The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-06-30
MISCELLANY.
What it Means to Stop the Paper.

The man who stops his paper because
something has appeared in its columns
of which he does not approve, and does
it with an air of re greet that it is neces-
sary to drive the publisher into bank
ruptcy, reminds us of the train dis
patcher who requested an increase of
salary and threatened to quit if he
didn't get it, says the Mitchell Ull.)
Pilot. The superintendent replied to
his request by relating story: "When
l was young man, he said, II once
did as you are doing-I told the super
intendent of the road what you told
me. He refused my demand and /
quit; and, would you believe it? The
darned road is running yetl'
Every man has a right TO take pa
per or stop it, for any reason, or for no
reason at all. This is free country,
in that respect, and men have perfect
right to do as they please, providing
they please to do what is right. But
there is certain responsibility at
tached to all actions, even to so trivial
one as stopping a paper because the
editor has said something which the
taker of the paper does not agree with,
or because he thinks it good opportu-
nifty, convenient time, or good ex-
cuse, to get out of paying his subscrip-
ton.
How is the country editor to live, or
sustain his manhood, If every man is to
cry, "Stop my paperl' whenever he
reads something that does not accord
with his views? Not infrequently does
an editor of local paper hear people
remark that 81 wouldn't have put that
in the paper" or 81 would have said so
and So" This class of people are de-
serving of much sympathy, for it shows
their ignorance of what constitutes
fearless, honest, outspoken newspaper.
The man who insists that his local pa
per shall say nothing contrary to his
views is in large measure responsible
for the craven cowardice of modern
journalism.
One of two things is absolutely neces-
sary; either paper must be an insipid
sheet, that has no opinions whatever
about events of important interest, or
else its readers must make up their
minds that the editor who conducts the
paper is as honest in his opinions as is
the reader or Pathfinder Of said jour-
nal, and that difference of opinion is
not sufficient reason for stopping the
paper. When convinced, without a
doubt, that paper is dishonest, cor
rupt and deceitful, stop it; when con-
WINGED that it is unclean, unfit to be
brought into your families, stop it; but
give your reasons why you stop it.
When it lacks enterprise and fails to
give you the news, stop it. When
hot rEo hor To
town, stop it, just the same as you
would stop patronizing man who
worked against the interests of your
town or your own legitimate business.
When some other home paper gives
you greater value, stop the one which
gives you no value. But never stop a
paper of your town that you believe to
be honest, courageous, enterprising
and clean. Never stop the paper that
is interested in the upbuilding of your
own town, simply because its owners,
publishers or editors have written their
own sincere views, instead of yours, or
some one else's, for if you do, you are
placing a premium on insincere jour-
nalism, and serving notice on the editor,
that the way to succeed is TO write what
he thinks will best please few of his
readers, instead of what he honestly be-
lieves to be the truth, and for the high
est interest of all concerned. Stop
every outside paper, if you must stop
any, but never stop your home paper;
encourage it to do better, help it to be-
come prosperous, for with the prosper
ity of the paper comes prosperity to
your town. Take not only one, but
take them all, and you will be amply
repaid in many ways you may not think
of.
Every farmer, every mechanic and
every reasonable well-to.do laborer
should be subscriber to his home pa.
per, not only subscribe for the paper,
but literally patronize it. We should
all 20 hand in hand for the upbuilding
of our town and county, our own homes
and our business and manufacturing
enterprises, be they large or small
Stop your paper if you must, but at the
same time be just to yourself and just
to the town you live in. 1t goes, Of
course, without saying, that there is, as
yet, no meddling statute upon the states
legislative books to compel anybody to
take his home paper who doesn't wan,
it, nor yet to forbid anyone buying il
who does.-Newspaperdom.