Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-02

The Sioux City journal, of last
week, has an excellent article upon
the above subject, which may be
read with profit alike by publishers
and patrons of newspapers. Taking
for its text q paragraph from the
Muscatine Journal, the editor of
which, Mr.. Mahin, has recently been
appointed postmaster at Muscatine,
in which the suggestion is made
that such appointment will be, incl
dentally, benefit to the readers of
the paper, as the profits of the post
Office will enable it to procur, new
type, telegraph news, &C., the Sioux
City paper protests against this de-
pendence upon the federal Office for
support and necessary improvement.
1t stoutly asserts its conviction that
tubs should stand on their own bot
toms, that newspapers should be
supported from their own earnings,
or, failing in that, go the way Of all
earthly things, and in no case ac-
cept support as a public charity,
whether in the shape of a post office
or anything else. Not that editors
should necessarily decline honora-
BILE public positions, but that the
emoluments Of the Office, whatever
it is, belong to the man who performs
it's duties, and not to the public or
the patrons of his paper. The Jour-
nal further says:
- There should be dignity in the
profession of journalism that ought
not to be subject to every mans
heel. The earnings of the newspa-
per should be its reliance, else it
should fail, and the responsibility
of that failure 60 where it belongs.
1t is high time that the sustaining
of local newspapers, the necessity
for which every intelligent citizen
feels but responsibility touching
which so many of the best and most
benefited are disposed to shirk,
were placed where it belongs: upon
its merits and the public. Publish
ers should cease to carry the load,
working like slaves in the galleys,
denying themselves, swallowing up
every resource, and engaging in
outside employment to keep the in
stitution afloat. No man is under
obligation thus to work for others,
or the town and locality wherein he
lives, without decent compensation
and very likely without decent ap-
probation. Our advice to publish
ers is: place the newspaper on its
merits and let it live or die on that
platform. And if it have merit, and
be not crowded beyond the line of
Legitimacy, it will live. 1t is ne
cessity, and if people find they can
not sponge 1t, that their selfishness
cannot in this direction be altogeth-
or gratitied, they will pay for it
and pay as good price as for any
other commendable and useful thing
subject to their order. The bust
ness is too illegitimatc now, and the
responsibility of it rests primarily
with publishers. Let publishers
place their standard higher, let
them take its bedraggled folds out
Of the mud, and the people will look
up to it, and putting their hands in
to their pockets, say right heartily,
Float on, float ever!
The above has the ring Of true,
manly independence, and we only
regret that Iowa papers are not more
imbued with its spirit
When the local press shall come up
to the point of conducting its bust
ness on business principles, and not
as charity, dependent upon public
indulgence, and when its utteranccs
shall represent the convictions Of
it's conductors, and not their timid
hopes and fears, then will it not on
ly have a larger share of apprecia-
ton and influence, but also more
adequate and certain support.