The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-01-30
what We ASK of legislature.

procure subscriptions and advertisements.
what we ask Of the Legislature.
We ask Of The Legislature 70 repeal
the kaw passed at tic crtra session car
failing tie pricecfpuJlsh5ng Mc tao list.
We ask this for several reasons; the
first and most important $, in order
that the new counties and those of an
average population may be enable
thereby to continue the existence OF
their county papers.
Upon this subject ! few argue that i
4 paper cannot make itself sufficiently
interesting to induce subscribers to sup
port it, it does not deserve an existence.
Now let us examine this. In the first
place it costs much more TO conduct
even a small county paper than . great
majority Of the people suppose. The
money. invested in the material Ola prin-
ting office, should certainly meet the
proprietor something; the hands at
work in the Office must be boarded and
7urfa the paper and ink must be pur-
chased and paid for in cash, and all
machinery that gives away must be re-
paired and old fonts Of type replaced
with new.
In the next place the population Of
our new counties is very sparse indeed,
when compared to the old counties Of
the eastern States, from whence the
majority Of our people emigrated: the
consequence Of which is there are not a
great many people to become snbscri-
hers Of our county papers, although it
cost just as much to put in type the
paper for a few hundred as it would for
thousands; further more these few
people doing less business than the
many, require far less job work done at
printing offices, an item of considerable
importance. Again the mail routes are
.'few and far between and frequently
only weekly Travelled ; the immediate
cons equcncc Of which is that many Of
our people are enable to get papers pub
lishcd even at New York City, as soon
~ their own County paper and con
tanning much later news of the day
while also ever their own County news
has become stale before their County
paper has completed its journey in rea-
ching them. The result Of these dis
advantages il that many people refuse
n omit to take their County paper.
These we claim arc sufiicien: reasons to
convince any one why a County paper
in the lie wer counties can not be sup
ported by their subscribers, nor without
extra helps.
Now the question arises is it advise
able to grant these extra helps. We
say it certainly is, for the immediate
and direct benefit Of the State. A
county paper is more or less the mirror
Of the county. II it does not always
reflect the sentiments Of the people it
does their acts and enterprise. In it's
advertising columns may be found
something tl.at will show to it's eastern
readers the variety and kinds of leading
business done in the county, ..and the
spirit with which it is engaged in. If
We except agriculture here, weshall find
It, makes its appearance in the reading
columns which generally show up the
srea. yields of grain, the noticeable
cattle, hogs and sheep, the doings Of
our agricultural societies, and the mex
haustable fertility of our soil. If all
these things are not contained in one
issue, they will be gathered up in the
course Of the year, and quite a history
Of each county given to the eastern
reader by the publishers directly, and
indirectly by thousands who after read
ing their county paper send it to their
friends. In this way a county paper is
silenily but effectually effecting much
toward inducing emigration to our
State. Now who but each county and
the State at large is benefited by emf
grafton? Emigration is what we want,
need and must have to settle up our ex-
tensive prairies, and make us a rich,
great and powerful state. Shall we not
then grant these little extra helps toward
supporting eur county papers, that do
tenfold more toward settling up our
counties than any other enterprise in it
if Nc except railroads? We say yes.
The citizens of our state once SO
viewed the matter, but after holding
out liberal and just inducements for the
newer counties to procure themselves a
press, il order that they might make
themselves known to the world, sud
denly il IN extraordinary session in