Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-10-24
FAIR PLAY BETWEEN PRESS
AND PATRONS.

teal experience and calm obserya-
ton. The twistings Of men, the
snares and wiles of business effort.
and the inside corruptions of polit-
ical aspirants, are more apparent
to an editor than to all others. He
is the man whom all use. IF there
is meeting held, officers elected,
new articles to be introduced, fiat
tering notices of Hon. Tom Phool
to be made, the editor is sought.
and they go at him thusly. | Tor
WEI take your paper, and so-and-so
has occurred, or is to occur, and it
might be of interest to your read
ers to make o note of it, etc. -
Sometimes a fellow, with extraord-
mary cheek, will request you
to mention his name in your no
tice. That is one side of the case.
Now look at the other. If there is
an advertisement to be inserted,
then the price is too high and you
ought not to charge SO much. It
is all wrong.
Again, the editor goes to bank
with his paper, and he gets no re-
duction of discount. He goes to
the merchant and must pay for his
goods at regular rates The same is
true of the clothier, the mechanic
and the laborer. All have their rates
and the editor must pay them. Now
If people expect q paper to work
for them they ought to be willing
to pay regular rates without
grumbling They surely ought
not expect it for nothing.
So far as our course is concerned
we propose to do like the banks,
the merchants and all other bust
ness men, viz: Control our own
rates, without regard to support
OF patrons. The newspaper bust
ness is as legitimate as any other,
and should be regulated by the
same principles. The editor has it
in his power to right his own
wrongs,as time in it's rapid changes
offers the opportunity, and if it is
necessary, for wholesome instruc-
ton, he should not hesitate to do
it.
The following from the Staunton
" indicator is very appropriate
in this connection
We have never listened TO the
comic plants Of the Barber of Sew
lille that we have not thought of the
striking comparison between his
case and Ne popular opinion ofthe
editor Of a newspaper Every
mans man! The agent Of every
man, except himself, he j. the de
pOsitory of the complaints and
wrongs Of all, and the General Pc.
liceman to secure safety or repara
ton. He is expected to supply all
places frohi Political counsellor to
Public Scavenger. IfSmith's hy-
drant OverflOWS, his ueighbor goes
to the editor asks why hed0n't
cali attention - to that pool of
water that Smiths hydrant has de-
posted IN front Of his door. He
don't ask SMITH about il because
that would make trouble. He pass
es a policeman on his way to the
editors Office but he doesn't tell
him bout it What he wants is 10
lay the whole burden, hydrant and
all, on the EDITORS back, aud then
he feels relieved. 1t has gotten in
TO his head that he supports" Us
he calls it, his favorite journal, and
in return he expects that all his
grievances shall be aired through
its columns. Aud, when his neigh
boris hydrant isn't wrong, he has
time to give the editor his views
about matters generally and TO ex-
press his surprise that the cditO
lacks indepen ence orjudginent or
backbone to utter them in print
And the worst Of all is that the
newspapers have created this an
noyance for themselves. They
have allowed the impression that
their readers are patrons" in
the sense Of the paper being pub
llshed in Il way to meet their APP.
probation in fact, they have al
most taught the lesson themselves.
1t will be long time before they
can unlearn their over willing pu
pills. Your truly independent paper
the only reformer in this respect.
1t travels on its own merit rs a
journal. ana does not need the
support " Of any man-indeed i.
would do it no good No amount
of " support can keep paper up
which is not self-supporting. *
good paper conducted on business