Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-07-03
TO BE CONTINUED.
: STARTING NEWSPAPERS.
washington National Rspabllean. y

i .
The firm conviction OF two-thirds of
every American community. be it large
or small, that each individual member
thereof is capable of editing and pub
fishing newspaper of extraordinary
aceeptability, is one of the chronic de-
eeptions of popular belief. The fact
that newspapers are the product of
human thought and human labor rem
ders it impossible that they should be
so perfect in every regard as to meet
the requirements Of human criticism.
Ambitious youngsters, theorizing aged
men, devoted women and solicitous
people of all conditions earnestly be-
lieye that they are able not only to
serve themselves in the newspaper bus
iness by making money, but advance
the interests of their fellow men by
the advocacy Of especial doctrines
The repeated failures of such enter
prises 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 prom
Use to yield helping hand to enter
prises of this kind are invariably "un-
able to accommodate" when the pinch
comes, and the experience of the civil
lized world shows that only those jour-
nails are established on q permanent
basis which are controlled by adroit
business managers and edited by inde-
pendent spirits, who strive to please
rather than command. aud who yield
personal prejudice to the evident ben:
of the public mind. To do all this
and maintain a reputation for consist
ency is at once difficult and danger
Gus task.
Papers started with capital nearly
always fail. Year after year we see
papers started with tens, and twenties,
and fifties Of thousands Of dollars go
down in few short months. The Re-
public, in New York. which sunk its
100000 in seven months The Paper,
in Pittsburg, which in fourteen months
lost Sl40, 900, and then died; the Pa
triot, in Washington, which perished
in ten months with a debt of 1000.
These are some examples Of what pa
pers 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 careful man
agement. The New York Herald
started without dollar, and found no
friends until it didn't need them. Mr..
Greeley started the Tribune when he
was as poor as church rat. Pru-
dence, care and system are needed
Add4o these brilliaEc5 and judgment,
and success is certain. And while it
is true that capital alone can not es-
tablish A newspaper, neither can it es-
tabiish any other legitimate industrial
pursuit requiring business skill. The
same energy, toll, perseverance and
ability that gave success to Bennett,
Greeley and Raymond, in the publi-
cation of a newspaper, would have Sc
cured them prominence IN any other
calling. Stewart. Clafiin and other
merchants who have risen to the head
of their business. s.enterprises. owe their
success TO neither capital nor its abb
senee, 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 pro-
fession. 1t requires the same careful
management. prudent economy, untlr-
ing industry and fair ability which is |
reduired in commerce or in the learned |
professions; so that those who embark |
In these enterprises, lured on by some
hopeful confidence in political or relig-
ious enthusiasm. must always meet |
with disaster. Il. .