The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-05-18
THE WEIsER SIGNAL
THURSDAY. NAT Is, 1893

roput0r sentiment - 1p1uly cool-
tying news paper Jurisprudence and
custom has made it almost common
law that the principal Office of country
journals Is to develop the territory
ssrrounding them sud boom the COM
punity n which they hold . precar-
ious existence. 1t is not unwarrant-
able to suppose that any Journal
which refuses or fails to properly
discharge its obligations in that re-
spect would be deemed guilty Of
malfeasance, and amendable to pun
ishme,t At the bar of public justice.
That is all right; but country news
papers are entitled to the benefits OF
reciprocity. There should be some
degree OF mutually in the develop
ing and booming business. When
conscientious newspaper engages In
An effort to advance the interest OF
any locality it wants to know that
there is something substantial behind
It; it wants to know that there is ma
terial to work with, and it wants to
be reasonably sure that the predomi-
Mating sentiment of the community it
seeks to advance is it favor of pro-
grese. With such assurance, the
average newspaper takes up its bur-
den cheerfully and in most cases full
fils its mission with great satisfaction.
But, alas! how many newspapers we
see grinding along without any such
assurance or visable hope Of it, bear
ing upon their faces indelible signs
of the barrenness and inertia which
surrounds theml Do people ever
consider that the countenance of .
paper reflects, It great measure, the
character Of the community in which
It u published2 Do they ever stop
to think that measely sheet engaged
in booming locality 10 = paradox
indeed, ; monumental lie. That 10
the way the outside world regards 1t.
Al the eye 10 the window Of the indi-
viduAl soul, 20 the newspaper 10 the
tense through which the people exam
Inc the spirit of the community II
represents. A paper may string out
column after column on undeveloped
resources and glowing prospects, but
what doth 1t avail II the next page
belies iti The averge man 10 not
hunting location dreamy with future
magnincsnce and dreAry with presnt
restitution. Advertising columns
speak louder than boom heaa lines; .
moderate present prosperity grand
discounts all the extrayagant hopes
that can be struck up. An invest
ment that pays six per cent from
date Is moro sought after than one
which pays sixty per cent. from ma
turity. The appearances Of = paper
gives character to existing conditions,
it. sentiment too often gives express
sion to the heart which yearns for
things that never be.
II = paper be scrubby, people say
cay It is tho publishers fault; the
editor il no good; he lacks energy.
In short, he Is = backnumber--a pet
rIfied "Reminiscences. Evidently the
people ara right-people are seldom
wrong. But the editor 10 \ reflex OF
the community. II he were = differ
emit sort Of creature he would prob
ably be elsewhere. The community
il fossillzed, too. All this goes to
prove that no newspaper can success
fully boom town or country unless
the inhabitants are willing to recip-
rocate by booming the paper-that
IL, patronixing 1t.
This little article is not intended
for home consumption. but for ex-
port up the track. Caldwell Tribune.