The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-04-19
THE PRESS OF NEW ORLEANS.
A COLORED ESTIMATE OF OUR DAILIEs.

In the Weekly Louislanian, of the 18th
instant, the organ Of that great disturbing
element in the Republican party, +. B. 5.
Pinchback, we find the following racy, in
some respects amusing, but generally cor
rect estimate of the journals of this city.
The sentiments expressed in regard to the
Republican, Times and Picayune meet our
appreciation and endorsement. As to the
Bulletin, if we are poor we are not too
proud to own it, and we would rather repre-
sent "the honest, hard-fsted, poverty
stricken and respectable white element ;"
than to be placed in the category of the
three journals above mentioned:
There are six daily papers published in
New Orleans, tO-wit: The Picayune, Bee,
Times, Republican, German Gazette and
Bulletin. Journals in other cities are greater
in their relative than in their personal quail
tiles. They are important, not so much for
what they are, as for what they stand for.
Consequently, one of the sensitive points
in journalism is its representative character.
1t is probable that no city can furnish
series of journals that claim more, and rep
resent less than the city of New Orleans.
The Republican, the official journal and
the chief paper of it's party, whatever else
it stands for, represents the Authorities of
the State Of Louisiana, and has, therefore, q
super added influence and Importance to
that which legtimately belongs to it, on the
score Of its generally well considered and
well digestea political and commercial ar
ticles.
The Rec and Bulletin, modest and not
very pretentiOns journals, represent the
honest, prejndced, anti-Republican classes,
and the hard-fisted, pOverty-stricken and
respectable white element.
No appreciative man can read these
handsomely gotten up and ably conducted
journals, without instinctively feeling that
they lack funds. and that the comfort of
the proprietors is sacrificed to secure the
respectable appearance of the journals.
They are not always just in their judgments
nor charitable in their estimates of oppo-
nents, but they impress us as honest and
able, and even the strokes of their severity
make the wounds Of a friend. These jour
nails, if they survive the overflow and the
neglects of the Levee Company, will exer
else healthy influence on the body polite
and do good.
The Picayune the Times and Gazette.
especially the two former, are supposed and
claim to represent "the oldest and best of
this GOdfOrsaken community.
The truth is, these journals represent
neither wealth nor votes, but simply their
owners, and, despite their pretentions, they
do not lead, but follow the crowd and are
not especially particular as to the character
of the leadership, so that out OF the preju-
dices and passions to which they pander,
grows an increasing advertising list.
They are not the mouth pieces Of the peo-
pie, but attractive simply for their news,
gossip and scandal, and are in journalism
what tho broker il in trade, not producers
nor creators of public opinion, but simply
middle men, trading on the prejudices of
the public.
These journals are of "the good Lord"
"goOd devil" order, and are not particular
as to whom their allegiance is given SO they
put money in their purse.
They especially affect the championship
not of the ordinary vagabOnd and criminal
but Of the respectable rascal, making that
an irregularty" in the latter, which they
would call a crime in the former.
Editorial ability is not lacking in these
journals, but the management is vicious
the vice consisting in an assumption Of in
dependence not really possessed, and an i'm
Partially rarely ever exercised, and the
settled purpose to utilize the press, for
purely personal ends.
In view of the pretentious supercillious-
ness and impudence cropping out in these
journals, in season and out of season, against
their more humble but really more respect
able neighbors, and considering the really
Insignificant following belonging to them,
we are disposed to quote Don Piatt, on
COlfax, that they run more machinery for
the size of their boilers than any papers we
know"