The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-07-07
THE COUNTRY NEWSPAPER.
There Is no Better Educator of the
Sturdy People of Our Rural Districts
Than the Clean, Weli.edited Coun-
try Newspapers.
Wilmington Messenger.


We have had occasion several times
of late to refer to the increase in the
number OF new country newspapers
and the improvements on the ones
| already established. railways gives
us great pleasure to note this pro-
gress. 1t is evidence of advancement
of education in the rural districts
and greater demand among the
country people for touch with the
outside world. The advance along
this line continues we are glad to
note. New weekly papers are CON
stantly springing up and many that
heretofore were published only once
IL week now see their way to giving
their subscribers two issues a week.
This is encouraging and IL source of
qualification to those who are inter-
ested in the all-round education of
the people of the rural districts and
the dissemination of general knOwl-
edge among them.
There is no better educator of this
sturdy class OF our population than
! clean, well-edited country papers.
! Wherever you see such papers
making success you can set down
as IL self-evident proposition that
there is an Improvement in both the
worldly goods and in the matter of
education in the people within the
territory of the circulation of that
paper. No man in North Carolina is
bile to publish Il newspaper, whether
"A daily Or weekly, ''for the fun OF it"
In order to keep his paper afioat he
must have the financial as we'll as the
moral support of the territory in
which his paper circulates or should
circulate. And when you see an edi-
tor widening out in his business,
either in increase of the columns of
reading matter or in the number of
issues per week you may set it down
as fact that his work is meeting with
the appreciation of his people and
that he is receiving their substantial
support.
The county paper should go into
every home in the sphere of influence
of the paper There is no better edu-
Gator in the land 1t is as good as
the common school or the country
academy. Many a man has made
his mark in North Carolina who
learned to read by diligent study of
his county weekly newspaper. 1t has
been said that the schOOlmaster is a
power in the land The editor of
clean, up-to-date country newspaper
can WELD more influence and do more
for the education of the country peo-
pie than can the rural common
school teacher. Such an editor in
structs the old as well as the young.
He gives information and instruc-
tion to the heads OF the family on the
farm and inspires them with
Il desire for greater information
and wider instruction az we'll as to
the children, while the school teacher
can hope to reach only the young
and the unemployed on the farm.
A great responsibility rests with
the editor of the country newspaper.
He is more than a purveyor OF the
local gossip. He is, or should be, an
educator of the old as we'll as of the
young, a leader of thought and a
moulder of opinion among the sover-
eigns of the land. He can do his
State great good or work immense
evil, as he is inclined. But to the
honor of the country newspapers OF
our State, be it said, he is universally
interested in the cause of the former.
The daily papers of the big cities
have no such influence as do the
country papers.
The editors of the latter should
recognize their responsibility to the
people and should act up to it. We
are glad to record the fact that most
of those whose papers come to this
office recognize this responsibility
and DO their duty to their subscribers
and their communities The county
newspaper in North Carolina is do
ing a great work and We honor and
respect the men who shape their
course and govern their policy.