The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-08-17
Th. Neusnaper and the Reader.

Ata meeting Of newspaper editors ana
proprietors held lately at Buffalo, samno'
Williams ESQ, editor Of the Uticc Htr"h
read an address. The production throuH"
ont was admirable. Ifanything better mas
Iatolv appeared than the following para
graphs which we quote from tho addroas,we
have unfortunately overlooked II -
"Don't mako your paper literary Zoe
cotba. Don't crowd your columns with ac'
counts of assassiuations and rapes aud aisons
and embezzlements. Don't always be io'llhg
the world how wicked 1t is. Try ahd hnd
something to praise. Lot your soOong
clouds have the veriest bit of silver lihlng
Give US now and then glimpse OF tho r"'
lief side Of your sombre picture. Ioll US
now and then Of the thousand good deods
done in secret; of the philanthropy that 's
unheralded OF fame; of tho charities unro.
corded excopt iu Heaven of tho virtue and
heroism that ennobles life of the faith that
lifts humanity up to God. Toll us OF the
sublime endeavors unacbieved; of tho lofty
aspirations uufulilled of tho unselflsh
purposes that nestle in hCman hearts.
Tho newspaper needs, too, to become more
independent. 1t wants to be lifted up with
out the sphere of popular passions aud be-
ycnd the reach of partizan dictation. 10
round out fully its mission it must be FREQ.
To be FREQ it must be directly responsible to
the mind that controls it. And first, II
must be freed from that worst of tyranny
the tyranny OF subscribers You have al
seen this Tyranny. gentlemen,-seeD II III
your own experimentation 1t IN that OF your
neighbors. Heaven help the poor odtoi
that has delivered himself up to the hydra
headed diabolus Of regular Subscribers
can imagine no fate more dreadful.
should think that being roasted over slo"
fire. or being broken on tho wheel, or being
manipulated by q thumb screw, or having
ones bowels probed with red hot poker
would be quite cheerful and hilarious en-
tertainment compared with boing daily
spitted by ono's patrons. My friend Jone
is q good specimen Of the more malgnan
typo of tho Irregular subscriber. Jones !
ineffably stupid and inexpressibly egotStlcal
He has. moreover the misfortune to bo at
fiicted with chronic grievance. somehod.
is always treading on bis corns, somebody i
always getting up conspiracy to desiro!
him somebody is always committing som'
horrid outrage on this most long suffering
and ill.used of men.
Jones, being q subscriber to the pape
with which havo the honor to be connected
accounts me as his exclusive property. LII
looks upon mo as being, body and SOUL hi
of embodied give Dollars a year"-payabl
whom you please. Was it not virtually stiI
uiated, when he concluded TO tuke my pape
that should be thrown in as makeweight
Am not consequently expected to rcsig
myself to his custody-to fight his battles
TO shoulder his grievancos-to father h
folly-to become his chore boy and a
for 'five dollars yearw If Jones ha2per
10 be sezod with that frightfui malady, tt
eacsthes scribendi, no ovorwhems mo vii
interminiable communications. II he go
his portrait taken, l am expected to motto
IL at length If he buys house or plunts
grapevine ia front of his house, or makes
trip to tho sea shore, or bas a birth in 81
family, or makes q speculation In stocks,
raises bigger cabbage heads than his neigl
bors--I am of course expected to chrome
these portentous events. each and scvorali
And vet am mover able to satisfy him =
Jones is always vowing the papor amt wort
taking; always telling people what stap
fellow l am; always sending mo inSoleI
notes; always advising mo that if publli
any more articles on the guano or ngg
question, there will be general STAMPED
of indignant subscribers; always hlntiI
darkly about tho prospect of starting
opposition sheet; always holding his int
yidual subscription as o rod Of terror ov
my devoted head.
Now there is just ono way OF emon
pating yourselves from tho tyranny OF su
scribers. 1t is to make your paper a pHb
necessity. To mako every man who ST
scribes 10 It feel that not only is no gotu
the worth of his money, but that he cam
live without il. To be able to say to eve
grumbling patron stop tho paper If y
darei" To be ablo to go on in tho stralt
path of your daily duty, jnst us if yon owl
the public instead of the public owning y
In conclusion. lot us strive to endow
great agent of human development wit
broader culture and healthier tono.
us strive to Increase its intellectual powe
to make it a more effective minister OF
tional progress. Let us strive to make
emphatically tho mirror of the times
make il reflect clearly and faithfully
current of daily affairs. The newspnpe
tho sohoolmaster of tho age lot us 500 T.
that the lessons it teaches shall make n
purer as we'll as wiser-shall lead them
ward as we'll as onward.