Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-02-21
The Press of the South.
Baltimore Manufacturers Record.

Baltimore Manufacturers Record
The growth in population and
wealth, and the development of the
material interests of the South, are
probably shown in no better way
than in the vast improvement that
has taken place during the last few
years in the press of the South. In
this direction the progress has been
equally as great as in industrial mat
tiers. 1t is not simply in few of the
leading cities Of the South that this
change has taken place, but it is seen
in almost every town however small,
that is blessed with a weekly paper.
In such cities as Atlanta, Charleston,
New Orleans, Augusta, Galveston,
&C., the journalistic development has
been wonderful, and the leading pa
papers in each of these places would
do credit to New York or Chicago.
In fact, during the last few years
they have far outstripped the best of
the Northern and Western papers in
improvement, due to great enterprise
and energy. They illustrate in a
most forcible manner the general
progressive tendency of the South of
late years. While these papers have
done so much to advance the reputa-
ton of Southern journalism, their
less widely known contemporaries in
the smaller towns have done their
full share in this work. Notwith-
standing the lack of adequate sup
port, which is especially noticeable
in the class of papers known as the
country weeklies, these papers have
been greatly improved, and have
been a power for good in the develop
ment of their sections. Almost with,
out exception they have taken a deer
interest in the progress of their towns
and have generally been in the Lead
in stirring the people up to enterprise
and push. The press of the Soutl
will probably never receive its JUS
reward for the vast amount of good
it has accomplishment and it is much
to be regretted that the Southern PEG
pie, as whole, do not yet fully ap
preciate the importance of giving
their local papers a liberal support
Every dollar spent in helping tt
build up a first-class local paper in {
town will be returned many fold, fol
even if the money thus spent in ad
vertising should not bring a direc
profit, it would be more than repaiC
by the immense good that a flourish
ing paper necessarily accomplish
for the town in which it is published
To say that town is judged by it
papers is only to state a truth tina
everybody knows. Some may sa,
that one paper is naturally NOR
pushing and enterprising than an
Other-very true-butno paper can b
enterprising unless its business just
fies it, and the seeming lack Of enter
prise in many country papers is oftel
solely from the lack of adequate finan
cial means due to lack of local SUP
port. Our ideas as to dozens G
Southern towns, that we have neve
seen, are formed by their local pa
pers, and we imagine that, judgin
simply by these papers, we can a.
most, without a mistake, name tn
towns whose business men are push
ing and energetic, and then on tn
other side name those where enter
prise is almost unknown.
If the people of any Southern tow
are anxious to see its populatio
steadily increase, the value of thei
property enhanced, and all their bus
ness interests prosperous, the first an
most important step to take is to flu
nish their local paper with such SUI
port as will enable its publishers
furnish a thoroughly live paper, an
then pretty soon the outside worl
will begin to hear Of the paper, an
then of the town, and presently the
will begin to make enquiries as
what kind of a town it is, as a plaC
of residence or for business, and the
if the place really has good adval
tages, it has started on the road
prosperity.
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