The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-12-26
FRANK E. HOWE, Editor and Pub'r
BENNINGTON, W, DEG, 20, 1911
THE MONTPELIER JOURNAL

the instant the DebOor ChiluiuoSy "on
launched, although 1t spoke very nice.
ly of DeBoer. The Banner has no
key TO the mystery but merely sus-
poets that Editor Crockett OF the
Journal simply hedged while he made
another attempt to find out what the
owner or owners OF the paper want
Bloomington Banner.
We are also minus key but we
are willing to wager that the now
celebrated editorial never came from
the pen OF Editor Crockett.-Burling-
ton Clipper.
Let's see, what sort of sport is it
that wants to bet on sure thing?
Editor Crockett has already made II
generally known that he did not
write the editorial in question and
The Banner did him an injustice in
accusing him Of it. 1t appears that
the editorial came from the owners
OF the paper whoever they may be
which again emphasizes the slight
Importance OF anonymous communi-
cations.
The Banner also might as well con
fess that 1t has been called down by
several Montpelier business men for
what II said about their failure TO
support so good newspaper as the
Journal and especially when ii was
working so hard TO promote the town
interests. In this connection The
Banner desires to repeat what it
said before that il did not intend its
words to apply TO any individual or
corporation, but to the general stu
alton II has been plainly manifest,
for months, that the Journal was not
getting business enough to live and
that somebody must be putting up
the money to keep II going. In view
of what the Journal was doing for
Montpelier, this seemed to The Ban
ner decidedly illiberal and short
sighted policy on the part of Mont
pelier citizens and business men.
A good newspaper does more for
It's town than any other single insti-
tuition II promotes public spirit. 1t
supports public improvement OF all
sorts. It gives publicity to all public
causes and interests. II is forever
advertising its town and keeping Its
best foot forward. Baseball and
other SPORTS. public meetings, cele
bratlons, fairs. festivals and many
other valuable and useful thingi
cannot be successfully maintained
without the assistance OF news
papers.
In the public mond. newspapers are
always credited with being profitable
institutions and are often accused o
being mean and small because they
do not do more for some public
cause. because they make small
charge for church advertising. or fol
some other reason. AS a matter o
fact. the newspaper business in
country town is as precarious as a.
most any known line OF effort. Their
are some fifty newspapers in Vernon
and all those which are prohtabl
can be counted on the fingers OF on
hand Most OF them just barrel
squeak along or at best furnish
moderate living.
Without any inside information an
Judging only from some familIarlt
with newspaper publishing. The Bal
ner merely tried to call the attentic
OF the good citizens OF Montpelier
the evident fact that they we're IL
ting one OF the very best newspape
in the state die from lack OF supper
II was evident that II was kept goir
by It's owner or owners. making up
deficit every month In the year, y
In spite OF It's troubles. the Journ
was In Its every issue splendid
loyal TO Montpelier Under the q
cumstances 10 the owner OF the Jo
nal so much 10 be blamed II he US,
the editorial columns OF tho paper
present his own Views on the COVE
norshipg Coming anonymously. no
ever. Il will not be OF much effect.
Neither the Journal. the Argus
any other paper can live on pleasa
wishes and kind thoughts. Nor q
they live on few big ads at Chri
mas, Easter. or the FIRST OF January
the newspapers have bills TO pay
the year round. Neither can a new
paper live on It's subscription II
With a one cent paper, the incof
from subscriptions and sale Of pap,
Just about pays for the white par
before Il is printed on. but nothl
toward the payroll, light. pow
heat, taxes, insurance. repairs. int
est, and all the other costs in
Ing business.
The Banner could not live thr
months unless the merchants a
business men OF Bennington W,
more loyal to Il than the business M