Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-10-21
PUBLIC BENEFACTORS.
Some Very Good Reasons Why Properly Con
Quoted Newspaper Should be Sustained.
The Zenith, of Duluth.

The Zenith, of Duluth.
The local paper is sometimes not
regarded with the importance which
belongs to it. Some people are apt TO
regard with undue Importance the ut
terances OF metropolitan papers. OF
course in matters national and gen.
eral politics, we naturally expect more
authoritative and abler articles from
metropolitan papers for the reason
that they have great wealth and can
command the highest class OF talent.
1t is also fact that the editors of
great papers are brought more in con-
nection with men who consider, dis
cuss and decide matters OF great i'm
portance. But this fact should not
lead us into the error OF belittling the
local press.
~ person living in town near a
large city where the local and metro
polltan journals come in competition
soon learns to recognize the import
ance of the local press and why it
should be cultivated. Let the citi-
zens of the small town undertake to
break into the metropolitan paper, let
him address his communication to
the editor of a large paper and one
which he has hitherto thought SO inn
portant and valuable and see with
what cold, matter of fact way his
communication will be regarded. Let
him watch the boiling down process,
the smallness to which his communi.
cation has been reduced and the posi-
ton in which it is placed, or the in
significance of his utterances in the
great mass OF matter published among
the display ads. as we'll as of many
pages in which it is obscu red and then
we will understand if there is some
value in the local newspaper.
II u citizen Of your town walks into
local newspaper office he feels at
home. He feels that he is among
friends, he feels like patriot upon his
own native soil fighting for the de-
fense of his country, for he is conscious
OF being iu the right, being where he
is entitled to be. He is not embar-
rassed as when he approaches a poten-
tate, mighty, cold and Indifferent to
his appeals; he feels that he has
sympathetic ear, that he is talking to
one Of identical interests, one with
whom he has business transactions
and constant intercourse, and knOwl.
edge that they have mutual interests
at once places him at ease and he ap-
proaches him and makes the appeal
clearly, fully and deliberately without
embarrassment.
1t is the local press which serves
you in every emergency. There you
60 in trouble, it is there you 60 in
prosperity. If you want to boom any
manufacturing enterprise, any rail-
road project for the development of
your town, for your lodge to increase
its influence, or if your lodge desires
to add to its membership, or to erect
new hall, or in any way advance its
interests, the local press is immediate
ly appealed to for help. So it is with
our churches, if it is a picnic. or fes-
tival, a new carpet, or an organ, the
local press is found to be useful in
furthering every good object. If a
raid is to be made on sin by the am.
bassadors of Christ the columns OF the
local paper are used freely and gratuit.
ously in advertising the revival or pro-
tracted meeting. The candidates and
politicians find also the importance of
the local press.
So, clearly there are many reasons
why the local press should be culti-
waited. Yet in spite Of all these facts
the people most interested in the
local paper are sometimes the last to
give their support and are frequently
known to take several metropolitan
papers and shut out their local paper
altogether. If there is anything in
the argument about the advantag ges Of
home trade, surely it makes strong
appeal on behalf of the local press, be-
cause the money for the labor is al.
ways expended where the paper is
printed, and if paid out with one
hand for subscription, advertising or
job printing it comes into the other
hand and thus remains with you. If
by any means you freeze out your
local paper and leave yourself at the
mercy of the foreign, you would find
out more fully than words or argument
could explain why the local paper
should be maintained.