The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-08-20
THE LOCAL PAPER.
A Plea for the Towns Best Friend,
the Press.
Written for the GOLD Leaf

w IittCh Aol tiO ooLb 1LrIAr
Are you subscriber to your local
paper? If you are not, then you should
become such.
We all love our native towns, SO let
US do all in our power, by precept and
by example, to encourage and aid our
best friend-the press.
Probably no man living has SO many
trials, SO many responsibilities, and so
much lack Of appreciation as the editor
of country newspaper.
Who gets less pay, in consideration
Of services rendered, than aye EDITOR"
The newspaper is expected to puff
every festival, concert, tableaux, egg
hunt, ETC., free of charge; then the
first fruits of the season, the largest
watermelon or potato, and all the
freaks of nature, in both the vegetable
and animal kingdoms, must have their
due notice. And the worst of it is,
the newspaper gets no credit for it; the
people seem to take it as a matter of
course.
Then there are in every county
many who will not take their home
paper. Some plead poverty, some
have no time to read it, some take all
the papers beside that they can afford,
some say it is not worth the subscrip-
ton price, and some few will not take
it because of some dislike to the editor.
Now let us examine these excuses
and see if there is really any valid
reason why a citizen of our State
should not take his home paper, and
pay in advance, too.
There is no one able to pay his
poll-.ax WIN oanIIUt Iaioc enough
money to accompany his order for
years subscription to his county paper,
and he will find that his little invest
ment will be very profitable to him.
1t would be far better to read your
home paper nights than to be "down
town." better be reading it Sundays
than to be loafing around the street.
corners, or if you can't find the time
otherwise, better take an hour or even
five minutes in the middle of the day
when the heat is so oppressive and
spend it in scanning the columns of
your paper. If you take all the papers
you can afford now, and do not take
your home paper, it is your duty to
drop some Of those and send your
name and cash in to your editor and
find out what is going on in your own
county. 1t is general rule that those
who grumble and growl most at the
worthlessness of paper never do
much to support it. Their name is not
on the subscription list, or if it is they
owe for it, and they never say good
word for the paper or the managers,
but are always trying to ."cry it down. y
You who do not like the editor and
will not subscribe on that account, re-
member that in subscribing you are
not doing so to benefit him only, but
you yourself will receive the larger end
of the cornucopia.
1t is your duty as citizen of your
town, of your county, of your State,
to do all in your power to advance
their interests and surely there is nc
better way to do this than through the
paper. 1t is the community's repre-
sentative. Every town and county is
| judged by the get-up and size of its
newspaper, and to have a good, well
edited paper the publisher must have
a large subscription list and generous
advertising patronage; and your name,
if absent, is needed to swell the mum
ber
Remember, 1t is both your privilege
and your duty to stand by yonr home
paper-your best friend.
Beaufort, n. &. Nj. /. +.