Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-01-08
Ourselves.

aabrde Q fitting opportunity 10 say q
word In behalf Of ourselves. On the
9Th day of April 1871. the first num-.
Der Of the IsTELLIaENcER wssissued,
with not a few misgiviugs on the part
Of friends and with ahundant jeere
aud predictions of failure from enc
mies. Considering the times and the
general depression in business mat
tiers. the task OF building up another
newspaper here with two rival es-
Establishments already in tho field,
might well have seemed a hopeless
one. But the movers in tho enter-
prise had carefully felt the pulse of
public sentiment aud wero we'll as
sured off sufficient foundatio ION for
the su~perstructure they proposed to
erect in the universal desire felt by
the people for an organ that would
reflect their wishes and defend their
interests in opposing tho corrupt
schemes OF the cliqaes and rings
whose reckless pcculstions but too
plainly threatened the county with
bankruptcy and ruin. Cafaithful
s~ntiuels had been too long upon the
watch tower, placed and sustained
there by the generous and munifccnt
support of the public. The only
promise which tho founders Of the
INTELLIaENcfR made, and upon
which they were willing to stand or
fall, was to be true to the public. The
main corner stone of the enterprise,
was public confidence, aud when that
should DO withdrawn, tho editice
must tumble in ruins, for it had not
the convenient props of the public
treasury and the private pocket-book
to lean upon. Tho course marked
out fer the paper in the beginning
has been steadily and conscientiously
pursued, and we are proud to say it
is still known as the peoples FREUD"
The glittering inducements held out
from time to time to turn aside from
The "direct forth-right' and lend the
influence of its columns TO advance
private interests regardless of the
public veal have been disresarded.
the managers choosing rather 10 take
. stock in the popular faith as a pre-
ferable investment. The struggle for
existence has in consequence been
somewhat severe, the entire city and
county patronage being thrown into
other channels, together with . large
class of custom which always follows
the official chute. The people ct
large, it is true, extended generous
assistance in the way Of subscriptions
and general job-work !; but those who
know anything about the expense of
running q newspaper establislrm ent
will not need to be told that no great
proftshavc. as yet, been realized
thsrefrom. 1t, however, enabled the
paper to keep going, until it has now
passed the crisis of its fate, and may
be said to stand upon solid ground.
being recognized as the Official organ
Of the county, and receiving pretty
much the united support ofrhe DEM
ocratic party. None Of the original
proprietors Of the paper now have
,y connection with it. Mr.. Vaughan
disposed of his interest to MI.
Groves shortly after the first issue.
MIR. Smith sold to the present pro-
prietcr, Mr.. Davis, last summer, and
Mr.. Young, the first editor, is our
present Sheriff. The cowardIy and
unprevoked murder Of Mr.. Groves
after the election, was aserious blow
10 the INTELLIGENCER, and no doubt
its enemies fondly imagined it would
I've a fatal one. He had thrown his
whole soul into the task of making
the paper frst-class in every respect,
an impartial representative of the
wishes and wants of the people. His
efforts endeared him to his fellow
citizens, and now that he is dead,
they regard him as having fallen a
martyr in defence of :heir rights, II
are not willing that the enterprise
for which his life was sacrificed shall
fall to the ground. We promised
that the IKTELLIGENcEE should o
perish through any lack of. effort on
our part, and can confidently appear
to our readers to say whether or not
that promise has been kept. III spite
of many difficulties and embarrass-
ments, the paper has been issued reg
uiarly each week, and no pains nave
been spared TO keep it UP TO It's
wonted standard ofe1cellcnce. And
now, at the commencement OF 1873,
we want it understood by both
friend and foe, that the lNTELLI-
GEHCER is to be and remain q per-
maucnt institution in Lafayette coun'
". 1t would be more than a shame
for it TO be abandoned, now that 1t
has lust achieved a position where it
can effectually serve the people. II
10 a matter of s%elf-interest to the pub
lie that this should not be permitted,
aud we say again that with the poo
ple's assistance it shall not be. But
le: our friends remember that sympa-
thy, although always pleasant, Will
do us little good unless followed up
by substantial aid. Let every man
in sympathy with us who is not a
subscriber, become SO at once, and at
the same time use his influence to In
duce his ncighbors 10 do likewise.
The INTELLIGENcER has already the
largest circulation i'll the county
of any paper published here or else
where, which renders it the best adj
ysrtising medium, and we are also
prepared to do all kinds Of printing
and general job-work in the bes,
style. Improvement is our motto, T,
and u constant aim will be to make
the IErELLIGRNcER each week more !
worthy Of the support Of it's friends. !
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