The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-01-04
SALUTATORY.

The FNToH REcoaD for our New
Years gilt. This is The season for
exchange of kindly tokens Of re-
membrancc and regard. Here is
our offering to the people; we hope
that they will not forget Us.
The New Year is also a season Of
reformation! Ii, in the past, the
proprietors of the organ of this
County have done those things
that they ought not to have done
and left undone those things they
ought TO have done, We will strive
to make amends for the errors, both
of commission and omission.
viii the people of Vinton county
also turn over a new leaf? The
county paper is the representative
of the county public; and its con-
dition a fair index to their character
for intelligence and enterprise.
The most intelligent and well to-
do communities are those in which
the papers are handsomely supper
ted and constantly read. The most
prosperous merchants, are those
who most extensively advertise
This is a reading age; an age full
of stirring events; Of great COM
mercial and social activity. A man
who does not read is only a snag in
the fast moving current Of our
public and private life. It has be-
come a common phrase to say Of
one who is behind the times-an
ignorant and useless member of
society-that "he doesn't take the
papers,
r Shall Vinton county be pointed
r out as proof Of the charge so often
made by their enemies, that Demo
Gratis are not as intelligent and
we'll informed as their fellow
citizens9 OF course this charge is
not true, and never will be while
in the single instance Of our own
State the Democracy can point
with pride to such representative
men as PUGH, combining in himself
the highest qualities Of the states
man, advocate and lawyer; as
THURMAN and RANNEY who have
lent dignity to both bench and bar;
as VALLAYDIGHaM whose lmpass-
ioned eloquence made him the
terror Of foes, and the idolof friends !;
as PENDLEToN the distinguished
publicist, whose speeches are ad-
mitted models Of classic eloquence
and purity; as Cox, the thorough
bred politician, the skillful debater
and pungent wit. No sect or party
in this country is based upon a
monopoly Of learning and intelli-
gence. But wherever there is a
community which is not a reading
community the people are as much
in ignorance Of the principles and
the philosophy of the parties to
which they belong, and the creeds
which they profess, as they are Of
any other subject. Being in this
condition they can not truly be
either Democrats or Republicans,
Presbyterians or Methodists. In
this age Of progress they are moth
ing; they are nOn-deScripts -
"neither fish, flesh nor red herring"
There are but few men, however,
who can devote a great deal Of time
to reading, and fewer still who can
afford to procure libraries or take a
number of papers.
Those who do procure these
sources of information, can only do
so by making a business OF dlStrlDu-
ting the information they thus
obtain among their fellow-citizens,
in a condensed form; so cheap that
all may purchase, and SO brief that
all may find time to read. This is
what a publisher Of a newspaper
does. 1t is at once the duty and
the interest of the public tosupport
him literally, in order that he may
supply the public with a good
paper, and may devote all his time
and energies to the work, He is
the greatest of all public benefac-
tors, and the result of his labors is
the greatest Of all public blessings.
The county paper, if properly con-
dncted, is the most valuable to
every citizen; because, while it
gives him all that is valuable in
the great city papers, it also affords
the information in regard to home