The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-05-31
FOR NEWSPAPER MEN.
The Sphere of the Country Farer---
Some Timely Suggestions by Mr..
Edward Gill-am---How Competition
With the Metropolitan Journals
Chc-ll Lo

With the Metropolitan Journals
Should be Net, &c.
Mr.. Edward Gillian, editor Of the
Reidsville Pe0ie7o, writes a timely and
interesting article to the Charlotte or
sfrCtr, IN which he takes The position
(held and practiced by the GOLD LEAF
that home news should form the
service Of the country news
payer, and undertakes to show how
the publishers of such papers must
meet the competition OF the metropo-
Titan journals. Mr.. Giliam's article
contains SO many valuable suggestions
that we reproduce it in full, together
with the editorial comment of the
Observer thereupon. It says:
THERE is an article in this paper Of
interest and real value to North Caro-
lima newspaper men. 1t is from the
pen of Mr.. Edward Gillian, the
talented editor of the Reidsville
Re0te7v. His position is entirely
sound. Journalism is constantly tend
ing more and more to provinclallsm-
provincialism in its good sense, such
as that in which Mr.. Gillian employs
it. The papers of New York are
national-none others are. Com
paratively few people, looking beyond
the local and the State papers, think
of taking any other than one from
New York and if this statement is
true it fixes the character of provln-
cialism upon the press of Boston,
Philadelphia and Baltimore, of Gin
cinnati, Chicago and San Francisco !;
and if upon them how much more SO
upon the papers of the smaller cities,
the towns and communities of the
country. 1t follows, then, that the
interest Of the papers published out
side the great centres lies in cultivating
their respective local felds--the State
paper its State, the district paper its
district, the county paper its county.
The better each works its own
particular field the better its prospect
of life and usefulness. OF course none
can afford to ignore wholly the great
worlds news, but it is of secondary
importance.
Mr.. Gillian has given to the news
paper men of North Carolina sugges-
ton of practical value. We wish he
would attend the coming meeting OF
the Press Association at Morganton
and for the benefit of its members
elaborate his ideas.
The article in question from Mr..
Gilliam's pen appears below:
Travelling through Georgia, Alabama
and Florida and meeting with the news,
paper men in every town | visit, have
been impressed with the provincialism
which characterizes the country press OF
these States. regard this as Il healthy
sign and one altogether pleasing.
The approaching convention OF the
State Press Association in North Caro-,
lima naturally suggests something along
this line in the nature of reform. 1t has
never been my pleasure to atteld one OF
our annual meetings, but have always
been in full sympathy with the object OF
the organization, and have not failed to
appreciate the possibilities for good
within it's power, aside from the beneficial
effects to be derived from the regular
outing OF the press gang.
The assembling together on occasions
like this ought to mean something more
than having Il good time and bringing
the quill-drivers into closer personal ac-
quaintanceship-de as these ends
may be, however. Such meetings ought
to be characterized, also, by the discus
sion of ways and means to develop a
higher standard of State journalism
The outcome of every meeting should be
some distinct gain in the way of imprOv-
ing the general tone of the country paper
and increasing the interest with which it
is received by its clientele.
In every other branch of human en-,
deavor and activity there seems to be q
general desire to adjust the laws OF sup
ply in degree and kind to those of de
mand with the solitary exception OF
country newspaperdom. The continued
invasion of the field of the provincial
journal by the big blanket sheets OF the
metropolitan centers should make those
who depend on the former for their living
apprehensive of these tendencies.
In North Carolina, where so many
papers sufferfor lack OF support, it ought
to become apparent that there is some
thing radically wrong in our methods
when we see the big, cheap papers of thu
North supplanting and displacing oul
journals within their own bailiwcks
Too many editors are prone to deplor,
the perversity of their constituencies il
subscribing for foreign journals to tn,
exclusion of their home papers, ant
never stop to inquire ii thn..iault doesn'
begin with themselves.
The situation is more grave than it a
first appears The centralzing influence:
of the day are causing the decay il
char lcter of that most interesting, pic
turesque and powerful product OF ou
civilizatiOn-the country press Tn,
very existence Of this engine of human
progress is threatened. The large dailie
| and weeklies of the cities, with thei
hideOus symposium of vice, crime ant
| casualties, in their desire to acquire i'm
mense crculatlOns, are reaching out il
all directions like an octopus, and arr
even using the country papers them
selves as instruments of their own over
throw.
That there is sphere of action ant
usefulness for both city and countr,
paper is fact so obvious as to occur a
once to all. And to keep we'll within tina
sphere should be the aim of the ambition:
country paper. With the urban paper
trying continually to occupy the rightfu
field OF its rural neighbor and with tn,
country paper forever copying after an,
aping the conceits of the city paper w,
need not be surprised if unnatural con
dltlOnS exist.
How we are concerned with the remed,
and it is one which calls for that con
certed action which can be best secured
through the Press Association. 1t ought
to occur to those most deeply concerned
that there has been departure from tn,
proper lines on which an ideal countr,
paper should be conducted or else W,
have failed to arrive at the correct con
ception from the beginning
The local paper ought to be Just what
its name implies. Its arena is the mme