Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-02-06
YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER.

permit.
YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER.
Why 1t Should he Supported In Prefer
ence to the City Weekly.
AS factor in tho progress. develop
ment and prosperity of a community,
large or small, the newspaper, properly
conducted, is potent influence which
is frequently unappreciated and under
valued. In tho scope of its advantages
each individual member of tho COM
munity becomes o recipient in the re-
suit of its general benefits. No other
human influence exercises the tremend-
Gus power which is and can be welded
by free and untrammeled press for
the accomplishment OF any good purpose.
being greater than public opinion or
sentiment. which it SO largely creates.
The influence of the local press of a
community is so overshadowing any
other power that the use Of its columns,
advertising, as they do to the world, the
social and commercial events of town,
city and county. should be very care
fully considered in its relation to the
community Of which it is the mouth
piece. 1t has happened, unfortunately
for some communities, that at times
they have had newspapers in tn cir NJ idst
which have been SO sensational, SO I'M
reliable. or SO iniserably managed as to
have been rather rawbaclS to the pro-
gress Of their locality than otherwise,
and a reproach. If not an insult. to the
intelligence of their constituency. Far
better would it have been for the peo-
pie had such papers died when a-born-
ing.
The publisher Of newspaper, il APP
pretending the dignity and Importance
OF his position, should feel conscious OF
the grave responsibility of moulding
public opinion-making character. shap.
ing and directing its destiny. for the
veal or woe of society. Alas! too many
lose sight of this essential feature, and
in their greed for filthy lucrc vitiate
public taste. debauch moral sentiment,
induce morbid hungering for certain
kind of sensational reading, and then
supply tt demand they have so indus
triously labored to create, thus ignoring
all moral responsibility. This is called
enterprise. This same class Of papers
will lift their hands in holy horror. ap-
palled at the spread of crime. which
themselves have indirectly fcstered.
But we did not intend to moralzc.
Bringing the paper question home to
you. dear reader, we Will say that it has
two sides to it--a mutual relationship
the one to the other. In one sense, tho
press makes the people and the people
make the press, just what each are. If
your local paper, from any fault in its
character, Is not ii t representative OF
the people, starve it to death; stranglc
it: knock it in the head; put yourself
and 1t out of misery, and don't be long
about it! Don't suffer it to drag along
in q sickly, unprofi table existence to tho
detrimeSt of your town and county. II
it is an upright sterling sheet, with an
ambition to dare and do all in Its power
for the moral elevation and pecuniary
prosperity OF the people. then give it an
ungrudging, liberal support in subscrip-
ton, advertising. job work and kind
words. don't rely too much on the
latter. however, for neither the paper
warehouse nor the storekeeper will tako
them in exchange for necessarics,) and
thus encourage it to do better and better.
There are few publishers who will not
stimulated and make their readers a
better paper. The man who does not
take his local paper and does not read.
or care to know what is going on around
him in this wide-awake age of progress,
should gather up his traps and hike
out to some other country and give
room for a better citizen. He is nc
better than a warty knot on a tree
neither useful nor ornamental among
mankind.
Tho good-mea aiming but kind hearted
citizen will say, Ga, l can get the
Weekly So-and-So for a dollar n year,
Yes, and utdisparagementto those
papers. let us say that they are as big
as bedspread with type so small tn ct it Is
little satisfaction to READ them. The
weekly made up from city daily doesn
cost as much to get it up as does
the country paper. Being a practi-
cal newspaper man. familiar with every
departm of a city daily, we know ex-
actly what We are talking about. Do
they give you local news or advocate
your local interests? Is your town or
county benefited directly by them?
Are they interested in you, personaliyP
Yes; just one dollar on subscription
Take your local paper first; take Others
if you arc able; read, read, but SUPPORT:
YOUR HOME PAPEE.-Ubion (Tenn.)
Courier.
The delicate mechanism Of the stom-
| ach contains ., ooo. 600 minute glands that
are constantly seereting gastric juice.