Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-05-24
The City Journal as a Boomer.

1t seems that The Orcqoninn stirred
up a vcrltsblc hoinet's nest, when Ii
undertook 10 show that it was nat
ural" duty for the country press" to
advocate the interests OF its Own local
itv without compensation, while me-
tropolitan newspapers were specially
privileged 10 make such championship
the object OF barter. The Dalles
Mountdiaeer very clearly shows that il
is no moro the natural" duty of the
local paper to work gratuitouslv for
the public than it is for the preacher
to preach for nothing, for the lawyer
to plead for nothing, for the doctor to
prescribe for nothing, or for the mer-
chant to sell his wares without a reason
able margin Of profit. All these vo-
cations are OF public utility, but popu-
lar plaudits will not pay for printers,
paper or keep the pot boiling that sup
plies the motive power for either OF
these natural" aids to the community.
Nor could the Oregoniaa have built up
its present business standing. had it
regarded its labors for Oregon and
Washington-the field it specially
claims-a natural" duty, to be per
formed without recompense; nor does
it SO regard it, when a stipulated price
is fixed upon and charged for the opin-
ions 1t expresses OF any given locality.
! The Mountoineer very properly con-
tends that the Oregonian would be a
much better representative of the bust
ness interests OF Portland in New York
or Chicago, than the Tribune or the
World, though either of these journals
has thousands OF circulation where the
Oregonian has tens in those States
The same is true of any country weekly,
however insignificant. "a thousand
copies" it maintains, printed at
home and distributed at immigration
points would TO more good than full
page advertisement in metropolitan
journal, which would be classed with
st. Jacobs Oil or Dr. Darrin's electric
cures. The local paper is the home
production, representing the profes-
sions, the businesses, and industries
the moral and educational advantages.
and in fact, is reflection of the intel
lgence and enterprise of the commun-
ity. The hOme-seeker desires to know
everything about those with whom he
may wish to settle and raise his fam
lily, and the only means of securing
this information is through the col
umns of the local press The boom
advertisement i'll the city journal, with
its faring head lines and laudatory
sentences by the side of 'Yerba Buena
Bitters,' Mrs. Winslow's Soothing
Syrup or Shiloh's Consumption Cure
will not accomplish that purpose. Nc
paper in Oregon, not even tha Orsgo.
oman, has any considerable circulation
east of the Rockies, from which the
State desires to draw immigration
There are many communities in the
Mississippi valley States that has neve,
heard of that paper, and the industri-
GUS farmers and mechanics residing in
that region are DESTROYS of coming
west. The town or country paper will
give him all the information he de.
sires, and in better shape than a
boom advertisement in the great city
daily, which seems to be wholly de
voted to such purposes. The most
business-like and wisest plan for any
town to pursue is to patronize its home
paper, the publisher and editor o.
which has selfish interest in the adj
vancement of the place, and who spend
in circulation in the community nearly
every dollar received"