Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-30
ABOUT PARTY ORGANS.
What an Experienced Journalist Has
to Say About Them.

What an Experienced Journalist Has
to Say About Them.
E. B. Wight. in Chicago Inter-Ocean: 1t
Is reported that the democrats are about to
start daily newspaper here. which is to
be party organ. The experiment is re-
garded by many experienced journalists as
hazardous experiment in this peculiar
city, where there are neither politics nor
voters. The field seems to be already filled
with newspapers which are not organic.
Former attempts to establish party organs
here have proved disastrous. The Wash
ington Post, edited, owned and managed
by Frank Hatton and Beriah Wilkins, is
one of the most successful Of recent news
paper enterprises anywhere. The paper is
now moving into a splendid new marble
building here. which is said to have been
erected from a years profits. But the Post
has not achieved it's success as an organ.
The present proprietors bought the plant
Of the Post when 1t had been unsuccessful
in endeavoring to be an organ and have
made it successful by great tact and rare
skill in being truly Independent The own
ers are of different politics, and have never
been charged with being lukewarm in their
political faith. Put they know how to run
a newspaper.
The Evening Star has become one of the
most successful and profitable of newspaper
properties in America, and it's owners at
tribute their success to their independence.
Administrations come and administrations
go, but The Star runs on forever. If any
Of the members of any administration do
not like its comments they probably smother
their indignation when they learn that men,
bers of former administrations have had
the same experience and are gone, while
The Star lives, and it's owners could buy
out all the cabinet and not feel the burden.
The Evening News is later conner but
claims fn ha in6anan6nnt boil foil
of success in this peculiar locality many
will think the cause will be that 1t fails to
be as Independent as it assumes to be and
tends toward the organic.
A Graveyard of Newspapers.
But another experiment at organic jour-
nalism is to be tried by the democratic
party in this city, where there are no cleo
tons, and where the fundamental princi-
pies of the republic is vioated-that there
shall be no taxation without representa-
ton. This attempt calls attention to the
fact so often mentioned, that Washington
has been the graveyard Of newspapers. 1t
certainly has been the graveyard of many.
For this there is good reason. There is
very little here upon which to base the hope
for the establishment of successful party
newspapers. The material conditions essen
tial to permanent party journalistic pros
perity are wanting. The population nominal
ly is about 100000 OF this number, a very
large percentage is coored, a portion of
which cannot read and of those who do
read many do not care to pay subscriptions
for daily newspapers. The transient popu-
lation is here through a scanty half year
There is little commerce. The only business
interests upon which a newspaper may rely
for pecuniary assistance are those Of the
local retail tradesmen. The rates of COM
position are high. Presses and paper cost
money. Writers must have bread, however
little and however stale; so that it is not
difficult task to establish a newspaper
here which will approximate in its expense
the outlay of metropolitan daily, while
receiving very insignificant portion of
the receipts of such a daily. The demo-
Gratis will discover that they cannot estab-
lsh a newspaper in Washington now upon
the same basis that they did when news
papers were merely the organs Of party
Journalism in Washington stands some
times closely connected with the govern
ended.