The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-21
DifIicuity of tabiishing u Local News
nnnar.


IL Is u fact unfortunate, but never
theless true, that very many communi
ties do not afl0rd'an amount of patron
age to their local paper sufficient Il
keep it upon sound financial basis
even when its 0utgoes are scrupulOusly
and exactly shorn to their nttermosl
limit. 10 endeavor TO get UP such q
paper as, in the opinion of the public
the interests of the town demand, il
in many cases short but brilliant
struggle on the part of the publisher
to meet the demands of the type.
founder and paper maker with the
impalpable proceeds Of general and
generous promises of liberal subscrip-
tons, advertising and job.work on the
part Of everybody interested in having
n paper started, but which, being once
launched upon its uncertain voyage,
they are too apt to think that it can be
run by determined Persistence on the
part Of the publisher, aided solely by
good wishes of the general public.
II is undeniably true, rs an abstract
proposition, that every wcll.conducted
newspaper should stand upon its own
10 secure sufficient patronage to render
it profitable in u business point of view,
it is prima facie proof that such paper
shoul not to exist in other words, it
supplies an article for which there Is
not sufficient demand to warrant its
being, In this view of the case, there
can be no duty on the part of any one
to help support his local newspaper;
if he wants to read it, and considers it
worth the subscription price, he takes
it; otherwise he does not. And just
the same in regard to advertising; If
Ave dollars spent in advertising his
business will bying him speedy re-
turn in the way of increased business,
why, all right; and if not, he would be
very foolish to spend his five dollars in
that way. Business is business" in
the opinion of such men---and money
spent for the purpose of sustaining u
newspaper in their community is in
their opinion thrown away.
u is perhaps needless tp say that in
our opinion none but very narrow
minded and contracted soul will con-
slider his local paper in this light. Ev-
cry man in q town possessed of an en-
terprising local newspaper, whether he
subscribes for it and adyertisea IN il or
not, is benefited by the publication Of
that newspaper in many ways-proba-
bly, to greater extent than all other
means combined. 1t advertises the
town and its business Interests to the
outside world, thereby attracting i'm
migration, and adding so much to the
value of every mans possessions,
whether of real estate or merchandise,
in the town. 1t is the great popular i'll
structor, and instigator of those neces-
sary and healthful Improvements iack-
ing which no town can hope to become
either desirable place for business or
residence. tits all this, and more than
this, and labors earnestly and unceas-
ingly, and generally without any hope
of any adequate reward for its services.
What other person, business or insttil-
Lion, can do or will do rs much for a
town MS a local newspaper? That
town therefore that does not generous
ly patronize and support its local news
paper you may Invariably know is
controlled by narrow minded indlvid-
uals whose sole principle of liteis toget
all they can and keep all they get. The
live man of business naturally shpns
such o town. its business Is dyertfq to
other and more enterprisinS places,
and sooner or later its business houses
stand only Us monuments Of what it
once was, and what it might have con-
tinued to be had it only supported its
local newspaper.