Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-04
CRIlIGIsM OF NEWSPAPERS.
Zach Newspaper is,he Output of a Publ,
Demand,
Chicago Inter Ocean.

E Zach Nevspspsr is,he Output of a Public
Demand.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
Any one has the unquestioned right Il
crittcise that for which he psys, including
the morning paper he unfo!ds st thu
ere.E!as. table. Bat individual opinion
, may possibly not represent tht
! sum OF perfeo: wisdom nor tbs
, average OF general sentiment, ever
when delivered from the pulpit
SuGdsy evening the Rev. Mr.. Nickersoa
discussed Toe newspaper" and pre-.
scented some curious obiactions to the
SaY in which u is pu! oefore the public
rhe reverend gentleman confessed Ct the
ou5set thct he does not account himself
so!e TO run a new.pspar, ana admitted
hst ne might fall tar short OF PREPARING so
Ices! psper should ne NJ derteke the BUS
iness. Wh.t ne failed to acknowledge,
however, ID ne fsct that the men Who do
make newspapers are not Sc II 1ch ruled
~ !helr ID tiV!dusi options snc ideas az
y The public demanCs, locg, and some
times very costly, experience has isugat
them to cbsarve snG respec5.
L. my De admitted. We suppose, tlat
publishing daily p,psr Is no; strictly
senIlmsn,el pes,ime, nor together
norsl missionary service. I is e business
enterprise just as the dry goods basiu IS
Is. In m,asure Ii Is prlvs'e concern,
out In order to exist il must Told pn5lic
interest, end IN order to prosper 1t mus
scopt such N 3shcds SIS will insure it lsrg
general patronage Snculd Mr n cksr-
soa take tbe trouble 20 go through MAI
shall Field & Co.'s immense store on
Of hn \ IA
curious assortment Of goods. o, one
counter Is 8 heterogeneous accumulation
OF cheap knicSnacks, on smother eu array
Il low priced articles much Inferior 10
quality to sny be Ill ght caro- to buy
rnougl he csn find the rsrest lsces, the
costl!est fs rics, the most iezanl farm
iehings, snd the most expensive products
CT Cabinet shop or factory In this estao-
iiehmcnt he may not avoid seeing that 8 |
large proportion OF the stock in trade is !
to meet the varied wants OF economic |
buyers. The intelligence Of commoI
experience would proven: NJ. Nick
ersoa ssying to M. Fled: "Wbs
Gcn't you throw ous sn this suf :
aud keep only goo g OF the fneet t. x .ur.
and highest plice?" II ne gave any
thought TO other things tnsn the specisi
object Of his search he would probably
conclude from the great variety Ct stock
that the establishment. caters 10 sn sort.
OF patronr, from the poor needle 1omau
WAC wants cheap spool Of thread TO the
grande dane preparing to furnish pals.
tlal mansion.
a newspaper is 81 intellectual trading
to which al degrees Of i1teII CT
resort for their vsrious needs, imagined
d real. WnsIeVer Is found ia its
'oluUns has buyers, end that Of which 1t .
offers the most suggests, generally, :
he nroportion OF props. demands.
hr. n .cSerson says he can eIjIy
zane Of baseball, bu. concerns
ne newspapers for devoting So much {
'aiusble space 20 the record Of bsse ball y
'e"s He thinks the space could be u,iI-
zsd better TO prssch CID and new truths r
0 TIE masses. There he snd ths news .
'speI publisher diesgree. II were plesssbt II
nd easy and economic sg we'll TO I'll the T.
olumns Of G newspaper with noble essays o
L morale, with philosoph,c N theses Of
II kinds, with able dissertations On the
lgher truths, with chsste ar criticisms Z
I'd profound scientific ipquiriee; bu. =,
there would he get the sustaining pat a,
ons Of such an honorable ard traly ben 4,
dcisl newspaper project? n,
The daily newspaper can live only N
trough having lsrge income. Its in n
ONE depends on It's advertisers; adver-
sers follow circulation; Circulation
to something or nothing In Just :,
ie degree thst the paper Is or Is not ia ~
pred oy public representing vastly d. w
3rsitleG tastes. The trouble IL, there -
re not IN community enough people OF
cal sentiment ard exact morsl scruples -
No ~,
lccess OF 81 entirely eclectic news z
lper. Some wy good men hav, q
hss Is termed the basebsl Ia
axe. They keep jsalously informed -
the movements of every club in thu Ee
untry aud are deeply iatsreated Fl
letevr& Telstes TO the Ind Vi1pal pIsy-
8. These men seize with s7ini;y the !
per that coni&i the conpietesl &C
mt OF these matters. Mi Nlckerson
,uld be surprised to learn nov large o
mber Of these men there sTe. The II
itor who flaws himself ou." on e1umerlr
orts OF cll kinds "kuowe his business"
the oountirg>room will bear witness nc
So, too, does he who, representing
riicular party, gives prominence to he 49,,
airs and interests Of that party. The -
bic Esks for dscislon and emphasis inf
psper Ii supports, and Uen naturally
line toward that psper which best &
gents their views. AS opinions diRsr n
org indlyiduais, SO newspapers differ Fln
their policies, and the man WIN
Ss 8 paper because It is
osed to the principle OF pro- e
ton does not care to find it's columns n,,
zen up with free trade arguments, un-
s their re'utstion accompany them -
most high Glass journals are fair IN 4
st they say 10 Representations OF opposi r.
n views, ard the best answer TO Fin
N ck-Tson's statement that men have
faith in what newspapers say ros
The stes5ly increasing circulr,ion pas.s ~
g noEsdsys eIi)y. II is sgreedaby
re- one that msny things get into print I'm
schccE snd slsrtle innocence and IN. Iii
trierce. No one deplores this fact I
re then editors them YES. Scandals,
crimes, and infamous con -
!, are, unhsppilv, matters of common
1Fd in newspaper coluus. Blu. the
prietY of publishing such things Is ~,
ter for very grave discussion, with ~
In