The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-05-19
THE COUNTRY PRESS OF LOU
ISIANA.

AoAhNhs
Never, since the admission of Lou
isiana into the Federal Union, has
the country press been so utterly
destitute of patronage as we find
them at the present day. Every 9th
er industry and enterprise seems to
be thriving throughout the State ex-
cept the country newspaper offices.
So little support and encouragement
are bestowed upon these, that it is
really wonder that they manage to
live at all; and those that do make
out to keep their heads above water,
have to draw their main support
from abroad. A general apathy in
this direction seems to peryade the
entire communities of the respective
Parishes, and nineteen twentieths of
the people seem not to care so much
as one fig whether their local papers
live or die. This is truly a deplora
BILE condition of things; and should
the same continue much longer, il
must inevitably eliminate into u
pretty general suspension of pubiica
tinns now eXtant.
1t seems that our law makers have
been wing their hest for years past
to cripple the usefulness of the coun
try press by tile enactment of strin-
gent aud arbitrary laws curtailing
their already very modei ate charges
upon legal publications, AMI bringing
the same down to an almost starva
ton point. Added to this, we fluid
the merchants and business men of
every class, who formerly constitu-
ted the main props and pillars Of
printing offices, now almost utterly
iukewarm, Indifferent, and, in some
cases, lamentably estranged - some
of them not deigning even to pat
ronize their suffering local papers to
the extent of one cent in whole
twelvemonths.
Now, we hold that a good newspa.
per, we'll conducted and newsy, is in
dispensable to the well-being of a
town of any pretension or note. Il
is, emphatically, the test by which
strangers are guided in their selec
lions of future homes. Show them
newspaper published at any given
point, and they are very apt to tel
you exactly the amount of business
transacted there. This largely &C
counts for the very few acces,ions WE
receive to our business population
from abroad. No capitalist or man
of business and activity would be sc
insane as to direct his steps towarc
locality where he is led to believe
that universal stagnation prevails
Then patronize your home papers
literally, fill them with live, attrac
tive advertisements, and let the out
side world see that yours is. a towr
of no inconsiderable Importance, ant
one that is rapidly growing in popu
lation, business and wealth. Thi
is the surest way-aye, the only wa.
that leads to commercial success
and prosperity.
Now that we are certain to hav
the Morgan railroad at Opelousa
within very short time, and the ad
ditional fact that continuous stag
route has been established between
this section and the great Red Rive
valley, it behooves the merchants
one and all, and everybody else wh
entertains particle of pride for tn
welfare of the town, to bestir then
selves with becoming alacrity an
activity and make the very best pos
sible showing in behalf of themselve
and their chosen locality. Will the
do this? If they do, they canne
fail, in the near future, to reap ric
: reward for their praiseworthy exc
Z tions and enterprise. Let them 10
nress deeply upon their minds tn