The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-09
Support Home Newspapers.
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Many times within q few years we have
urged upon our readers 70 sustain their local
newspapers, provided they were such In fact,
that oil through the country men are publish
Ing what are called by courtesy newspapers,
that are no more like the genuine article than
"a toadstool Is to a mushroom. And as the
one is unpleasant and poisonous, while the
other Is pnlatable and nutritious, so the no.
account paper IL an injury 10 any locality,
while live, enterprising Journal, however
small. Is q power for good. - -
Within a few years newspapers have come
into being In the South as thick as toads nfter
u shower. Many proved themselves worthy
the name, while many more showed conclu-
slvelythat their projectors had mistaken their
vocation, and after few weeks or months
they disappeared. Unfortunately the injury
they did 10 legitimate Journalism did not die
with them. The legacy they left their unfor-
tunate subfcribers was distrust Of and con-
tempt for newspapers In general, and desire
10 get hold OF first class Journals and learn
what was going on in the world without cost
TO themselves. Every business manager OF
a live paper could give repeated ILLUSTRATIONS
OF this from his own experience. Recently,
while visiting the editor of an ttal and
deservediy popular daily paper ia large
Southern city, we were shown two letters re-
ceived In that days mail. one was rom
his subscription 10 dateandordered the paper
stopped. He said that he had taken II fifteen
years and had always been pleased with 1t,
but that for many months ne had not seen
his copy an average OF once week, for some
neighbor would sorrowit, read 1t, lend IL 10
another and 80 on, and when at night he
wanted II, 1t was gone, no one knew where.
He thought he was doing the Puoiishers an
Ell 10 stop for awhile until some OF his neigh
dors could be induced TO luke II, and then he'
would renew his ownisubscrlpoon. The other
A., has not received your paper last four
days. Az several OF us depended upon 1t for the
news, we will feel much obliged II you Will
attend to this at once apd see that thereis no
Many publishers could relate 81 milar ex
perlences. Jonrneying leisurely In the
mountains not long since, we saw one Sunday
durlng the noon intermission group OF
dozen or more surrounding one man who was
reading from a paper. We learned that he
was the only citiZlen or that vicinity who
took a newspaper OF any kind, and that when
ever there was preaching al that cross.roao
meeting house he was expeced TO bring his
weekly paper and read 1t TO the others.
1t is safe to say that the really able weekly
newspapers published In the South average
twenty readers to one subscriber, while for
that number Of readers there should be at least
four subscribers. Now where does the fault
lie? Certainly not with the edi tors and
publishers. They are az whole. the great,est les
They give their time, bruins, energy and ex-
perience TO their vocation, and are usually
the active promoters or everything tnat VIII
benefit The PUBIC. III Lney uT0 at IhulC dL MI
n is in the fact that In their zeal for the
public welfare they often forget their own.
and give the use OF their columns gratuitous-
~ when they should be paid Literally for the
space occupied. The responsibility for sus-
tanning live newspaper In any locality de-
wolves upon the entire community. For
merchants 1t Is the best medium for reaching
tho people. A wel!-worded end well.dlsplay-
ed advertisement In u newspaper draws more
than all the circulars they can Issue or hand
bill and sign boards they can post In their
Counties. The merchant should = therefore :,
customers TO take The paper he uses as his med
ium. The latter will respect his opinion N and
follow his advice, and then, as their families
read from week to week the miscellaneous
columns, they will be insensibly led To feel
many new wants that he can supply, for
every good newspaper contains Items show
Ing what toLher people, the, world over, are wear
what new household stuff, or labor-suvlng
machines have been introduced, and reading
about these things creates a disire for them
that will eventually lead to their purchase.
4 Support your home newspapers for
the good they have done, are doing, and will
continue TO be to you.