The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1892-02-23
The Way to Carry West Virginia.

We believe the newspaper is the
most potent factor in a political
campaign.
We believe that either party can
carry West Virginia by proper use
of newspapers against party that
neglects them.
We would not give the influence
of one good newspaper in making
votes for all the public documents
that could be piled up on a hundred
acre farm.
There is not one man in hun
bred but viii sit down and read
newspaper that comes in his way,
regardless of its politics, whilethere
is not one in a hundred who will un-
dertake to wade through a political
circular no matter what his oppor-
tunities.
The average American is a news
paper reader. He takes to news
paper as duck to water. And
there is not one voter in thousand
but would accept and read news
paper that came to him through the
post Office, although its politics were
repugnant to him. However bitter
his partisanship he would satisfy his
political conscience by asserting
that he read such a paper for tho
news. Nevertheless, when the news
is sandwitched with politics he will
take a portion OF both. And when
he has thus quietly and thoughtfully
in the retirement of his own home,
read the arguments of his political
opponents he will in time become
more or less Modified in his parti-
sianship, if not actually converted.
A newspaper will make a convert
when public speech or a public
document by the enemy would only
reinforce the partisan.
Instead of putting money in
heavy documents and campaign
circulars which serve as waste paper
in the homes where they are sent,
if our Democratic committee would
put the same amount in subscrip-
tons to live newspapers which they
could be assured would be mailed
regularly every week to voters
where they would do the most good,
they would get one hundred per
cent. return on the investment.
Let the committee furnish certain
number of names to the publishers
of newspapers, of persons to whom
they want papers sent during the
campaign and pay for them. There
are few men who will not feel COM
plimented by thus receiving free
paper from the enemy. They will
read them-not once, as in the case
of a circular-but the paper will be
a weekly visitor to reinforce the
lesson of the last week.
A systematic distribution of news
papers under the direction of an
executive committee would be
the easiest, cheapest, and most
powerful engine with which to work
any campaign. Little moro than
this would be necessary. Start the
newspaper on its rounds and the
battle is half won.
Nevertheless if such proposition
is made to the average committee
man, he at once discovers a job in i'll
He at once concludes that the news
paper man is seeking to feather his
nest at the expenses of the commit
teei 1t is next to impossible for him
to be convinced that there is any
virtue in a good fresh, live, news
paper going into the home of the
enemy every week; but that same
committeeman will invest in hun
dreds of bushels of heavy documents
at big price, which are about as
effective campaign material as SO
many cabbage leaves.
This thing goes on from year to
year and from campaign to cam
paign until it looks like we never
would get an executive committee
that has even good horse sense
Ne,c Dominion.
SIeep SOuntily.