The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1900-06-08
OF NEWSPAPERS.
Biloxi Review.

There Is a strange attraction, or
rather, should we not say hallucina-
tion about the newspaper business to
the man of average intelligence. In.
deed, may we go farther and say there
Is a wonderful fascination about see
ing ones own name In print with hu.
manity in general. But to some the
acme OF bliss has come when they can.
see their names 10 leading characters
proclaiming them editors. The quail
ty OF the sheet is lost sight OF 10 the
exultant emotion as editorship and
the domain Of newspaperdom is be-
decked with many shrouded monu
ments to this weakness OF man. And
with all the failures that have and are
daily proclaiming the precari0us hopes
OF such enterprises, the victims con.
tinuc in blind infatuatiOn TO immediate
themselves upon that altar. We are
constantly receiving at this office cop.
les OF new ventures In this field, Vol.
l, No. l, with request to exchange, and
just as constantly follow notices Of
discOntinuance. The victims to this
mania seem to imagine that all they
have to do Is to secure by any kind OF
hook or crook few pounds OF type,
write or borrow a salutatOry and send
out to the world paper with their
names at its masthead, and the busi-
ness world and the reading public will
flock together to uphold and encour.
aye this great sacrifice upon the part
OF the editors or publishers. Before
many weeks, however, roll by full
realization OF an unsympathetic pub
lie comes and with sad wall at the
"ungratcful republic" the sods fall
upon another grave The truth is the
newspaper is like any other CONNER
cial undertaking, it requires capital to
successfully establish, business acu.
men in its management, and 1t mus,
create for itself with the public favor
and necessity for its existence There
is no enterprise Of any character which
more imperatively demands the appli'
cation OF the most improved business
methods, and yet there are few under
takings where these as little obtain.
The average newspaper is leralded by
its publisher as a charitable institu.
tion, as clecmosynary affair dependent
upon the liberality OF the public, with
out value or importance In and of IT,
self. The contention cannot be con-
troverLed that the public rarely places
any higher value upon any institution
than that institution places upon it.
self, and following the estimate OF
their worth and merit established by
newspapers themselves, there Is with
the public a somewhat cOntemptuOus
feeling towards the average paper.
Too often conducted by men who have
no more idea of business methOds
than OF the coming and going Of the
wind, no higher conception OF the
mission Of the newspaper than the
aborigines have Of the rule Of three,
and utterly without ambition greater
than to exc out an existence OF miser'
able privation, the average newspaper
Of to-day is without influence or pow
er, a mere cumberer OF the ground.
What would be thought OF the mer'
chant who would essay to conduct his
business upon a plan Of having his
customers place price upon his goods
and take them? Again, how long
would merchant continue in business
who dealt his goods out tn any one
willing to receive them and then use
newspaper space to tell the people how
much he needed the money and dun
those 10 whom his goods had been
given? Are we putting It too strong
when we say this is a fair type OF Mis-
sissippi's newspaper? And so long as
IL is so, demand for "space" In the
newspaper cemetery will continue,
The public appreciates the need OF
the news, and when conducted with
some regard as to its real duty and
mission, will support II; but II funer'
ais are to cease W. must have more
newspapers and fewer makeshiftt
founded N mulct this same long SUI
iering public Of what Its liberallt,
prompts 1t to give. There must be
quid pro quo.
hoLlNgse CAMP MEETING.
The Board Of Managers Of the South
Mississippi Holiness Camp have decidet
to change the time Of camp meeting
| from October to August. The meeting