The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-11-09
communIeatIon on the Local Pager.

that the condition OF the SIGNAL at
present had struck him most forcibly
and sorrowfully, and had caused him
to reflect a good deal on the hollow
appreciation in which local papers are
held, and therefore, although we had
not asked it of him, he desired to air
his views little. They are good
ones and here they are:
ga prophet is not without honor
save in his own country" If the
word newspaper be substituted for
prophet, it would be very correct
summary of opinion in the majority
of cases, and no one more fully APP
preciates this popular estimate of his
influence and labor than the editor
himself, knowing at the same time
how unjust and unreasonable average
local criticisms are and this knowl-
edge is really the most dscouraging
element he has to combat, as it is not
tangible. AS a purveyor of news, the
local paper is expected to stand COM
parison with the big dailies, with their
columns of dispatches from all quar-
tiers of the world; as literary jour
nal, with the best magazines; and in
agriculture and stock matters he must
be as fully posted on the best varie-
ties of peaches and potatoes, cattle
and horses, as he is on dead beats,
hogs and asses. Local affairs are by
no means to be neglected, and the
I proud possessor of big pumpkin or
n pair of twins expects the affair to
be duly promulgated through the
"weakly" medium; if not, the editor
is classified as pumpkin head and
doubly damned for his stupidity In
politics his views are altogether too
extreme for one party and far too
conservative for the other, and on this
point like the ass between two bun
dies of hay, he finally starves to
death. If he INDUCES in few lines
of mild humor for the benefit of the
boys, the sanctimonious element i'm
mediately set him down as a blather-
skite; and, per contra, if he moralizes
a few on the sins of the community,
the other element classify him aa u
shifting old hypocrite, who has been
guilty of all he censures and more.
too correct, probably, for once) Lo-
cation and geographical conditions
cut no figure He may be located in
town fifty miles from railroad or
telegraph and yet get soundly rated
for publishing stale news. The fore
going are a few of the prominent
beauties of journalism, and anyone
of ordinary perception can readily see
why editors are, as a class so hilari-
Gus and happy. Every patron of the
paper who advertises expects to have
the best place in the paper and gen
orally considers all the money invest
ed in this manner as so much thrown
away the principle that if A
wants a pair of boots he would get
them anyway And when spell of
hard times strikes the country, the
first expense to cut down is the adj
vertisement in the local paper, at the
same time expecting that the same
paper will still advertise and advance
the resources of the country, and by
so doing bring in new settlers to buy
the commodities they have for sale.
In the east, among the older settled
communities, the pressure of hard
times is felt MS bad as here, and many
are looking for homes in the west,
and all the information possible
is eagerly sought and the local
paper that is so familiar to you and
which you only give a passing glance,
would be read by someone in the far
east with eager interest; and ifyou
have anything of special interest i1
mind, suggest it to the editor and Ne
will thank you for it. Read tf pa
per and then send it away; its mission
is not ended with you, and no matter
how inferior it may seem in your es-
timation, somewhere it may be
power for good, and while your criti-
cism may often be just, remember
your aid and support are always
needed, A neat, pleasing local paper
is to a community what good clothes
and a pleasing address are to an indi-
vidual. Moral: Support your home
paper and borrow the others
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
John Radley has rented the Bowen
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