Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1872-02-15
JOURNALISM In TEXAS AND THE SOUTH.

JOURNALISM In TEXAS and THE SOUTH.
One of The great evils of Texas
journalism is, that the State has at
least twice as many papers as she
will support. She could support
the number she now has, but she
does not, and, Judging the future
by the past, she will not. There
are several reasons for this. The
South has never been educated to
support newspapers. The lack OF
the proper appreciation of the pow
er and value of journalism is one Of
the curses entailed upon the coun-
try by her old slavery system and
slavery civilization. Under that
system and civilization, the masses,
in a great measure, took their opin-
ions of public affairs, and cast their
votes, according to the opinions
and wishes, and, too often, the die
tation, of wealthy planters, and the
politicians their interests, whims,
or prejudices led them to support.
People thus led had no particular
use for newspapers. And then, tie
South not being a free school coun-
try, there was not sufficient educa-
ton and taste for literature and
culture, to cause newspapers to be
sought after. The same classes,
equally as poor, and having to
work harder to make living, in the
North, and in Europe, read news
papers eagerly, and highly valued
them, because popular education
had disseminated q taste for read
ing and a thirst for knowledge.
The old political leaders of the
South did not care to have the
masses Of the voters to read and
think for themselves, any more than
they cared to have the colored peo-
pie educated. Their philosophy
wos that they could obtain the de-
sired votes out of the whites, and
the desired field work out of
the blacks, with less trouble, in the
state. The writer of
this article is an old Southerner,
''tO the manner born" and knows
the truth of what is here stated.
And this state of things demoralized
the wealthy and cultivated men Of
the South in relation to journalism.
no use for newspapers to
lnculcate opinions and carry cleo
lions among the masses, because
The work could be done in an cas-
er manner as above stated, they
mad no urgent motive and no
inspiration for the develop
nent Of popular and powerful
journalism. Thinking men at the
South foresaw the ultimate weak
hess which this depreciation of
journalism would bring about, and
many of them, the writer of this
'rticle among them, as long as
;wenty years ago, spoke and wrote
md labored earnestly in behalf of
he building up Of a strong South
I'm journalism. But it was like
he voice Of the prophet prophecy
ng in the valley of dry bones, only |
hat the wind from heaven did not
blow, and the dry bones did not
i've. And the same old spirit lives
n the Democracy of Texas and the
south to-day.
During the last fifty years the
Democracy has made a record in
history to this effect, that where she
eigns, free schools, popular educa-
ion, Independent individual think
ng and voting, popular and power
III journalism, and energy and en-
erprise in building railroads and
manufactures, and in all internal
public and private,
re not to be found. These things
re patent to every intelligent and
andid mind, and to none more so
han to those Southern men who
ave spent their lives in laboring
or the popularization of public
journalism, literature,
nd culture in the South.
Knowing, as such men do, that
be lack of these blessed influences
mong the poor men Of the South
, dino tn tho v>orolx1;uo ,,oxvnr Of