Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-01-19

VALUE OF THE LOCAL PAPER.

1t is a singular but unquestionable
fact that even the most sagaclous
and public spirited of the business
men in most communities do not
seem adequately to appreciate the
value of the local newspaper as
an agency of advancing the busi-
ness interests and augmenting the
importance of ithe town or city
where it is published. There are to
be found in every town very con-
siderable proportion ofbusiness men
who are ready to give their time and
labor to the organization and main
tenance of boards of trade, establish
ment of street railways, cold stOr-
ages, railways, woolen mills, or any
other movement for the attraction
of outside enterprise and capital,
and whom it is even not difficult to
induce to subscribe money tor the
establishment of promising enter
prlses, but nevertheless contribute
little or nothing to a means of great
er importance and efficiency in the
building up of their town--the sup
port and improvement Sf its news
papers.
There il no question but that the
newspapers of any town or city may
be made the most effective possible
agency in its development and
prosperity. The efforts and influ-
ence of either individuals or organi-
tions are at best but spasmodic and
transient, but the newspaper works
on steadily and incessantly. The
individual agitator reaches only n
comparatively limited field of oppor-
tunity-only those to whom the
particular effort may be extended
but the newspaper reaches out in
every direction and carries its intlu-
ence to hosts of unknown and un-
suspected watchers of opportuni-
ties.
Among shrcwd, intelligent men
of affairs the character of n commun-
ity is measured more by the stan
dard of its newspapers than perhaps
by any other single indication.
With n little observation and eXpe-
rience remarkably just estimate of
the characteristics of II town may be
reached by an inspection of its news
papers. II the community is live,
pushing, liberal one, the columns of
its newspapers will be found crowd
ed with the advertisements of its
mercantile and professional men.
II these announcements are absent
the investigator will naturally set
the town down as containing a slow,
unambitious, iunprogressive COM
munity. And without such sup
port in n liberal measure no news
paper can do justice seither to its
town or to the ambition of its pub
fishers.
1t is quite safe to assert n news
paper is rarely found inadequately
representing the consequence and
enterprise of its community. The
cases are exceptional indeed in
which n community deserves better
newspapers than it possesses, or in
which the local newspapers do not
tlatteringly reflect the actual charac-
ter of the community. But to do
this-thus to indulge laudable
spirit of local pride-they are very
commonly compelled TO make pc
cuniary contributions TO the public
good far exceeding in volume what
might reasonably be expected by
them at the hands Of scores Of busi-
ness men who seem TO feel that they
have done all that is incumbent up
ON them rs puhlic-spirited members
ofthe community if they give the
paper the support ola mere sub
scriptlon, in some eases not even so
much as evena subscription.
1t is a popular but palpably fllla-
clous impression that newspapers
are just what their publishers and
editors make them. They are not;