
which enabled it to distance all its old fogy
competitors, and win from them the prizes of
public support and favor. But even these
qualities would have availed it but little, if it
had not selected for its operations great COM
mercial centres, furnishing the opportunities
and the resources for the development of it's
enterprise. OF what earthly use, for instance,
would it have been to make such an expert
ment in Washington, whose prosy journals are
suited to the stagnating atmosphere of city
which is only stirred up by the powder expend-
ed in an occasional Congressional brawl?
1t will take time, as we have shown, to de-
velope the full benefits of this important mea-
sure. Once, however, English journalists be.
gin to appreciate all the advantages that are
to be derived from it, we may expect to find
marked revolution working itself out in the
character and opinions of our kindred across
the water.