Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-05-30
PRESS PROG RESS
r. e. YANTiS IN THE AMERICAN
PRESS.
Newspapers are Necessity So Far As They
Make Themselves Such. The Live Paper
is the Paper That Assists the General
Public.

The world of mankind has never failed
in the long run to recognize merit and
properly to reward it. Hence so soon
as publishers of newspapers adopted the
plan OF devoting the columns of their
publications to the promotion of this
great industrial awakening, agricultural
and otherwise, their work began to be
more appreciated by the people. and
consequently more prosperity came
their way and will continue to come.
The time was when the newspaper
man solicited patronage, both for SUBJ
scription and advertising, upon the
gro Ind of public spirit. Charity 10 the
better word. Patronage was asked be-
cause newspapers were enterprises un-
remunerative, but very necessary, and
therefore ought to be supported by the
public. Used in this sense, we despise
the word supported. Under this regime
the editor was looked upon as depend
ent upon the public bounty. and his bare
necessities were grudgingly contributed
to as sense of duty rather than as
giving quid pro quo.
But that is all passed now, thanks to
God and press ass ,ciations. And here
let me drop this into your minds,
brethren of the press there is no more
potent agency through which you can
advance the welfare of your calling than
through the state and district press
associations.
The fundamental law of success in
publishing a-profit paying newspaper il
to make paper of such character as
to its editorial and news matter that the
people will have it, that the children
cry for it and its failure to appear at it's
regular period disorganizes the house.
hold and disrupts the peaceful pursuits
Of the community. People will gladly
pay tor such newspaper and not thnk
they are supporting charitable institu.
ton. In soliciting advertising the patron
must be shown the advantages the
publication offers as medium OF bring.
ing him customers, that money invested
it ivertisements in it's columns is we'll
invested and that advertising in this age
is Indispensable to business success, and
then impress him with the idea that if
he will pay enough for it he can have
the use of some of the space, and he will
cheerfully accept the offer and not feel
that he is doing the newspaper man a
favor by giving him something to fill up
with. OF course there must be good
business system employed, or all the
other labor will be lost. so far as fnan.
cial success is concerned.
One more point we wish to notice, and
that is the spirit OF tolerance manifested
in the columns of our newspapers. True
there are some noted exceptions,
especially among special organs, yet we
think it evident that an advance for
good is being made in this direction. To
educate the people by precept and ex.
ample, more especially the latter, to
exercise brc ad and charitable tolerance
of the opinions of others, is great work
for us to accomplish, and there is no
better way to do it than to practice it
rigidly ourselves. Intolerance has caused
more misery, bloodshed and destruction
of everything good than all other curses
that have existed on earth, and when
you couple fanaticism and religious
bigotry with it you have he'll in all its
depravity and enormity on earth.