The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-11
S AIN P A UL.
ssDropplng a Lines TO an Old Sub
scriber.

scriber.
How do you get along with the PIONEER ?
I send YOU my annual contribution in the shape
of a club, and that's the best can do for you.
Sometimes 1 have been afraid that, in the
breaking up of the party, and you being left
out in the cold, it might go hard with you,
so 1 should be glad to know, from your
self how the old mill works, and if plenty of
grists come to it, so that it is profitable. This
ia nv eighth club to the PIONEER, and have
got so accustomed to it, and to taking an inter-
est in it, that almost feel as though it was my
own business, and that had right to inquire
into it. You will excuse me, and, when you
can, drop line to me.
We extract the above from business
letter, written, as it indicates, by an old
subscriber to THE PIONEER. It il one of
the pleasant incidents of editorial life,
that those who take newspaper for
series of years, become accustomed to it
as to the presence of a friend, and feel in
respect to its condition all the concern of
friendly interest. Just such kindly man
ifestations as the above are continually
dropping in through the mails upon the
table of every editor, forming, in their un-
selfshness, most grateful contrast to the
annoying circumstances which, more than
to any other, are attached to newspaper
life.
We will crafty our friends curiosity in
respect to THE PIONEER, by assuring him
that /" the old mill works - well, and quite
to our satisfaction. Its machinery and
materials were never more complete, nor
in better order. We can also assure him
that "plenty of grists come to it., SO that
it profitable. " Indeed, of the eight years
during which our friend has interested him
self in its circulation, the present has, SO
far, yielded the largest profits. The bust
ness has grown steadily with the business
of the country, until it has reached an i'm
portance quite up to our expectations.
We have hundreds Of good friends, scat
tered through the State, who, with the
writer, have exhibited an unwavering at
tachment to THE PIoNEER-and it is to
such that we are thankful for being able
now to say these things.
We "drop a line," however, to our
friend in this public way, not merely to
assure him of the good condition of our
business, but to correct misapprehension
in which he, with most everybody, in
dulges. 1t is the general opinion that none
but a strict party paper, an acknowledged
political organ, can succeed This opinion
was correct, twenty-five years ago, but it
is not now. Then, papers were started
and managed for party purposes, and the
news department was quite subordinate to
the political. Its subscribers and patrons
were to be found, almost exclusively, in
the ranks of its party it made no appeal
to the support of the general public, and
its appeal would have been treated with
derision if it had been made. 1t was ON
nipotent in its day, and with its party at
its back, was able to crush out all compe-
tition. No such thing as an independent
newspaper was known. The two classes
of papers could not flourish side by side.
With the invention of the electric tele-
graph, however, and its use for the II ans
mission of the general news of the day,
a new class of papers came into existence.
The news department took precedence of
the political; and papers soon began to
have circulation according to the quality
of their enterprise. The people were at
traeted to the best newspapers, without
much regard to their politics; newspapers
were no longer limited to their peculiar
partizans for support; people and papers
we're both benefited by the change, and
the power and monopoly of the party Or
gan was gone forever That is the con-
dition of things now. No shrewd news
paper man thinks of starting, at this day,
an olG-fashioned party organ. 1t could
not live, unless it were kept up by the con
tributions of politicians. This fact is so
well understood, that, Of the few which
remain, none possess any real influence
with the public 1t is only the independ-
ent journal, which refuses to have its con-
science regulated by political conventions,
and to be tied TO the tail of parties, that
carries weight with it among the people.
We beg our friend to suffer no uneasi-
ness Oh our account by reason of the
breaking up of the party" or from the
fact that, in respect to party favors, we
are "le.t out in the cold" With the
people to rely On, who heartily respond to
every exhibition of newspaper enterprise,
and who appreciate expressions of indie
pendent opinion, we don't find our position
disagreeably chilly. But, on the contrary.
quite coy and comfortable
4 Latest Internal Revenue Decision
When a storm is brewing, tax on malt
louors is not to apply thereto-unless il