The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-03-04
independent Southern Journalism.

MeCranie, of the OUAcHITA TELE-
GRAPE, sgoes for one Overall, editorof
's The South,n published in Memphis,
Tenn. he duns him for a ssslnall &C |
count through the columns Of his paper. |
We tFust Mr.. Overall willse fit to pay it.
IIiad.
Whether Mr.. Overall ever pays his
indebtedness to this Office, or not, is i'm
material. The point is OF a different
character. He puts forth a paper called
"The South }" expecting to be sustained,
when his acts demonstrate he is I'M
worthy of public confidence and not a
suitable person tospeak for s.the South"
If he is able to start paper worthy Of
"the South" ne is able to pay over
money collected, which he has not
done. We are simply exhausted of pa
thence with these newspaper dead-beats.
We. do not aspire to the eninence of
a refol1ner, but merely desire to contri-
butte our mite by example and by the
influence Of our columns to elevate the
standard of journalism, now so sadly in
need of elevation. Men have crept into
the business who are totally unfit for
any respectable place-certainly not
such men as should be teachers and
leaders to the public. Itseems to have
become the prevailing notion that who
ever is a failure at any of the profes;-
sions, is, i'so tucto, a suitable parsonage
to edit and control a newspaper. The
result is, that the power and influence
of the press are correspondingly low
cred, and every ragan1uffin, bully,
schemer and upstart in the land esteems
it favor to q newspaper if he simply
permits the publisher to place his name
upon the papers books or his card or
notice in the papers columns. This is
not altogether the fault Of the public,
but is participated in very largely by
newspaper men themselves, many of
whom arose. modest, sordid, Or short
Esighted, as to! dispose of their ink and
paper, and even their opinions, for a
4 tride, or perhaps for a promise which
II is never redeemed and was never in
H tended to be.
4 Our rule is to place living estimate
means simply manual labor, or the
benefits! derived from the use of our
colunans-and to exact from all patrons
alike the compensation due US. We
never beg or tease individuals for work ,
but make it a rule to leave that matter
entirely optional with him who pro-
poses to engage our services or use our
TYPE. If he patronizes us, he must OK
Epect to pay if he does not like our
Erates, and thinks he can do better, we
.always prefer, as a matter of justifica-
|'tion, he should pass on. It is another
rule with us to do by every patron the
best we can. If his job is slovenly exc
cuted, we have it worked over; if he is
of opinion his advertisement has not
had a fair showing, we are always ready
to see that it has; if he is not pleased
with the paper, he can return it, and
the balance due him will be at once re-
funded. Thus, we seek to be justified
in demanding what is due us, and at
the same time carry on a fair, legiti-
mate and honorable business.
we WORK 1Or our living, anu lcSl
proud Of the fact we know how to work.
No community, party or interest has
ever had us to carry one minute. On
the contrary, we have labored, even in
the teeth of ridicule and defamation, to
| further public enterprises and to arouse
| public spirit. We are not content to
! follow in good works, but essay the
part of their champion, whether the
public appreciate it or not.
! These are our notions of journalism.
Tho newspaper should be independent
and unshacFled. Even if the editor be
not always safe counselor, still if he
acts as his Judgment and conscience die
tate, uncontrolled by any other dicta-
ton, he will in the long run effect more
genuine good, than if he were set upon
a pivot and could be turned this way or
that by the hundred best men in his
parish. There must be some stamina
and tixcdness in a newspaper-somc
standard of moral worth-if it is to eX-
ert a wholesome, or. any but bad, in
fiucnce. 1t is the absence of these quail