St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-21

total, $751.79. The expenditures were
244.38, of which the chief items were:
Business organization, $50" annual
| meeting, $780," printing" sS5.25. OF
j the balance on hand, $507.H, $500 is
! deposited at interest.
The report having been already ex
| amined and approved by the executive
committee, 1t was unanimously &C
cepted.
1.-THE Daily and Weekly Country
Press-Its Influence and Power" was
then happily treated by Ta1ns Bixby,
Of the Red Wing Republican, presi-
dent of the North Star State Press as
sociation, in the first paper read before
the convention. Mr.. Bixby commended
that the country paper, though 1t
could claim none of the great rewards
sought by metropolitan journalism, yet
is free from the entangling alliances Of
the city sheet. The latter were run
strictly on business principles, and to
money-making every other object was
too often sacrificed.
1.-The city paper" added Mr.. Bxby, GAINS
| to follow, not to lead. Its circulation is its
! first concern. II this can be won by the
! editorial conduct, well and good. II not,
| then it matters little what avenue Is fol-
lowed, so long that it leads to the golden
! goal. In each great city there are many
types of newspapers. Each has singled out
some particular class or some well defined
which it has decided to act as purveyor-be-
cause it pays. Money must be made. The
! newspaper, like the man, finds itself caught
in the whirlpool of the mad struggle for
wealth. and, in either case, too often, char
acter goes down in order that existence may
be maintained. There are metropolitan pa
pers, which illustrate all that is best in
| journalistic life and tradition. But l am
talking of general characteristics. To the
country editor there is allowed, the other
hand, liberty of thought and expression
NrrIi nh
great city newspaper does the lot of
Independent farmer to that of the city me-
chanic.
This difference between the city and coun-
try paper measures their comparative infiu-
ence upon the views of and action of thu
people. A mans influence upon his fellows
| is, in the long run, dependent upon his fear
lessness, his conviction and his liberty to act
according to it.
1.-The country paper is read carefully,
thoughtfully, critically. Its influence upon
| opinion and action is immensely the greatest
! that the people OF this country know. The
circulation OF country newspapers in this
state Is about 100000, that they are read
by half the population of the state.
There is nothing that any shrewd politi-
clan breads with a greater power than the
! concerted enmity of the country press. 1t
mas never failed when honestly directed, to
blast and wither. This power is SO great
! because what appears about a politician in
his county paper is necessarily read by his
constituents. The fortress that the country
eoltor holds is after all, the strongest citadel
OF freedom, and will be the last to fall before
the foe."
Lieut.. Gov. Frank Day, of the Mar
tin County Sentinel. treated of 1.-The
Press and Legislation"
Senator Miller, Of the Wright County
Herald, in reply to questions as to
| what had been the result of the ex-
press bill, said that when the compa
| mes had refused to furnish schedules
! or their rates, the matter had been
| brought before the district court.
Judge Otis had taken the case under
| amusement about two months ago and
mad not yet announced his decision.
Elmer e. Adams, Of the Fergus Falls
journal, who has recently issued an
excellent special edition, gave the re-
suit OF his experience in a paper on
| special Newspaper Editions" He
had taken great pains with the reading
matter, but the numerous letters which
ne mad received commencing the spe-
cial edition said nothing of its SUBJ
Ject matter. The letters invariably
praised the illustrations only. He
| therefore believed that first-class IL
| luStratlonS were essential to a speciaI
| edition. Good paper and good ink
must be used. 1t would be best to
announce no definite date for the ap-
pearance of the special edition. The
| paper should not be made I'D until ev-
the cuts In the most attractive form
| and then write the matter to fill in
| around Them The use of disn1av
advertising is to be deprecated. Mr..
Adams had been advised to boom the
edition well in advance" This advice
came came from Frank Day. It was well
followed and well rewarded. "Manv
citizens will pretend" continued Mr.
Adams. that they do not care for per
! sonal cuts of themselves in a specfal
edltlon. But, on the contrary, no feat
ure of the edition contributes so much
to its popularity. The cost of a spe-
clai edition 1t is impossible to foretell.
But even II loss at the time, such
an ed1t1on will eventually prove a.
marked benefit to the newspaper
through the widespread advertising
winch is thus given to the business in
terests of the papers subscribers"
Editor Hunt, of the Mankata Free
Press, had also issued a special edition.
he mad permitted no display of adver-
ADAMS, taken great pains with his
Illustrations. On the whole, he an
proved of the gentleman's suggestions.
Joseph Leicht, of Winona, and H r.,
Hoard, of Montevideo, supported the
practice of issuing special editions.
whlle Frank Hoskins, of Henning.
pointed out that, in order to make the
special edition a success. an editor ran
the risk OF losing his independence The
railroad and elevator companies and
the banks, in most small towns. were
usually among the first applied to for
advertisements and subscriptions to
help out the special edition. Yet these
Institutions were constantly imposing
upon the people, and always seeking to
throttle, by business obligations. the
country editor who aspired to speak
the truth in the peoples interests.
II. T. Hall next introduced a resolu
| ton proposing an amendment to the
constitution so that the annual meeting
OF the convention should take place on
the first Thursday and Friday of each
FEBRUARY. Discussion developed that
any change Of date, while it might as
MT. Hall said, enable the business rep
| resentatlVes of city papers to attend
the annual meeting, in New York, of
the American Newspaper Publishers
association, yet would probably be oh
Jectlonable from other points of view.
Ii placed later than the present date.
! the annual meeting would not be early
enough when the legislature CHANGED to
De In session. 1t would be too late to eff
fectively introduce bills proposed nv
the editors. If the annual meetings were
held in January, and a senatorial CON
test were pending, the session would he
lnconven1ently early. The first week
in February would find many country
publishers busy with their tax lists
! NO action was taken upon Mr.. Hairs
resolution.
Secretary McGinnis, of the CONNER
c1al club, here extended to the editors
the privileges of the club during the
| meetlng OF the convention, and the