The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-02-16
EDlToRIAL CONVENTIONS.


All. -.,l
Some of our exchanges have recently |
suggested Press association in this
State. There are similar associations
In our sister States, Arkansas and Mis-
sissippi, and the annual meetings are
well attended and the proceedings gen. |
orally harmonious. We have watched
the action Of these conventions, how !
ever, for another purpose, that is, t.
see what good of II practical nature
would come of the gatherings of the
newspaper men. We have seen but
little as yet. , l.,-I
The great trouble with newspapers,
especially country papers, is the lack OF
pecuniary independence. Editors and
publishers are not in condition to as
sert their independence and to fix the
price of their work. They are gener-
ally poor men and usually have house
full of children, or an office crammed
with rubbish. They have kind Of
forced existence i'll misunderstanding
to it because nothing better is open Il
to them. And it seems to be the news
paper mans tate never to be able to
quit his quill, or case, and go at some
thing else. He becomes the veritable
galley slave for life. Now and then q
favoring breeze may blow him some
thing, as in the case Of ex-senator Ross
of Kansas, but like that Individual, III
too often has to fall back upon his stick
AMI his paste-pot for a subsistence.
Thus it comes about that Press asso
Citations are, as a rule, but little better
than debating clubs, or the primary
meetings for free rides on railroads ana
steamboats,. The editors who partici
pate in the annual meetings forget in
month the rules adopted for adver
tisements, and proceed to cut down
prices and each others thrOats with til.
greatest unconcern, on the ground thai
no man can argue with his stomach,
and no editor with his paper dealer.
This virtually ends the association, ana
what remains is simply buncombc.
AS long ago as 1857 Il press association
was organized in this State at Baton
Rouge. Whether it Was because the
writer and half-a-dozen great lights
like him were members, or what was
tho reason, matters not now, but the
association did not survive Il second
meeting. The conflict between the
Establishments OF the cheap advertiser
and savage resolutions to destroy him
was barely II skirmish--thc advertising
dish completely vanquishe.l the edito-
riui spoon, with the additional disaster
<to the conqueretl) that advertising be-
came cheaper than ever.
And we do not see that our Arkan
sas or Mississippi exchanges have ac-
cotnplishetl anything in reforming
their long columns OF plea, or minion,
in either Of those States. We recog
nize the familiar faces OF old stereotype
plates of years ago-the same old pros
pectuses, and the lnummied remains OF
live advertisements too dead to distri-
butte. Perhaps we ought to concede
that the piano man and the shoe. black
man have made some Improvement in
their cuts, since we first made their ac-
quaintance some ten years ago, but
We know the terms of their advertis-
ing propositions have not changed.
They are still struggling to sell Il three
hundred dollar instrument for one-hali
Of six hundred dollars in advertising,
and "the balance Of siX-hundrcd in
cash." And the visionary editor is
still struggling with the magnificent
idea Of reaping wealth from Beatty,
Bauer, tho Plastic Slate Roofing Com
pany, and Others of like benevolent dis
positions.
There are two other obstacles in the
way of a successful Press combination,
known in person to most men in
profession. One is the Editorial Dead
Beat; the other the Mechanical Fudger.
These two characters, like axioms, ex-
plain themselves; but we must pay
them the tribute Of Il sigh, anyhow.
The Dead Beat is a man OF lofty pres
ence; wears the best apparel and a fan
cy cane, and is authority on all ques-
tions of politics, law, ethics, aud es-
peciaIly in the n,e,u of free dinners
The whole parish, district and State
read his editorials and are convinced