St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-16


dress on 1.-The Country Weekly and
illustrated bright and exhaastiva
paper with fund of anecdotes. Said
he:
A few months ago 1 was travelling
with the president of this association,
and the conversation turned to cOun-
try weeklies. When he found that I
had some ideas on the subject, he imme-
diately proposed that | should speak on
the subject before this associations, and
so | am here. The newspapers are tbs
agency of happiness TO the American people;
the great dailies, with their immense develop-
ment are models of journalism. The real
instructor IN the small community is the
country weekly, and so it will continue until
all the country becomes a city and an extern
sion OF St. Paul and Minneapolis, as it were.
SO long as men dwell apart from their
neighbors we have the country; wherever il
may be, by the sea, on the prairie, at a coal
ing station. it is 4 country town and has its
neverfailing complaint against the census
statements. And so long as we have men
ready to supply long-felt want, who have
little type and a cranky press will we have
the country weekly. will give the outline
OF what L would considera model country
weekly.
First its location. Let it be a thriving
town of from LOCO TO 500 inhabitants,
In the Center
OF county containing population Of 10000
or 3l,O0O, with constituency that is indus
trlous and progressive The news
paper will have a great influence III develop
ing the resources and the morals of the coun.
munitv. Its object will be the moral ma
terlal and Intellectual improvement of the
people and it should show that this is its
purpose, and that it is not for the personal
benefit of its proprietor. 1t has a great
power to do good, and it gives out a great in
fuence 10 mold the character of It's
constituents. 1t. should be welded for
the benefit of mankind and pure
in its thought. as it should also be in its ad-
Yertlsing columns. 1t goes into the hands Of
girls and boys who are more or less Influenced
by the suggestions they may see in its col
umnS 1t must possess character and stand
or fall with uprightness and fairness to all
men and to all newspapers
AS for style L personally prefer the folio
form, as it is easier TO read and is more thor
oughiy read, but the quarto is gaining i'll
popularity for it allows better classifca-
ton of the news and each page may then be
given 10 special department. AS for the
pages | would suggest the following matter;
First page-SOlld instructive articles, original
and selected; religious, political, social and
miscellaneous, and these articles ought to be
prepared with as much care as are those ON
the editorial page.
Second Page-Family stories, with reading
for children. This department is the most
read of any in a country weekly. and the
matter should be pure and well-chosen.
Third age-COmmunicatioDs from prac-
tical men on agriculture, mechanical arts,
ETC., and there should be also all the brief
notes that can be gathered from any source
concerning the articles.
Fourth Page-Editorial page, discussion Of
living questions sometimes at length: also
light wit, both original and selected, and one
should not be ashamed TO place his own pro-
ductions beside those of others.
Fifth page: Local news, full and COM
plete reviewing the new of the week, also
slight personal mention WEIGH is appreciated
and is generIly helpful TO the paper. There
should be
No Insinuation,
but this page should partrag the actual life
OF the community.
Sixth Page-Correspo spondence from neigh
boring towns and notes from all places
work should be entrusted to fair minded
men, who should be treated fairly and receive
some remuneration for their work.
Seventh-News of week from state should
be accurate and true.
Eighth: Ankcdote and idcident wit and
humor, not necessarily original. but it must
be clean. There is no greater crime than to
indulge III obscenity or vuigarity in these
columns.
l would have advertisements in all pages
but the first and the fourth; there should also
be column for special advertising, and
all advertising matter shouidbe ex-
changed from the news columns The
rates for subscription ought not to
be less than s. per year, because the in
trinsic value is greater than its cost TO the
subscriber, and because the producer ought
to have a f.ir compensation. For advertis-
ing 500 per year for a column is fair price,
with the line rate of $40 per year.
There should be character evinced In the
and stuff that is not fit for
the reading columns ought not to be allowed
in the advertising columns; these ought 10
There should be no discrimination in
rates to advertisers and l cannot
understand how some men will accept adver-
tisements at one-half rate from outsiders that
they wOnld receive from their local patrons.
Every paper must make it as profitable to ad-
vertise as it is possible TO do. In regard
TO circulation too often the busi-
ness managers do not act as other
business men and make friends,
and through false pride they do not try to
extend the subscription list of their papers.
Cash in advance is the proper thing tor
country paper, but this rule is not always ad
hered to. Delinquent subscribers are the
yaDe of newspapers. Everything ought to be
done in business-like way. Employees
ought to be reliable and accurate workmen.
The paper should be q pure white and the
ink good. and it is often that the success of a
paper depends upon these apparently trifing
The speaker then closed, mentioning
the pleasure he felt in addressing the
National Educational association.
The thanks of the association were
voted to both the speakers of the even
ing,