National Republican., 1875-05-28
STARTING NEWSPAPERS.

The firm conviction of two thirds of
every American community, be it large or
small, that each individual member there
OF is capable of editing and publishing
newspaper of extraordinary acceptability,
is one of the chronic deceptions of popular
belief The fact that newspapers are the
product Of human thought and human labor
renders it impossible that they should be so
perfect in every regard as to meet the re-
quirements of human criticism. Ambitious
youngsters, theorizing aged men, devoted
women and solicitous people of all condi-
tions earnestly believe that they are able
not only to serve themselves in the news
paper business by making money, but ad
vance the interests of their fellow-men by
the advocacy of especial doctrines. The
repeated failures of such enterprises do not
shake their faith or self-confidence. They
must know that success is the exception,
and, if they stop to reason, that skill, the
result of careful training in every branch
of the business, including the most minute
details, is the absolute prerequisite to that
success. Friends who may promise to
yield helping hand to enterprises of this
kind are invariably "unable to accommo-
date" when the pinch comes, and the ex-
perience of the civilized world shows that
only those journals are established on a
permanent basis which are controlled by
adroit business managers and edited by in
dependent spirits, who strive to please
rather than command, and who yield per-
sonal prejudice to the evident bent of the
public mind. To do all this and maintain
a reputation for consistency is at once a
difficult and a dangerous task. A cotem-
porary, alluding to this subject, says;
'Papers started with capital nearly always
fail. Year after year we see papers started
with tens and twenties and ffties of thousands
of dollars go down in a few short months.
The Republic, in New York, which sunk its
$100, 200 in seven months; The Paper, in Pitts
burg, which in fourteen months lost $40, 900,
and then died; the Patriot, in Washington,
which perished in ten months with q debt of
$50 900. These are some examples Of what
papers that started out with capital have done.
The papers that succeed at last are your tough
and spirited fellows who start without dollar
and edge their way in by hard work and care
full management. The New York Herald
started without dollar, and found no friends
until II QlQn'I nee0 Llem. hr. 'Ireeley started
the Tribune when he was as poor as a church
rat. Mr.. Wstterson had nothing to back him
when he started his paper but his old'subscrip-
tion books, and worked his way up a hard
road. His story certainly teaches us that cap
ital is not the essential of success in Journal
ism. Prudence, care and system are needed.
Add to these brilliancy and judgment, and
success is certain. And while it is true that
capital alone cannot establish a newspaper,
neither can it establish any other legitimate
Industrial pursuit requiring business skill.
The came energy, toll, perseverance and abil-
ity that gave success to Bennett, Greeley and
Raymond, in the publication of newspaper,
would have secured them prominence in any
other calling. Stewart Clafin and other mer-
chants who have risen to the head In their bust
ness enterprises, owe their success neither to
capital nor its absence, but to those personal
qualities of energy and ability which secure
prosperity everywhere; and there is no royal
road to fame or success in the publication Of
newspaper that does not apply equally to
every other profession. 1t requires the same
careful management, prudent economy, un-
tiring industry and fair ability which is re-
quired in commerce or in the learned profess
sions; so that those who embark in these en-
terprises, lured on by some hopeful confidence
in political or religious enthusiasm, must al
ways meet with disaster"