The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-10-09
Support Home Newspapers.
LBatina0re Wan4fdcturtr:S' Record

MduS tlWeS NllHlu Lew years we
have urged upon our readers to sustain
their local newspapers, provided they
were such in fact, and not in name alone.
We know very well that all through the
country men are publishing 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 palatable and nutri-
tious. so the no-account paper is an in
jury to any locality, while a live, enter
prising journal, however small, is a
power for good.
Within few years newspapers have
come into being in the South as thick as
toads after a shower Many proved
themselves worthy the name, while
many more showed conclusively that
their projectors had mistaken their vo-
cation, and after few weeks or months
they disappeared. Unfortunately the
injury they did to legitimate journalism
did not die with them. The legacy they
left their unfortunate subscribers
was distrust of and contempt for
newspapers in general, and desire to
get hold Of first class journals and learn
what was going on in the world without
cost to themselves. Every business man
ager of live paper could give repeated
illustrations of this from his own expe-
rience. Recently, while visiting the
editor of an influential and deservedly
popular daily paper in large Southern
city, we were shown two letters received
in that days mail. One was from a
business man in neighboring town
who paid his subscription to date and
ordered the paper stopped. He said
that he had taken it fifteen years and
had always been pleased with it, but
that for many months he had not
seen his copy an averageof once week,
for some neighbor would borrow it, read
it, lend 1t to another and so on, and
when at night he wanted it it was gone,
no one knew where. He thought he
was doing the publishers an injustice as
we'll as himself and had concluded to
stop for awhile until some of his neigh
bors could be induced to take it, and
then he would renew his own subscrip-
tion. The other letter was to this effect:
"My neighbor, Mr.. A., has not received
your paper the last four days. AS seve-
raj OF US depend upon 1t for the news,
we Will feel much obliged if you will
attend to this at once and see that there
is no more trouble"
Many publishers could relate similar
experiences. Journeying leisurely in
the mountains not long since, we saw
one Sunday during the noon intermis-
sion group of dozen or more sur
rounding one man who was reading
from paper. We learned that he was
the only citizen of that vicinity who
took newspaper of any kind, and that
whenever there was preaching at that
cross-road meeting house he was ex-
pected to bring his weekly paper and
read it 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
lie2 Certainly not with the editors and
publishers. They are, as whole, the
greatest workers in their respective
communities. They give their time,
brains, energy and experience to their
vocation, and are usually the active
promoters of everything that will bene-
fit the public. If they are at fault at
all, it is in the fact that in their zeal for
the public welfare they often forget
their own, and give the use of their
columns gratuitously when they should
be paid literally for the space occupied.
The responsibility for sustaining live
newspaper in any Locality devolves upon
the entire community. For merchants
it is the best medium for reaching the
people. A well-worded and well-dis-
played advertisement in a newspaper
draws more than all the circulars they
can issue or handbills and sign boards
they can post in their Counties. The
merchant should therefore advertise
literally, and also influence his custom
ers to take the paper he uses as his
medium. The latter will respect his
opinion 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 showing what
other people, the world over, are wear.
ing or eating, or what tools they are
using, or what new household stuff, OF
labor-saving machines have been intro.
duced, and reading about these things
creates desire for them that will event.
ually lead to their purchase. x * Sup:
port your home newspapers for the geod
they bave done, are doing, and viii
continue 10 be to you.
HANGING FOR FUN.