The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-08-10
NEWSPAPERS.

w
statement that we believe there are too
many newspapers in North Carolina.
Our idea is that many newspapers are
published in towns SO small that 1t is
financially impossible to make them
good newspapers. There are few
counties in the State that should have
more than one newspaper duplica-
ton of them makes the field too small
for each. For example, there is one
good news paper in Vance county. We
refer to Mr.. Manning's paper at
Henderson. If there we're three in
that county, Mr.. Manning and the
county would be the worse for it. If
Mr.. Manning's field were doubled, he
could publish even better paper than
now. If North Carolina had city as
large as Richmond, we would be
blessed with newspaper as fine as the
Richmond Dispatch or Times. The
matter is simply one Of business OPP
portunity. Roanoke has three daily
papers, the same as Richmond. If
she had the population of Richmond,
her papers would probably be equal to
the Times, Dispatch and State. Surry
county has not room for four good
newspapers or Rockingham county for
five. Each county would be a good
field for one paper that would cover
the interests and news of the whole
county. The great city of Brooklyn,
N. Y, with 500, 900 inhabitants has,
we think, only four daily newspapers.
That is mainly because Brooklyn is
field for New York newspapers. Recent
events have proven that Raleigh and
Asheville are not large enough for two
daily newspapers. Our main point IS
that the excellence of newspaper IS
to great degree commensurate with
its field, that the wider the field the
better the paper. In Western North
Carolina people recognize the ex-
cellence of the Charlotte Observer
which circulates from the South Caro-
lima line to Virginia. If its circulation
were confined to Charlotte it could
not be the paper that it is to-day. If
there were paper at Greensboro to
divide the morning field with it, it
could not be the paper that it is. On
the other hand, if Charlotte had twice
the business that it has now the o.
servey would be still finer paper.
Charleston, S. c., with nearly 6o,ooo
inhabitants has but one morning
newspaper. 1t covers the whole State
and having large field has large
income and can pay out large sums
for kilograms, important correspond
ence and the like. Oregon has only
one great newspaper, the Portland
O,egoniaa the city of Washington
with nearly a quarter of a million
people, has but three dailies, the same
as Roanoke with one tenth the popula-
ton. The rule is that the more you
crowd the newspaper field the more
inferior will the newspapers be. We
believe that by process of evolution
the papers published in the large and
progressive towns of this State will
absorb the field now covered by many
village paper.-Winston Sentinel
The full meaning and intent of the
.SentinePs paragraph copied and COM
mented on by us last week, as above
referred to was understood and appre-
ciated. We agree with its view of the
matter and our remarks were only
intended in the nature of joke at our
esteemed Winston contemporaries ex-
pense as it understands. It is better
to have one good strong paper in
town than it is to have two weak and
sorry ones. Not only better for the
publisher but better for the community
in which it is published. But some
people do not look at it in this light.
They think if another town has two
papers theirs should have two also. 1t
sounds bigger. But they do not stop
to consider the question ofpatronage-
whether or not there is enough to
justify the publication of more than
one or two good papers. Take the
case of Winston and the Sentinel for
example Is it not better to have one
live, we'll patronized daily paper than
it is to have two mediocry, half starved
ones, each struggling for existence and
neither credit to the publishers nor
the town? We think so. Yet it some
times occurs that when a paper makes
enemies, or it can not be controlled to
suit certain set they seek to down it
by encouraging the starting of an
opposition paper. The result however,
is seldom satisfactory. Where there is
not room for two the weaker must give
way to the stronger one, or if both
hold out for time, with divided
support-where the patronage is not
more than sufficient for one-the
town may boast of having two papers
but can point to neither with pride
and satisfaction as a credit to its
constituency and their strong right
arm it the development of the COM
munity, nor as a wideawake, enterpris-
ing, frst-class vehicle of views.
"Three more banks went Democratic
yesterday" says go. p. exchange,
Yes, and all because of the "bes,
banking laws the world ever saw
which were enacted by the Republican
party. The howl now gowing up