The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-01-21
NEWSPAPER FAILURES.
WHAT CAUSES so MANY OF
THEM.

In recent address before the Press As
ISOLATION of Tennessee, Gen. George p.
Jones OF the Nashville Union and
American, gave the followingstruthful
hints about the cause of newspaper NOR
tahty:
"Wo do too much work without compen-
sation. We pay too much money with
out any return whatever. We establish
an elemosynary institution at our own
expense. We keep Il charity school on
our own hook We conduct business as if
we owe everything to tho public, and the
public are not indebted to us farthing.
We are preyed upon by the sharpers
and innocent alike. We advertise
gratuitiously every week, when we should
have the money for it. The general pub
lie arc entirely ignorant--probably we
ourselves are not aware of the full extent
to which newspapers are burdened by this
lnsldious drain upon their resources. 1t
lnsnuates itself in every conceivable
form. 1t does it through reporters,
through agents, through correspondents,
through editors, through business
managers, through proprictors, and
generally, too, with rs much
disadvantage TO the public as
W tho press luero IS not business
from the dispenser Of ginger cakes and ci.
der, to the largest mandatory, which
will not advertise with you gratls-which
will, If you listen to it, endeuvor to con-
vince you that 1t is your duty to the pub
| lie TO do so. There is not an aspirant for
public position-and whcl | contemplate
the numbers of these, ! experience an
| overwhelming sense' of amazement and
disgust-from constable to the senate of
the Union, who does.not conscientiously
believe 1t TO DO the imperative duty of the
press, daily and week. y to speak, with "A
| pen OF telescope power, of his microscopic
de'ervings. Even that army o,
s.rollers, who infest tie country
and the people rs sort OF
ltation OF providence for our inquities,
| IRON the street-corner seller OF prize
candy or magic oil, TO the operate i'm.
pressario, will expect you TO write an in.
definite number of editorials on u three
square advertisement Inserted for FIVE DAYS
changeable daily, without charge. We
are required to write up, urge up and pu,
tnrouBh every enterprise, great or small
mat seems TO have possible connection
Win me public. But We never hear Of ,
snare OF stock or of q dividend. The
! NHN'NHi NHc slbte tolll NefCp, INDUSTRY, art
invention and humbug alike seem TO re-
gard the press as their servitors, and to b,
run and sustained for their advantage.
There is a line Of demarkatiun, in AL
those things, between public demand, rub
lie utility, newspaper duty and ndividua
gain. The line should be defined nm,
held as in reality it is, the dead line. No
ie'ler nor II space, nor n figure, nor {
comma, nor period-nothing of all th,
inhumerable particles that enter into III,
form and structure of daily or week.,
hewspaper-is there that is picked up nm,
put down does not cost cash money. No
arevolution ofthe press, not a square Incl
OF paper, that does n OF cost something /,
cash. This should DO under.t eod by tn,
puolic. II il is not, its corrolative should
be practiced by the press. ! do no
mean that the press should abandon i,
position OF being the foremost chartsbl
institution to the world, 1t should hol,
10 that, Tor US munifcent liberality, af,e
purging itself Of Observation-Disclosures o