Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-05-13
The Profession OF journalism from n
Business, Moral and Social Stand
point.
BY wALTER WILLIAMS, BooNyILLE ADvER-
User.

L do not know what fell design the
executive committee had in view
when they invited me to read a paper
on this subject. Possibly because 1
am one of the youngest of Missouri
editors l was selected to represent
the young men on this programme.
L had much rather, however, listen
TO the nestors of the Press Associa-
ton, the Switziers, Turner's, Hudsons
and Lingles, than to endeavor in
my feeble way to read an essay be-
fore them. 1t is, nevertheless, a fun
damental principle of the editorial
fraternity never to refuse an invita-
ton and hence my acceptance of
this.
l intend as briefly as possible, and
in a practical rather than theoretical
way, to talk to yeu on the subject of
1.-The Profession of Journalism from
a Business, Moral and Social Stand
point In doing so I will aim at
facts rather than flights of fancy. I
would not, if 1 could, b~esprinkle my
remarks with sparkling metaphor and
brilliant historical allusions-painting
with words as Rembrandt and Raph-
ael did with glowing colors.
First, then, let us consider the
profession of journalism from a bus
mess standpoint. Friday is IL e
country printers Christmas and Sat-
urday evening his bette noir. Were
it not for Saturday nights and paper
bllls-gloomy, gruesome COLLINS
there would be fewer newspaper ven.
lures stranded on the sands of time,
sad warnings to the ambitious youth
who comes after. l claim, and l
think the majority of my fellow-mem-
bers will agree with me in this, that a
newspaper man should make as much
money in proportion to his capital
invested as the groceryman or the
merchant. If he does not do SO it is
his own fault. The profession OF
journalism has in it's ranks many
earnest toilers but also many persons
who by shif,less and unbusiness-like
conduct have brought discredit on q
noble calling. Some editors are toe
lax in their business methods. They
would make more money if they at
tended ,oftener to their own business
and less frequent to the business OF
others.
The poverty of the average coun-
try editor-and it takes more brains
to be a country editor than a writer
on q city daily-has passed into a
proverb. This should not he. Right.
ly conducted, managed as other bus
inesses are, the country newspapers,
conditions being favorable, will
always pay. Some people, and among
them some newspaper men, L am
sorry to say, still cling to the obso-
lete idea that q printing office is an
object of charity. Nothing could be
less true. If ever the laborer was
worthy of his hire, if ever money
could be invested in a more cent pei
cent. project than that put into print.
er's ink, surely the facts have never
been revealed. Ii then the journal.
istic profession is deserving, not OF
sympathy nor of aims, but of patron
age from a business standpoint let us
ascertain, if we can, what this pat
ronage is and how it should be OBJ
tanned. One main essential to q
good newspaper is circulation. How
shall this be secured? / believe that
a good newspaper, regularly printed,
fearless, newsy and independent, Civ
ing all the local news, and expressing
opinions on everything will succeed
if resolutely stuck to. A reasonable
amount of soliciting, say the putting
of q in the field once 8
year, and the liberal distribution OF
sample copies will, l am convinced,
do more in securing q good, honest.
permanent circulation than all the
premiums, gifts and club-offers pos
sible. I don't believe in buying
subscribers in this way. If a news
paper can not stand on its own mer'
its without outside aid the sooner j
dies the better. AS soon as a paper
is recognized as fearless, independ
ent, full of news and ''nobody's dog
lt will he subscribed for widely ant
read. Having gotten the circulation
the next thing is to get money on 1t
The sooner the country newspaper
can reach the point attained by cit.
weeklies-that of q cash systematic
better for them. But most of u
can not yet reach this. We can all
however, do better than we do now
weed out dead beats, collect a great
} er bulk of subscriptions, send bills a
regular intervals and cut away tina
fungus of hangers-on that SO man,
newspapers allow to remain on thel