Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-16
s'Abeut Manufactures - - NewsDaDer
-tDuzRs

IlGE tlt LrSL Dali 81 the AnQTe meaning, an
anonymous correspondent OF the Sunday Her
old, who lsnents the want Of manufacturing
estab ishmebts Ia the District taxes occasion in
the cOurse OF bis slt'cls to refer - this paper
In the following manner;
"Tke papers OF the District are themselves as
much CT more TO blame than are the citizens
who refuse TO lend y helping hand For in
stance, knew Of Gaze where q citizen of the
District lad pAtente q valuable invention
eno, alter spend ~ over one thousand dollars
IL having sample made, he took it to TVS
oTAk Ouc-, snppCslnE, Of course, they would
feel an interest in calling attention TO a Yalua-
BE Invention made by one OF our own citizens;
put ne was dismissed with the curt reply that
they nereT noticed anything tsGt tg1s not ddusr-
ttsed an bsiT pdPeri A splendid way to encOur-
hsge manufactures"
That part which we have ftsiicIssd f. about
a. near the truth an Anonymous writer could
be expected 10 get in case like this, but he
does not stste the facts exactly. THs STAR, a.
we believe istbs with all the other papers OF
the city, has always been and is ready to DO all in
Its power to aid and encourage in every way
any bona f5e enterprise, public or private
which Is calculated to benefit our people, or TO
add TO the growth and prosperity OF the city
KuoSing this friendly disposition, our Office is
continually hesst by SPECTATORS soldiers of for
tune, bummers, and dead beats Of one kind and
another, whose chief aim in life appears to DE to
get the newspapers 10 write up and push for ward
private schemes under the Suise Of public en-
teTpTises. Hence the iHiexibls rule of THs
STAR, % which the correspondent from whom
We have quoted refers, but which he does not
state correctly. II Is that the projectors or
managers Of All private business enter
pTises Who wish to avail themselves of
The advantages Of THE STAR az an adver-
Using medium must do 80 through its adTertis-
ing columns sud Ne reserve TO ourselves tie
choice OF calling attention 10 them or not, as
fheir mn To
after they 90 advertised.
We 90 not remember the case referred to in
the extract above, or whether II ever h a opened
We have 10 doubt, however, that IL or some
thing like 10 occurred; and We are free to say
that II II should occur again our course would
be substantially the same. And Hhy not? What
reason IS there, We should ike to know, why
journalist should be expected 70 work for moth
ing, while other labor, professional or mechan-
ical, is handsomely paid for by those who enjoy
Its results? 1t requires years OF hard, patient
work and very large investment of capital 70
establish newspaper, as we'll as a great deal
OF ready money 10 publish It from day to day.
or week 10 week, a. the case may be- News
papers are not, as 8 rule, printed for the fun of
the thing, nor Vet 20 make fortunes for other
people, free gratis, though it must be admitted
that III the very nature Of things they do a great
deal in that WAY in merely advancing Iegitt-
mate public interests Why. then, should news
paper people be called upon and expected to
give away their sGbstance-the fair income
from their investment and the results of their
labOT-any more Than any other class Of bust
ness mep?
According TO his own showing, the case cited
By our self constituted and doubtless Interested
censor Was private speculation, and not a
public enterprise. Else why wss the invention
patented? Why not give the public the benefit
OF 1t Tor nothing, instead OF trying to sell it out
81 large price, or collecting q royalty on its
use2 Why spend "Over one thousand dollars
III having sample made" and yet refuse to
pay anything for having its advantages made
known to the public? Did the patent Office
1ssue the patent without the usual feeP Did
the patent agent or attorney charge nothing for
getting Il through? And WHY, FOR that matter.
shouldn't the man who made the s.samDIe" be
expected TO dolls work for nothing, as we'll as
the publisher?
Brit ny stated, the publishing Of a newspaper
Is business enterprise. It's object in a general
way j. 20 make a living, by collecting and SELL
ing the news OF the Day, and aff0rdiDg to other
business enterprises and private individuals the
facilities for making their wants and advau-
tages known 20 the public. To DO these things
costs, as We have said above, great deal OF
ready money, and those who wish to eniOy the
benefit OF either OF them must pay tor it, or do
without That IL al there is of it, aud the
sooner the fact IL generally understood and
accepted, the better and plessanter IL will be
Tor all concerned. Grumbiing and bearing
fa.se witness in the premises won't help things,