The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-06-19

He trusted he would be pardOned for
brief observation upon the too fre-
quent custom of journalists in turning
aside from the legitimate. duties, OF
their profession, to indulge iu petty
strife with each other. Why was this.
Why should editors more than mem-
bers of other profession, consider each
as the moral enemy of the other? The
attraction of the custom was that il
pandered to the depraved taste of idle
spectators. who take pleasure in brutal
sports. Engaged in combating the
vices of the world, a feeling Of mutual
sympathy should place us under bonds
of peace and good will towards eacll
other. "Let this habit" said the
speaker, "be consigAed to oblivion Will
the law of the ancient tournament from
which 1t is borrowed, and OF whose
champions was written:
"The knights are dust,
Their swords are rust,
Their souls are with the saints
We trustp'
In conclusion let ours be the chiv>
airy of modern civilization, which com.
bats error and goes forth clad IN tue
armor of truth, lance at rest and visor
down, 70 battle against all comers who
are faithless to justice and humanity,
to liberty and to progress.
The following extracts are made from
the essay of Maj. Harper, of the Ray.
mond Gazette:
Thirty years ago your Legislature
did not so far forget itself, and so far
disregard the rights in this State of n
laboring class, as to declare by legisla-
tive action, the price to be paid to the
printer for his honest labor performed.
No such right was set up in the olden
times. On the contrary, in the grand
old times OF thirty years ago. your
Legislators, chosen from the most in.
telligeut and substantial, and patriotic
element in your then greatly favored
State, took peculiar pride in fostering
the country Press; in placing 1t on a
firm basis, and building it mp, aud in
creasing it's usefulness and power; in
extending it's influence aud ensuring
its Independents of !hought and action.
To the Prentisses, the Claibornes, the
Sharkeys, the McNutts, the BingamaEs,
the Browns-all illustrious names in
Mississippi's brightest days-it was a
pleasure to extend kind offices and q
liberal patronage to the country Press.
Indeed, in those heroic times the conn-
try newspaper man found q close friend.
an adviser, trusty defender and prop,
in every Mississippi statesman-in
every public man who had at heart the
good of the people aud the honor and
glory of the commonwealth.
How is it uow? Let the display made
in your State Senate two or threr years
ago, answer. when you were Knocked,
and your occupation made the subject
of coarse Jest. and you required, by
solemn Legislative enactment, to do
work in the future at one half the rates
which had been previously charged
rates below the prices prevailing in the
surrounding States-a scale of rates
ruinous to the country Press, and pre-
viously unknown to the newspaper fra
terDity.
Thirty years ago the country news
paper man found in the person of every
postmaster a useful friend. He was,
often, as useful as pald local agent,
taking delight in extending the cir
culation and influence of his county or
neighborhood paper-in building up
the local Press, az the bulwark of the
country; in placing it beyond poverty
and want. How is it now? Each coun-
try postmaster, with here and there an
honorable exception, is now the duly
authorized agents" for some cheap and
ponderous Northern papers-"bond
bIoated" concerns, that can afford to
pay so per cent commissions, and throw
in an organ or sewing machine. And
for such publications our money-loving
country postmasters now labor. day and
night, seducing from us patronage to
which we are justly entitled, and by so
doing, they realize ga copy to the get
ter up of the club, or chrome, or an
illustrated Bible. By this means are
the cheap, frothy though fashy North
ern publications worked into the South,
often roofing ont the modest and pow
erty stricken home paper-aye, often
consigning it to the cold and silent
grave. And yet, while these postmas-
ters are doing so much in behalf of
Northern papers, and no much for the
destruction of their local papers, when
they want free work done, marriage
or a death notice inserted, q public
meeting called, local interest vindica
ted, irregularities exposed-how soon
and how confidently they. repair to the
home paper, and with what freedom
and how wisely they can instruct the
village editor as to his duty to the
great public.
Another very serious obstacle which
every country newspaper offics now has
TO contend with, is the establishment
in half of the mercantile houses of the
State, of what are termed amateur
printing offices. Our merchants and
raiders having more leisure on their
lands than they ought to have while
engaged in their legitimate calling.
lave supplied themselves. to truly
wonderful extent. from the Yankee
manufacturers, with plates, dies,
tamps, and other worthless oatchs
penny traps, and with them they are
Ioin0 as thev innocently suppose, I