Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-06-06

the Executive Committe. The Association
met in the pleasant parlors ofthe American,
and was called to order by Hon. f. p. Wal
ton, President In the absence of D. W.
Dixon, the Recording Secretary, Capt.
Albert Clarke was chosen Secretary pro
famporc
The following members answered to their
names
Walton, c. W.Willard, \. y. Swain
ofthe Bellows Falls Times j. W. Wheelock.
Montpelier freeman j. c. W Coke,
Christian Messenger: Henry Clark, Rut-
land Glo5c: Albert Clarke, st. Adams
Messenger c. VI. Chase. Lyndon Union !.
c. NJ. Stone, ST. Johnsbury Gale
doniaa II. b. Davis, do; Hiram Atkins.
Montpelier Argus,and Patrot;J j. NJ Poland,
Montpelier W'aciman : John Cain, Rut-
land; NJ. Taplin, Montpelier Argus and
Patriot; Justus Cobb, Middlebury Register :.
\. II. futile Rutland Hcrad A. c. futile.
Rutland D. NJ. Camp, Newport Express
and Standard. Royal Cummings st. Johns
bury o. ). Bliss, Georgia p P. Ripley,
Orange County Eqglr Charles c. Morse,
Lamoile Nersdeoler: \. \. Merchant. Bur
lington Democrat. G. II. Bigelow Burling-
ton FREE Pass AND TINES, G.. g. Benedict.
do.
The record of the last meeting was read.
The President announced that the old
printing press, once used by Benjamin
franklin, in reference to which report
was read by Mr. Greene of Woodstock, at
"a former meeting, and action taken to
to secure its preservation, by the Associa
ton, had been received, and was now in
Montpelier in care of the Sergeant-at-Arms
ofthe State; and that as soon As one or two
missing pieces could be supplied. it would
be set ZIP in the State House.
The following gentlemen were proposed
for membership ofthe Association, and were
duly elected r 5 Warner, Editor and Pub
li~ner of the Ludlow Go-afc; E.A. Stewart,
of the Newport Express q Standard; W.
W. Atwater, Editor and Publisher of the
Vermont Witness Miss Frances EAiken, of
the ATgiis 4 Patriot Rev. II. \. Spencer. Of
the Christian Messenger f. Henry Wiley,
of tie Randolph Eqglr; l. W. Rowell,
proprietor of job printing Office, st. Johns
bury.
ON motion of Henry Clarke, John Cain,
Esd, having ceased his active connection
with the craft, was elected an honorary
member.
ON motion ofJ. N. Poland, Col E. NJ
Brown having left the State to become
editor ola Yankton, Dakotah, paper, was
elected an honorary member
ON motion of Hiram Atkins, C. W.
Willard having Withdrawn from the editor
ship of the Freeman. was elected an honor
AIRY member
Onmotion further routine business was
postponed, and the Association proceeded to
listen to the address by Mr.. Chase of the
Lyndon Uqoa
ADDRESS
R,ad before tle Vermont Edtors' and Pub
bs5rs' association ar Burlington, JuHe {,
1873.
El C.. n. CHASE.
In former meetings Of this association we
have listened to instructive essays on jour
nalism in general. The words | have to
offer at this time are concerning the iocn
paper, and how to make it..
In the matter of experience, being among
the younger members Of the association, |
would not presume to instruct wiser men
than myself, but merely to offer n few
/ thoughts. suggested during few years ex-
porcuce in the northeastern part of our
/ State
Customs change with the times, and in
TO branch of human thought and industry
/ has the change and progress during the last
/ half century been greater than in the mat
/ ter of journalism. What would have been
news in old times. would. to-day, be matter
| Of last seasons history. Fifty years ago
| the latest news from Europe was 4 month
old when it reached New York. If items
from the seab0ard reached northern YER
mont in a week, people considered them
/ selves Seasonahly informed ofcurrent events,
and were satisfied. The Great West was an
infant in the matter of commercial and po-
/ litical Importance Chicago and other
/ large cities We're unborn, and a few items
year, from Cincinnati. st. Louis and other
/ Western towns were ali the East expected.
! At that date the country pres was regard
/ ed O source Of general news. The Danville
/ North Star. still very excellent paper,
was the principal source of news in north
eastern Vermont Few families had access
toany other paper. Its columns were re
lied upon for important foreign events, the
/ d0iugS of Congress- the politics of the
I times the state Of the markets. and the con-
dition of the country, moral, political and
| commercial. The people We're not lmpa-
tient for the news, bat could wait till the
man on horseback sounded his horn at the
gate. announcing the arrival Of the Star
with Washington intelligence as late a. tho
first of last month. There were no rail-
roads then. and post routes, with weekly
stages, were in their infancy Country
people logged along in a quiet way, taking
comparatively little thought of the busy
world beyond their own localities and neigh
boring villages. The minister, the lawyer,
the doctor and the village school-master
We're the acknowledged oracles Of wisdom
\ mile 20 school and two to church We're
conyeniences to be proud Of On Satur-
DAYS the little village world in itself
would be visited by the surrounding far
mer-. and the local affairs of the week We're
passed around from mouth to mouth. IT,,
during the week. a stranger from an ad-
joining or distant State, had spent day in
the village. Fthe news impaired touching
D
his travels. etc. were items for discussion
and curiosity for days afterwards
What Is now understood by the term
local news" had no place in the country
press at that time. \ murder, grand lar
ceny. the establishment of bank, the
doings of the Legislature. and other local
affairs Of general Importance, found place
in the paper under the heads Of crime,
&c general intelligence. etc. The purely
local department, containing the ordinary
incidents of every day country life. had not
Yet been thought Of, because the country
publisher had not yet been driven out OF
the broader field of general news by the
overwhelming competition OF the great
CITY JOURNALS.
There were few dailies in the land and the
circulation of the city weekhes was compar-
ratively small. The day of great circula-
tons was vet in TIE future. In 1880 there
were but 900 papers in the Union. In
1885 the total circulation of the dailies in
New York was but 10000 copies, and to-
day il is over SOC. 900. In 1885 Mr.. Ben
nett began the publication of the Herald,
the wonderful success of which placed ITS
founder at the head of journalism in this
country. if not in the world BY his pow
er of organization, his wonderful faculty OF
collecting and circulating reports OF late
events from every quarter, he made news
an article of commerce, the demand Tor
which has steadily increased to the present
time. lie set the first example of thor
F oughly enterprising and successful daily
newspaper in the country.
But. as Yankee genius Is quick to dis
cover all avenues to success, this great ex-
ample has been the guide to hundreds OF
successful journals since. The Herald was
followed by the Tribune in 1871, by the
Times in 1851 and, at different periods
D since. first class journals have been estab-
: lished at all the important commercial cen
tres If the country.
That Unsuitable desire for news of the
4 latest moment is modern passion, created
- ! by the enterDrise of the modern press