The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-05-27

NEWSPAPER SUSPENSIONS The Au-
:gasta Chronicle aud Sentinel publishes thu
following sensible article on the death Of
it, old competitor, the Conssitusio4alist
From q notice publishedin the Gonsti-
tutionoliSt. yesterday moEning, by the
proprietors-Messys Stockton & CO.
and republished in this paper, it will be
seen that the Constituiiondlist has sus-
pended publication-that its last issue
hos been given to tho public. A paper
which for quarter of century was
recognized organ Of Georgia and Of tho
Sonth-whioh at one time wieldea great
power and infiuence-has ceased 20 exist.
Like. the Mercury and the Courier, OF
Charleston; the Tribune, of Mobile; the
Mat, OF Montgomery; the Journal aud
Atlanta, and many other Southern jour
nails; it has been obliged to succumb to
causes which it's propTietors were power
less to control. While it was necessarily
our rival and our competitor, still the
rivalry was honorable, and the competi-
tion open aud manly, and We can sym.
pathize with its friends who mourn its
decaase. It battled we'll for the right; It
stfuek many brave blows for tho South
and her people, and none are reader
than ourselves to accord full recognition
of its jealous service and successful 10.
Dor. &"',IJ rH
The tendency OF Southern journalism
is towards oonsolidation. The weak arc
falling or else are being swallowed up by
the strong. And the result has been mu-
toslly beneficial to both press and people.
We have fewer papers and better papers.
The quality has increased in inverse ra-
ito to the quantity. Instead OF small
sheets run exclusively in the interest of
politics and politicians, the Southern
press Is making bold and rapid strides
towards wider field, to more elevated
position. In point Of fact, most South
ern cities are not able to support but
one good paper, and when two or three
occupy the gronnd, the struggle is too
shatp and severe to justify the expense
OF q first GLASS daily, and journalism has
grievodsly suffered by being overorowd.
ed. But by thinning them out. the
publishers, the subscribers and the ad-
vertisers are oil benefited. The in
creased revenue justifes the publication
OF more and better matter, and the pa
irons OF the paper get superior article
for less money. Instead OF merchant
or citizen paying twenty dollars per au-
nun for two dailies, as most OF them
did. they will pay half the money for q
better paper than both of the old Jour
mails ,combined. The advertiser, instead
OF placing bis notices III two papers at
double rates, obtains for them wider
circulation and for himself double the
benefits which he would otherwise have
received for about half the expense.
There are people who think that news
papers coin money. This is grievous
mistake. Few papers in the South have
made money since the war. The e1-
pense of conducting newspaper now 10
our Southern cities is leo per cent. more
than before the war. The average out
lay then was about $4OO. Now It runs
up to $500 and $1,000 per week for any.
thingiik0 q good paper. With inoreaa-
ing;expAnsaA, and more limited field Of
subscription and advertising, there are
bnt few cities in the South which can
afford to sustain more than one paper of
even average responsibility. Mobile,
with population Of so, 900, and Charles
ton, with population OF $4,000, have
but one paper each-the Register in the
former. and the Nsws and Courier in the
latter. Competition is said to be the
life OF trade, bat in the newspaper busi.
ness in small cities it is extremely ha-
zardous. and ultimately leads to serious
Inconvenience and embarrassment.
Just as we conclude this article we
learn Of two other suspensions of able
and influential journals, proceeding, we
believe, from the same cause, viz: over
providing, The Union, of Columbia,
has been consolidated with the Herald,
and the Republican, Of Savannah, will,
in few days, We hear, be merged with
the Ad0ertiser. a few may suffer by
this change in journalism, but the public
will be great gamer by tho policy OF
consolidation. Fewer and better news.
pnpers are what We need.
Z DEATH OF TMANzoN1;-A despatch,
dated Friday, from Rome, announces
the death. Mt the ripe age of eighty nine,
OF ibe greas Italian novelist and poet,
Count Alcssandro Manzoni.
The work by which Mapzoni is best
known 'is' his famous historical novel
II promessi Sposi," tale of Milap, in
the. seventeenth century, which Henry