Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-10
MUSHROOM NEwsPAPERs

Bankrupt merchants usually resort to the
auctioneering business as the last desperate
alternative to drive the wolf from the door
and men who have either a real or fancied
capacity Tor writing rush into a newspaper
enterprise so soon as they fail at everything
else. The result is newspapers are daily
sprouting up and pickering out. The enor-
nous wealth and profits of the old established
newspapers of the North and the prosperity
of half dozen Southern newspapers have
induced many adventures to believe that
they can achieve fame and fabulous wealth
in the same business, and without capital or
experience they undertake to occupy field
in newspaperdom long neglected and to as
sure the community that it has long wanted
just such a journal as they propose to print.
Ii the new enterprise be daily journal, the
inexperienced writer finds himself exhausted
at the end OF the week; without experience
and ignorant as to his chosen profession, he
finds himself outstripped by his cotempora-
ries, and while the death-rattle is heard in
the throat of the premature bantling, the ed
itor insists that his paper is eminently pros
porous. Recently new paper died in
Baltimore and the same number that boosted
OF its success announced its demise. Three
newspapers began life in Maine during the
past week, and one ceased TO exist The Port
land Nelcs, a Greenback organ, calls its demise
a temporary suspension" OF the young
journals mentioned, one is classified as
"fusion," one as Greenback, while the
other is not rated politically. In
all parts of the country newspapers are
springing up and rotting down. Each new
enterprise promises TO upset the category
and overturn the predicament," ITO I'M
riyet the universe, lubricate its screws and
10 make things hum generally. But the
same old story follows, suspension. The
newspaper business is overdone in the coun-
try towns Surely every town can support
one good newspaper, and the size of the
journal should depend upon the size of the
town. There should be no rivalry between
the country newspapers and the daily city
journals, for we take the position that it is
the first duty of the citizen to support his
local newspaper. But the great trouble in
the towns is, that so soon as one newspa-
per indicates the least prosperity avarice in
spires rivalry and competition, and the pa
tronsge adequate to the support of only one
good newspaper being divided between two,
and sometimes more, the result is inferior
newspapers What the people want is
not more newspapers, but better news
papers. The day has gone by for the estab
lishment of journals with no capital save
hundred pounds of old type, bundle of
printing paper and an editor vain enough to
believe that his lucubrations will extermi-
nate his contemporary. The people believe
more in news and less in opinions than they
did twenty, thirty or forty years ago. They
wish the news in order that from it they may
form their own opinions. Greeley, Richie
and Prentiss used to think for their readers,
but now the readers think for themselves.
To procure this news and edit it properly re-
quires a great deal of money. The expenses
of properly conducted journals in the South
will average nearly $500 per day. This
amount is to be expended in cash. There is
virtually no credit in the newspaper BUSH
ness. The heavy salary account and the pay
roll must be settled once week. The daily
journal Is no longer dh.e4PClLhOHt VI pay
thing. n is business which must be care
fully and skiliully managed in order to sue
coed and prosper, and this it cannot do I'M
der the management OF inexperienced advent
urers, who have taken up the profession by
accident, or as a temporary occupation.
When the newspaper field, either in the city
or town, is fully occupied, the death of a
new enterprise is only question OF time.
The new candidate for public patronage may
struggle for some time to overcome fate. AS
fast as one preprietor's funds become ex-
haustsd some one else may attempt the work
of keeping life in the sickly child, but to no
avail. Black death sooner or later comes,
and the defunct concern leaves Its creditors
in the lurch and the old journals master OF
the situation. The day for personal jour
nali,m has gone by. The elder Bennett OF
the New York Herald, was kicked aud cuffed
30 often for his ungentlemanly assaults