The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-07-02
A,lrbmonb p1patfh.
MONDAY MORNING. JULY ., 1859.

The Newspaper and the Reader.
The following suggestions we extract from
the address Of Samuel Williams, before the
Convention OF the New York State Associated
Press, at Buffalo, last week
Don't make your paper literary Golgotha.
Don't crowd your columns with accounts OF
assassinations, and rapes. and arson, and EN-
bezzlements--as IL mankind were DONG Hotn-
ing except committing assassinattons, and
rapss and entertainments. Don't always be
telling the world how wicked IL Is. Try and
say something good OF somebody. Try ana
fad some hing To praise. Let your soooing
cloud have the veriest Bit of silver lining
Give us now and then glimpse OF the refer
side of your somnre picture. Fell us now ana
then of the thousand good deeds done IN secret :
of the pailanthrophy that is unheraided OF
fame; OF the charities pnrecorded except III
Heaven; Of the virtue that blooms unseen, or
the heroism that mobiles life Of the iaith 'hat
lifts humanity up to God. Tell us OF the SUP
lime endeavors unachieveo; OF the iofty asp
rations nnfuifilled OF the unselfsh purposes
that nestle in human hearts. -
The newspaper needs, too. 10 become nioIe
independent. IL wants to be iiIeo up wllnou,
the sphere of y epular passions, ana beyond
the reach OF partizsn dictation. 10 round out
fully It's mission IL must be free. 10 be Tree
il must be directly responsible only 10 the
mind that controls it. And first, IL must he
freed from the worst of ~ ranny--the tyranny
ofsubscribers. You have ali seen this ~ ranny,
ger tiemen-seen II IN your own experience
seeu IL in thai OF your nelghbors. Heaven help
the poor editor hat has delivered himself up
to the hydra beaded diabolus Of regular sub
scr,bers. l can imagine no fate more dread
fui. ! should think that being roasted over
slow fire, or being broken on the wheel, or be-
ing manipulated by thumb-screw, or having
ones bowels probed with Il red not poker,
would be quite cheerful aud hilarious an en-
tertainment comp pared with being daily spitteo
by oue's patrons
My friend Jones is good specimen of the
more malignant type OF the regular subscri-
Der" Jones is ineffably stupid and expressi-
bly, egotlstic. He has moreover, the Inlsfor-
time TO be afflicted with chronic griev-
ance. Somebody Is always treadins on
his corns somebody is always getting up
conspiracy TO destroy him; somebody Is al
ways committing some hOrrid outrage on this
most long suffering and ill-used OF men.
Jones being subscriber to the paper with
which l have the honor TO be connected, ac-
counts me rs his exclusive property. He looks
upon me as being, body anu soul, MS personal
chattel. lie regards me as sort OF embodied
"S5 Il year''-payabIe when you please Was
it not virtually stipulated. when ne concluded
10 take my paper, that should be thrown in
make weight! Am L not consequently
expected To resign myself to his custody-to
fight his batties-to shoulder his grievances
TO father his folly-to become his "chore-boy
and for A." s. year ~
Ii Jones happens to be seized with that
frightful malady, the cGcGetheS sertbendt, he
Overwheitns me with in ieTTninable communl-
cations IL he gets his portrait taken, L am
expected 10 notice IL at length II he buys a
house or plants grape vine In front OF mis-
house. or makes a trip to the sea shore, or has
Il birth in the family, or makes q good specu
fatiou III stocks, or raises bigger cabbage heads
Than his nrighbJTs-I am, OF course, expected
only 10 chronicle THESE portentious events
each and seyeraiiy.
and yet l AN never able TO satisfy him
Jones Is tlWays voWing the paper amt worth
taxing; always telling people what a stupid
fellow 1 am; always sending me ihsoienL
notes always advising me that If publish
any more articles the gnaro or Niger
question, there will be a general stampede OF
aud snaut subScrl bers al ways limiting darkly
about the prospect OF starting an opposition
sheet; always holding his individual subscrip-
ton rs Il rod of terror over my devoted head
NOW, there rs just one way of emaucipating
ourselves from he tyranny of subscriDers.-
Al Is 10 make your paper public necessity
To make every man who subscrlbes to IL feel
that not only is he getting the worth of his
money, but That he cannot live without il. To
De able 10 say 10 every grumblng patron,
stop the paper, If You dare - To be able 10
90 on III ihe straight path of your daily duty,
just As IT You owned the pu bic, ms tead OF the
public owning you.
In conclusion. let us strive to endow this
great agent OF human Development with a
broader culture and healthier tone. Let us
strive 10 Increase It's intellectual pow
give II a wider aud Il no bier field uf action-ls
make IL a more efiec tive minister OF rational
Progress. Let us strive 10 make IL phati
Caily the mirror Of the umes-to make ii re-
fiect clearly and faithfully the current of dai-
iy AFFAIRS. The newspaper Is the schoolmas-
ter OF the age; let us see to 1t that the lessons
1T teaches shall make men purer AS well as
wiser-shall lead them upward as Well rs on
ward.