Smyrna times., 1884-09-03

L. B. MURDOCH, of the IL Dorado
Republican of Kansas, (who by the
way came to Delaware some years ago
10 get a Wife, under the head of
Newspapers and Goobers" " thus dis
eusses on the quality of certain kinds
of papers:
Feople buy newspapers the same as
they purchase Goldfish, or ice cream .
they want the best for the money,
The average reader judges paper bv
the amount of news it contains. its Pc
liability as chronicler of events: its
enterprise in the direction of printin0
facts; its independence, COUPLED with
the ability of its manager to extract
solid news from slOps, straight intelli-
gehce from fribbling mucidness. We
nave observed that people don't care as
much for the opinions of an editor as
they do for facts. Give them facts
and they can usually form as correct
an OPINION as the newspaper man.
ana then we have discovered that
there Is not great deal Of sentiment
connected with the printing of a coun-
try newspaper.
The Huggins and Muggins publish
er somehow thinks, because he owns q
few hundred dollars worth of PRINTING
material, he IS a great man; that his
readers dwell upon his effusions with
intense interest; but they don't.
Then we have the bull calf stvIe of
journalism. This species of the Ounce
somehow thinks he is at the head of a
great army of political followers: and
ne snorts and fumes and bawls as
though his readers would be left home
less and hungry if he did not bawI to
the extent Of column or two each
issue. 0''Oii
Then we have the wilmer who
Inusc heeds exhibit his sore shins to the
Puoilc on every possible occasion.
AND we have in our minds eve a
c0coanut topped fellow who possesses
all three Of the traits above described
10 perfection. Outside of his newsna-
per Oiiice, as a private citizen. his
OPihioh upon any subject would not be
WOftn more than that of ten wear old
boy, but he continues to whine and
bawl and glorify himself until his
readers only contemplate him with
pity. VIZ"
II town Is not large enough to
support two peanut stands the fellow
@ho furnishes his customers with cold
sooDeFs,' cannot hold the trade
against the one who dishes up freshly
roasted peanuts every day in the week
20 II IS IN the neWsDaDeP business
The Publisher who fails of surncrt ie
always at liberty to 10 west or ioio n
CIRCUS lh".. always room in the
upper Story. And it has come to a
pOinJ When the customer who wants a
pint oi peanuts don't really consider
whether the vender is red-headed
eross-eyed or knOck-kneed: iftbe neo,
nuts SUIT him he empties them into his
POCKET and goes on his way rejoicing
ana the newspaper reader. being n
person OF discernment, paws his money
IOr Jhe best paper in the market civ
ing no attention 10 the bnll-calf over
the way, who baWls from week IN
week that his competitor stole a horse
or served term IN the penitentiarv
4hey know the fellow oyer the wav is
not only lying, but is a cOcOanut head
is all. '''''
OF course these remarks are general
IN their nature and are not intended
as referring to any one in partieulay
II We can't meet competition honorablv.
decenty and squarely, we will try and
make living in some other wav.
Lille TO us IL not blank we do not
nate those who are superior to us in
mental capacity; we have not the eall
70 make our newspaper a machine to
show our ignorance or expose our
stupidity. We are always ready 10
forgive and forget; to look upon the
bright side. live peacefully and han
PLY. We prefer life and hope and i'm
mortality to death and perdition and
misery. We seek to carry comfort and
good cheer TO the homes of our patrons
70 strengthen and build up, 10 sustain
the pure, the good and the beautiful:
not 10 exhibit the skulls and cross
bones, the jealousies and hatgeds that
are too often presented for our cor
temptation. If our readers expect as
70 DO other Than is outlined in the last
lew sentences they will be disappoint-
ed That is al
a CONTEST over wagon load of
peaches, between two city buyers. js
phase of life that greatly Interests the
4