The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1907-05-10
THE souTn's COUNTRY PAPERS.

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number as to the relation of the
country weekly to the South, what
it is doing. and what it might do,
/ need not say that a very great
responsibility rests upon the
country weekly. No other paper
comes in such close touch with its
readers. and no other paper has
such influence upon them as it is
possible for the country weekly to
have. Dealing with home things.
and avoiding sensationalism, which
SO largely fills many ofthe greater
daily papers, the country weekly
has the opportunity of looking
over the field and seeing every
side of important questions and
of discussing them calmly and
with weight which must Of neces-
sity tell upon its readers. It deals
not simply with the business
questions of the day, with politics.
local and national, but it has a
right to deal with the things which
make for the moral and educa-
tional upbuilding of the commun-
ity. as well as for material up
building. Upon the weekly press
rests the responsibility of rightly
divining between the false and the
true and helping to guide the peo-
pie of its community into right
lines of thinking.
Turning. however. from this
generalization of the weekly press
to the specific question you ask, I
might suggest that the weekly
press can be made of very great
power for the good of the South
from the material point of view.
If the editors of country papers
will recognize the importance, as
news of everything which tells of
the resources and attractions and
progress Of their town or county
and look for news of this charac-
ter with the same eagcrness with
which the bird dog looks for the
birds. they will find many an item
of interest not only to their own
community, but to the country at
large. There are many facts
buried in every community which
should be brought to the light of
day for the benefit of the COM
munity and of the public at large.
] would suggest that The editors
of the country weeklies from time
to time interview all of the outside
people who have settled in their
community. tell what they have
accomplished. of their satisfaction
with their new home. of their in
tcrest in its advancement and of
The opportunities which they have
since finding . home in
the South. Let these interviews
ell of the soil and climate in con-
irast with the condition OF their
former homes, and Of opportuni-
les for others to come where
every prospect pleases. There is
scarcely a place in the South where
Interesting interviews Of thi$ kind
:ould not be worked up smost
very week. Then when th1 y are
let the local by iness
'eople and the trade organic tions |
rom week to week take few
'opies and mark such iteIs of
Jews and send to their frien>.s and |
correspondents throughout the |
ountry. There are very few
'apers in the South from which
UGH places could not be sent out |
9 very great advantage. If 4
Of this kind should be |
arried on by the entire weekly |
'ress of the South. backed up by |
he local people. the good which
would be accomplished in attract
ne the attention Of outsiders toll
his section. of drawing people |
md money southwark. would be |
,reater than one can well CON- |
'rehend without giving some
hought and study 10 it. It may |
AXE some time for the local peo-
,le n everu rnrnmt.U:t., -