The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-02
Tho Country Press.

. rs
1t is gratifying to note the improve.
,1nent which is manifested itself in tn,
newspapers of the State. because it is
evidence Of their financial prosperity
and this again Witnesses to the i~ncreSod
interest which the public is taking in
their home enterprises. The newspaper
can only be what the people supply the
means to make it, and its success is,
therefore, as much an evidence of the in.
telligence Of the constituency which
sustains it as it is of the ability and good
management Of those who conduct it.
A we'll conducted newspaper is al
essential to the progress of every intel:
ligcnt community, and has more perhaps
to do with the true and hcalthful dcvcl-
opement and conservation Of all it's in
~tercsts, material, social, political and
moral, than any other single agency
which operate upon them.
What city or town in South Carolina
could not make advancement without
any one Of the many business e%ntcrpris
es which maybe successfully conducted
In lis midst? But what city or OWL
which has once enjoyed the benefits of
a.well conducted acwspaper could af-
ford Or would consent to have it strick-
en- from the list.uuf its industries?
We believe there is not a town in
u State where Il newspaper i%spubliSl-
cd, whose every interest would not feel
the shock, and be Immediately affected
by the suspension Of its paper. and it is
this fact which constitutes the bond and
identity Of interest between the public
and the press.
1t is therefore, a gratifying sign Of
generally increasing prosperity, to find
SO many OF the country papers cnlarging
and adding to their facilities for doing
business, and responding to the demand
]upon:the,a to give their patrons better
papers for their money.
al a connection with the journalism
of the State, which has been more or
less intimate for nearly forty years,
there has been no period in which, to
our mind, the improvement in enterprise
tone, Intelligence and elevated sense Of
responsibility to the obligation OF public
journalism has bccn so marked. as with
in the last decade. And, indeed, when
we have noted the expansion which. du-
ring the past year, has chara ;tcrizcd
such papers as those of Abbevillc, An
dcrson, Aiken, BarHwcll. ,Bennettsville.
Cheraw, Camden, Chester, Florence.
Manning, Orangeburg, Lexington, New
berry, Greenviis, and other places. we
have wondered how such excellent
Journals Can be supported on the COM
paratively meagrc support which they
obtain. But so it is.
In spite of the cry which they have
all been too ready to echo Of increasing
hard times as the years roll on, most if
not all Of these papers are getting on
we'll ; and as we have had occasion to
notice from time to time, have been add
ing to the capital invested in them. and
riveting more closely the hold which
they have on the public. We rejoice
that this is SO, because it is a hopeful
augury of the future stability Of u in
tcrests and our institutions, and all that
is needed now to make the press Of the
State the powerful engine for defense in
the conflict which is uponIus, which is
to shake to its foundations, and try.
rs by fire the integrity and stability of
our social and industrial fabric, is that
the people should give to it without
grudging the support it so well deserves.
-Register.