Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-28

readers by Il first page announcement
OF its abandonment of the morning
fed. which il has enjoyed for nearly
30 years. for what il considers the
more alluring environments OF the
evening field of local newspaper pub
LEGATION. In comparatively brief
statement. explanatory of its reasons
for so radical departure. the Union
declares that it is prompted by con-
s:derations involving the practical
rather than the sentimental side of
the question. Calling into view purely
It's own experiences. the erstwhiie
morning paper has convinced itself
that the expense of an evening publ
cation will be less than the amount
attending the issuing of paper which
comes from the press in the morning.
Hence IL halls its own advent under
tho new order of things with the at
tendant promise. TO itself, of more
money in its e.chequer. without re
gard To the other side of the case
that OF its readers. And this notwi;h-
standing that many of these readers
have been for Il generation or more
bound TO it by the pleasantest OF as
sociations. those ofsen;imcnt. a quality
so generous and constant and chart
table as to be wont To overlook the
shortcomings that would not other
wise pass unnoticed. Iii the most
natural view of the situation, there
fore. the Unions case becomes the
more astonishing when ii is taken
into consideration that it is one of
abandonment pure and simple.
BY leaving the leld into which by
long and laborious perseverance it
has grown. and must of necessity
have become attached. and through
which many of its staurchest friends
have become attached to it, the Union
fas cut loose from all that was tried
and true. and cast Itself adrift. At
best this change in it's career must
prove an adventure. Deserving that
with which through long connection
and experience it must have become
in a more or less degree familiar, ii
enters upoa untried duties, although
IN its announcement the Union seeks
to satisfy itself that il Will find some
bearings from the fact that long years
ago in the early days of its existence,
it was an evening paper. But it was
just beginning To- creep then. and a;
the age of four il switched into the
morning field. IN which We have here
tofore been led to believe it has flor
ished for what now appears TO be
something ike ten tines the period
OF years Tat saw il as AN e"ening
luuinary Under ordinary Circ-m
stances, at least not heretofore. would
The Argus have Glanced the compli-
ment to the Union. OF saying that in
all those years of history making dur
ing which il has grown from infancy
to ripe maturity, it has failed to de-
velop in wisdom until now ii must
start anew where it left off its
swaddling clothes. Surely such con
fession on its own part would in n
most startling measure be comprom-
Using when thought is taken of the
numerous representations as TO pecu-
liar merit through which it has ap
pealed to its advertising clientage.
If the Union, basing its con
! lecture on the side of the case with
which it ought TO be familiar in leav-
/ ing the morning field. imagines that
/ il will be able TO publish a better pa
per at less cost in the evening. the
Argus speaking from the standpoint
of the evening paper. side of the
case OF which il does know, regrets
to- be obliged to inform its new con
temporary that it will find itself sadly
disappointed.
BY cutting itself loose from the As
ISOLATED Press franchise which il
must of necessity do in entering til"
evening field. the Union seriously
handicaps itself at the very outset. for
the essential advantages of this SD
vice are much more apparent in the
| evening than in the morning paper.
In the smaller communities within
ready reach of the larger cities. the
news of the world at large IS to IA
e-sent in all the days of the week
save Sunday served through the met
Topolitan press. So that the morning
paper while devoting itself largely 20
happenings of a local nature, is All
to charge the evening paper with be-
ing remiss in the discharge of It's
mission if 1t fails of reliable agency for
providing it's readers with current
news in general. And this is
responsibility which the morn
ing paper contemporaneous with
the papers of the larger cities
happily escapes. Indeed readers OF
the daily press of Rock Island
wildly recall what for years. or until
some ten years ago when The Argus
resumed its membership in the Asso-
ciated Press. was the chief stock in
trade from the Unions point OF view