The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-07-19
NEWSPAPER "GOOD WILL"
It Is an Unknown and Inmeasur-
able Quantity.
Influence Exerted by the Family News
paper "-The Surprising Consequences
Of an Apparently Harmless
Three.Line Item.

Observation-Disclosures a. II. Felt, OF
Kansas, an old-ti1ne newspaper man,
and once known as plain ''Andy'-de-
livered al address before the North
western Kansas Editorial Association
at it's recent meeting at Holton, from
which the following pertinent extracts
are taken:
TO accurately weigh the power of the
newspaper press is impossible, and to
Justly measure it's influence is an un-
solved problem. What is termed ''the
good will'' of newspaper is an unknown
quantity illustrating the above PROPOSE
lion.
The publisher is usually poor in this
worlds goods: but his mind is a vast
store-house of useful information, from
which ''the dear public makes constant
and copious drafts, and never decreases
the original stock. His outfit oof type
and presses often does not equal in
value the watches and jewelry worn by
some family of his patrons, and he may
not be the owner in fee simple Of "a
foot of Gods green earth;" but the
''good will' of his weekly newspaper, if
properly conducted, more than equals
the market value Of the best farm in his
county. OF this unknown and immeas-
urable quantity, designated as ''the
good will' of a newspaper, let us think
moment: It is something separate and
apart from presses, cases and type. It
is 'tthe spirit of the newspaper" unseen
and often intangible-often separate
and apart from the publisher and ed
itor, but the most important and most
valuable factor in the purchasable price
of the establishment. This unseen spirit
is born of the intelligence, industry,
nerve and integrity Of the publisher and
editor.
Humanity has no more important
factor to-day than ''the country news
paper.' This is said with the full
knowledge of the vast power and in
auence of the daily newspaper. But
we must not forget that the great N ajori-
ty of newspaper readers seldom depend
upon 1.-The great daily" for thought.
They glance at its news items and the
paper is forgotten. ''The country week
~" goes to every Intelligent Preside in
it's county. The father reads every word
of its editorial paragraphs, looks at the
markets and the local news, and turns it
over to his wife and children, and they
read every word in it, including the ad-
vertisements.
In older States it is not unusual to be-
told that ''the family newspaper has
been read under that roof for half a
century. Who can count the currents
of influence carried into family circle
by the country newspaper, read fifty-two
weeks in the year? Children Zoo young
to attend the public school learn the
alphabet and then to read, while sitting
in mothers lap in the long winter even
ings as she reads ''the country paper
Children are wise beyond their years.
Their first Impressions are the most en-
during. In many households the weekly
paper is the cyclopedia from which the
family CLEANS it's news Of current events,
gains store of useful information and
draws large measure of inspiration in
politics and social science.
The necessity for the broadcast intelli-
gence, the most unbending integrity,
good business sense and untiring dill
gence in the office Of the publisher and
editor of ''the country newspaper" is
unquestioned.
The newspaper ought to be abso-
, lutely clean. Many Of us occasionally
look over the files of the newspaper
we published twenty years ago and are
filled with wonder that the fool-killer
did not travel our way armed with q
most fatal club. Cleanliness is next
to goodness" is good scripture, and the
moro clearly the newspaper Is kept the
wider it's scope for real good, and the
larger will be the measure Of it's in
fuence; and the market value of its
good will increase in exact proportion
rs the reader is fully convinced that
The Man in the Sanctum is honest,
clean and intelligent. No earthly
power can destroy such newspaper.
Fire may burn its material, drouth and
disaster may cover it with embarrass-
ments. but, 80 long as days are counted
in the calendar of time, such news
paper will live and prosper.
To be sole proprietor of such news
paper is greater power than to be a
Senator in Congress, and a greater
German Empire. No man ever went
from the field of journalism without a
longing to return. Other fields Of labor
bring more temporary fame, coin more
dollars, and bring more mere GREAT
ure" comforts, but the man who can
send his message and greeting to a thou
sand intelligent households every week
is q power greater than the orator upon
the platform or in the pulpit, and when,
for any reason, he has changed his
vocation there is in his heart OF hearts
. constant longing to 80 back to his
sanctnm, to commune with the blessed
exchanges, to use his scissors and paste
and pencil, and again become en- rapport
with the dear people. Z B. .5.8
#s5 AS . rule the newspaper man mai g
!. 5honest IN his convi lions, intelligent in
his discussions and fearless il the OK Ok