St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-05-08
The Country Press of Louisiana.

country press been so utterly destitut,
of patronage as we find them at tn,
present day. Every other industry ant
enterprise seems to be thriving through
out the State except the country news
paper offices. So little support ani
encouragement are bestowed upor
these, that it is really a wonder thai
they manage to live at all; and those
that do make out to keep their heads
above water, have to draw their mair
support from abroad. A general apathy
in this direction seems to pervadc the
entire communities of the respective
parishes, and nineteen TWEEN tieths Of the
people seem not to care so much as one
fig whether their local papers Ire or
die. This is truly deplorable condi-
ton of things; and should the same
continue much longer, it must inevitably
culminate into pretty general suspen-
sion Of the publications now extant.
1t seems that our lawmakers have
been trying their best for years past to
cripple the usefulness of the country
press by the enactment of stringent and
arbitrary laws curtailing their already
very moderate charges upon legal pub
lications, and bringing the same down
to an almost starvation point. Added
to this, we find the merchants and busi-
ness men of every class, who formerly
constituted the main props and pillars
of printing offices, now almost utterly
lukewarm, Indifferent, and, in some
cases, lamentably estran ged-some of
them not deigning even to patrsnize
their suffering local papers to the extent
of one cent in whole twelvemonths.
Now, we hold that good newspaper,
we'll conducted and newsy, is indispen-
sable to the we'll being of town of any
pretension Or note. 1t is, emphatically,
the test by which strangers are guided
in their selections of future homes.
Show them a newspaper published at
any given point, and they are very apt
to tell you exactly the amount Of busi-
ness transacted there. This largely ac-
counts for the very few accessions we
receive to our business population from
abroad. No capitalist or man of busi-
ness and activity would be SO insane as
to direct his steps toward a locality
where he is led to believe that universal
stagnation prevails. Then patronize
your home papers literally, fill them
with live, attractive advertisements,
and let the outside world see that yours
is town Of no inconsiderable impor-
tance, and one that is rapidly gowing in
busines, and wealth. This
is the surest way-aye, the only way
that leads to commercial success and
prosperity.
Now that we are certain to have the
Morgan railroad attOpelousas within a
very short time, and the additional fact
that a continuous stage route has been
established between this section and
the great Red River valley, it behooyes
the merchants, one and all, and every
body else who entertains a particle of |
pride for the welfare of the town, to
bestir themselves with becoming alacri-
" and activity and make the very best
possible showing in behalf of them
selves and their chosen locality. Will
hey do this? If they do, they eau not
all, in the near future, to reap rich re-
ward for their praiseworthy exertions
md enterprise. Let them impress deep
y upon their minds this truthful old
maxim "Wlat is worth having at all
$ worth contending for"
To show to what extent country print
ng offices are sometimes made to suffer
n the matter of home patronage, we will
MENTION the information impaired to us
" reliable business gentleman of this
own, namely: that many merchants,
men, and others, are often
n the habit Of sending, through the il.
epressible drummers that swarm here
to New Orleans to have
heir printing done, when it is noto-
ious fact that the same can be prompt
y executed right here at home, in as
eat style, and at identically the same
gures. To say the least Of it, this is
ot only enormously unjust but is the
cry morst feature Of all, as it unmis-
akably evinces a reckless, unpardon-
BILE disregard for the success and
hriftiness of their own immediate local
rinting establishments. We are yet to I,
earn that city printing offices or city
apers have ever done the least thing to
remote the welfare Of the country
owns and parishes, yet some men, we
re told, are to be found here and there
Tho will patronize, in preference of ,
heir own, city printing offices-th that ,
erhaps often have more patronage at
ONE than they really need-and un-
lusllingly suffer their own local papers
. go down through sheer neglect and
5
As a practical illustration of the evil ,
olicy-not to say fatal one-inaugu-
ated by some inconsiderate merchants /!
nd others. we hep to he nermitted ia y