The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1907-09-13
"A. S. of E. and Your Home Paper.

Your home paper should receive
your earnest attention. Il may be
that your home paper is not run TO
suit you. Il is possible that il pays
much more attention 10 what il con
siders the interests OF the advertisers
than to those Of the farmers. There
is nothing at all strange abou, that.
You probably pay Sl.00 year sub
scdption. The average country pa
per does not have more than 1000 |
circulation, and al least one half Of
these are exchanges. dead heads,
and complimentary. The $500 which
the average country editor receives
does not much more than pay for the
blank pape: and postage. The editor
Of such a country paper therefore,
must rely almost altogether upou
his advertising ard job work for his
support.
Is Il any wonder that he pays lit
tie attention 10 the desires or the de-
mands OF the farmerp
Il Is true that the merchant Of the
country town depends upon the farm
ers for his business. but country mer-
chants. until lately, have not stu lied
the economies Of country life and
have not realized their entire depend |
ence upon the prosperity Of the farm
ing community. The fact that there
is real community OF interests 10
every neighborhood which is direct
y opposed 10 the Capitalization Of
business in a few large cities has not
appealed 10 these people.
The country merchant has taken |
bis ideas from the merchant who |
sold him his goods the country /
banker has usually supposed that
his interests we're identified with |
those Of the banking centers OF the /,
world the country la~yer has taken /
his political views from the attorneys /
Of corporations, and the country edi-
tor has had his work cut out for him |
by the editors Of big daily papers
owned and controlled by people Who
we're al the head OF special interests.
These special interests people have
tried and have, until recently. made
Us all believe that the interests OF
all classes we're identical and that a
few people who had specialized In
the study Of finance and politics were |
10 be looked to as the leaders OF pub
lie opinion.
Since the panic Of 1898 Il has slow
ly dawned upon the general public |
that the teachings OF these self ap-
pointed leaders we're not altogether
perfect ID their logic, and that what
vas good for the Standard Oil Mon
opoly or the Steel Trust might not
be for the best interests Of the farm
er or the merchant.
Corporation lawyers from the city |
represent us in congress and in the |
United States senate, and corporation |
lawyers have framed most Of our
state laws. Il is time for farmers
and for those who depend upon them
for support 10 learn that the interests
Of the speculative classes are not
those Of the producer, and consumer,
and OF the honest eTchanger OF wealth
The editor Of the home paper should
study these questions from the stand.
poin, OF the producer and consumer
and not from that OF the Spectator.
The producer should then support
the paper so that il will not be neces-
sary for II 10 take advertising from
any but legitimate firms that are
looking out for the interests Of farm
ers and producers. The interests Of /
merchants in a country town depend |
upon the prosperity OF the farmer,
and the paper that teaches controll- |
ed marketing deserves the support
OF merchants and a much better sup
port than they now get from farm