The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-01-13
HOME DEPARTING ENT.
A Plea for the Country Press.

'po, 70 I" '"ON, W. DblIbNB uUlNCTbulIV uu-
mittod How to increase it's patronage,
and thereby enlarge the sphere of irs uso
fulnoss is a problem which after stating
a few propositions we shall leave those of
our numerous readers who do not take the
paper" to solvo.
l. n County Paper is local recess,ty.
and, as such. more raiuabie 10 erery citizen
Of The County than any oiher. The truth
.vious to require comment. 1t is not the
size, the amount of general news contained.
or the editorial ability displayed, or all these
combined, that ntalibly determine tho
value OF paper, which like every other
article OF commerce. is subject 10 the laws
Of trade The Ncw York 1,ijuae, for in
stance. is much larger and abler paper
than the J,.6trsonian Democrat though we
submit that the disparity in size and re.
sources between thom is not so great as
between the two places in which they arc
respectively published; but the1o arc many
others, such as the Times the Epening
potj WV t"u' ptHtt", W., tbdt Cdl supply
the place of the foimcr. while thero is but
one that can perform the office of the latter.
AS regards all matters of mere local or
personal concern,the County Paper alone is
Indispensable to the community. 1t is the
sole general medium Of public communi-
cation among the citizens of the several
townships and between them and the world
at large 1t is, thcD, in It's appropriate
sphere, of more.value than any other, and
no citizen who would promote the interests
of tho County can reasonably object to pay
ing living price for it. whether il be more
or less than that charged for the city week.
lies. Money saved at its expense is money
lost with interest in tho end; for those
who will not take their County Paper must
depend upon borrowing it OF their neighbors,
or be subjected to almost constant incon.
venience and expense, from ignorance of
its contents. They are !iublc to lose. every
year, ten times the amount asked for the
paper, by starting with their daughters for
the Teachers Examination on tho wrong
day; by negec'ing TO pay their taxes un il!
charged with penalty, and perhaps until
their property is sold to pay delinsuencics =;
by failing to receive the premiums to which
the neutrality-suspicious. lists of our Agri-
cultural Societies might show them to be
entitled; and in various other ways.
II. IL is The duty Of all those ciuzens ,rho
hdLituaiiy avGH hemselues Of the columns Of
their County Paper TO aduance Meir interests
or CRAFTY their pride, 10 subscribe and pay
for II We say this. not as a supplant
for unmertcd favor. but because justice ia
both publisher and subscribers demands
that it should be said We have no pecu-
liar reason to complain. our patronage be-
ing as large, if not larger, than that OF
County Papers in general; yet We entertain
no doubt that, if all citizens of the class
above mentioned should favor us with thei,
support. our subscription list would contain
at least two thousand names. And why
should it not: Every man who seeks
hearing through the press, in 80 doing
gives good evidence that it is of som,
value to him. and why should he not aid r
supporting it &? By refusing or ncglocting lc
do so he stands in the light ofa consumer but
non-producer. Does he ever ask himself nov
the paper which beralds his namc, thoughts
and actions to the world, "without none,
and without price" is sustained We Cal
assure all such that it does not sustain
itself, that it requires patronage, and that,
everybody should follow their example, i
could not exist.
III Better patronage ,oiH make bette
papers, Wo are aware that it may be trul
said that County Papers are not all as goo
as they might be made. The country pros
can never compete with the city press il
the publication of general news; it is idl
TO attempt it. and no intelligent reader ex
poets it; but, within its own sphere, an
for its own particular objects, it can an
should be made as interesting and USEFUL
In the variety and character of its selecte
articles, it should excel. and, in the ability
its original articles, fully equal. the eli
press. AS intelligence is no more abuHdar
in the city Than in tho country, there
no valid reason why the tone of tho countr
press should not be as elevated as that
tho city press. But, to enable country pul
fishers to make better papers, they must
more generally and !beraly patronaged-
To such persons as may seek to g
tablish their own wisdom and acuteness