Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-09-08
TIE LOCAL PAPER.
THE Valuable and Frequently En2ppre-
ciated Services It II cnGers to the Com
munfty in Which 1t Is Published.


ciated Services 1t Pensers to the Com
munfty in Which 1t Is Published.
The. benefits conferred by well con-
Quoted local paper are seldom appre-
ciated by the people who enjoy them.
Whether we consider it as promoter
of business prosperity, or as moral
and educational institution, it's real
value is much greater than that usually
attributed to it by those who ought to
value it higher. No other business es-
adjustment contributes as much toward
the upbuilding of town, and no other
business man is called upon to do as
much gratuitous work in the interest OF
his neighbors and the public as it's
editor. The amount of free advertising
done in the local paper IN the course of
a year is simply enormous. Every
church festival, every school exhibition,
the meetings of the sewing circles, mite
societies, masonic and other lodges,
village officials, church and school
boards, and promiscuous gatherings of
al kinds are duly announced without
charge. If such announcements were
paid for, even at half rates, the pub
1isher's income would be materially in
creased. But these are nothing as COM
pared with the free advertising in be-
half Of projected railroads, turnpikes,
and public improvements in general.
Few men, it seems, are capable Of
correctly estimating the obligations of
the community to the local paper and
its editor. The masses accept the bene-
fits and the services as matters of
course. When he has paid the sub
scription price the average subscriber
appears to think the account balanced.
Indeed, there are those who appear to
think they are doing an extremely gen
erous thing to pay for their paper at
all. They seem to think the editor
ought to be grateful for his proper
dues. They regard the paying of their
subscription as the dong Of charitable
deed, and this, like other charities, is
generally performed very grudgingiy.
They do not think of the beneficial eff
fects upon the business interests Of the
place, in which every member of the
community share, produced by the
publication of the local paper. They
do not step to consider what would
be the effect if its publication were
stopped
A very little thought is, however,
sufficient to convince any sensible per-
son that the support of the local paper
is, from purely business standpoint
q most profitable investment for the
community at large Compare, for
instance, the amount of capital invest
ed in the mercantile business of town
with that invested m the local papers,
and note how inconsidcrabEe the latter
is; the ratio is perhaps one hundred to
one. Then compare the amount an
nually spent ct the stores with that
paid to support the local papers and
again note the insignificance of the
latter amount; the terms of the proper
ton are even more diverse. Who will
say that the comparison is unfavorable
to the newspapers?
The comparison does not fail, either,
when applied TO moral and education
al institutions. A community that
supports two or three papers is gener-
ally found supporting perhaps hum
dred churches and schools Compare
the cost of maintaining all these insti-
buttons, including the salaries of
preachers and teachers, with the cost
of supporting the local papers. Then
compare the moral and educational re-
suits, one side with the other, and ii is
pretty safe to say that the result will
not be unfavorable to the properly
conducted paper. (And, right here, it
is proper 70 say that fair and just
comparison must exclude all immoral
publications. A paper, the moral
tone of which is low, is no more
worthy of liberation or encourage
ment III community or in home
than any other institution or individual
tainted with moral leprosy.)
Every man engaged in business, or
IN any way interested in the material
prosperity of his town and vicinity, or
In the educational affairs of his COM
munity, or in the moral purity of So
ciety in his neighborhood, is under
great obligations to his local paper,
and should give it liberal support,
not as a charity, but as duty to him
self, to his family and to his neighbors,
and as a wise investment of his money.
-EIchange.