The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-06-20
A PROTEST AGAINST FINE PRINT.

A PROTEST AGAINST FINE PRINT.
On behalf of million pairs of
eyes being ruined by the fine print
now 30 much used by the leading
newspapers of America, we enter our
solemn and earnest protest against
practice so ruinous to both publish.
ers and readers. There seems to be
rivalry among the papers to see
which one can crowd the most mat
ter into the smallest space and they
have succeeded in giving us a large
amount of news and entertaining
reading, but in such shape as to be
utterly useless at night and destruc-
tive of the eyesight even in the day
time. We would rather have less
matter in larger type. We can re-
member when primer type was used
almost exclusively and when BREWER
was the smallest type used in the
newspapers; but now many of the
newspapers use nothing larger than
BREWER and the main part Of the
reading matter is set upin nonpareli,
pearl and sometimes diamond. The
print of the New York Herald will
ruin any eyes that are used in read
ing it at night and will strain them
when it is read in broad daylight
We are fond of reading the Sun, but
find it even worse than the Herald,
f and have had to discard it almost en-
tirely. We look forward eagerly to
| the treat in store for US when we get
:, the Cincinnati Enquirer, and yet we
e are forced to deprive ourselves OF
: reading many portions Of it by the
i fine print. It's editorial page is
o mostly in primer, but the balance Of
q it is too fine and when we will reac
}. it anyhow we put it away conscious
It of the great strain on the optic
II nerves, and if we indulge in it a
night we have neuralgia the mex
day. The St. Louis Times is no bet
= ter in this respect and we have tn
E same fault to find with all the paper
E at the head ofjournalism in the Uni
ted States.
Unless there is a change in thi
- respect people will have for the pre-
lection of their eyesight to give u
-, reading newspapers entirely or tn
- next generation of Americans will b
-, distinguished by the weakness c
:, their eyesight. We find by enquil
- ing among men fond Of reading VIII
are much younger than ourself tha
the trouble Of which we complain i
= not confined to our individual expo
rience, and we have no doubt if th
- matter was called to the attention {
newspaper readers all over the Ian
" that they would join US in our con
-, plant. We admire the enterprise {
. the newspaper men of this day in er
deavoring to furnish the most reaG
=, ing for the smallest possible prize
but as paper is cheaper than eyesigt
l.. and more readily supplied than th
:, loss of it, we suggest more liber.
allowance of paper and the use {
larger type. 1t would require MOI
N; ~ press work probably, but would nc
=. increase the cost of composition an
" let the four page papers give US eigl
pages and the eight page ones gi,
It. US sixteen in primer, and oertainl
n IN nothing less than BREWER, if the
OF want to show their enterprise in
to way that will not injure their rea'
tie ers. Indeed, if necessary, let the
as give US their papers in pamphlet ,
d. book form, so they are in larger typ
tn A coal oil lamp and a newspap,
IA, -fourths Of which is in nonp
in reil type will bankrupt any pair
ct eyes in two years. There is pres
in ing necessity for reform in this ma
n, ter, but as ours does not happen
n be one of the leading papers with i
ten of thousands readers all we hoE
to do is to throw pebble in the S,
te Of journalism whose ripples ms
,s reach outward to some of them wi
III come to our assistance in a crusat
as against fine print.
In ---~~----.-a&s,~>-ooo
m DOGERS' ENGLISH TABL
10 ~ and POCKET CUTLERY.
TX LADIES' SCISSORS and OTHE
,e FINE GOODS KEPT BY
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