The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1912-02-02
Copyright, 1912 by the New York Evening Jour-
nal Publishing Company.

Copyright, 1912, by the New York Evening Jour
nal Publishing Company.
So called "local" newspapers, ant
especially country weeklies, constl-
tute the greatest force for good IL
America.
Unfortunately the usefulness ant
power OF the local press are not ~.
preciated. And advertisers faivl
take advantage Of the great distrlbu
ting power o! the press Of the small
cities, towns and villages. This fact
is called especially to the attention
OF automobile manufacturers now
holding their great annual New York
show.
The Hearst newspapers have more
than once called the attention Of bust.
ness men and of citizens In general
to the important work.that Is being
done by the editors of the smaller
newspapers and to the great value OF
those newspapers as advertising me-
diums.
1t would be impossible to keep this
government going, impossible at least
to keep representative and democratic
government alive in this country, II
1t were not for the thousands Of news
paper editors scattered throughout
the land-every one of them a watcher
and an observer, vigilant policeman
in politics and public affairs.
THE LOCAL PAPER.
Wherever two railroads cross in the
United States and there Is town or
village, there is-fortunately for the
country-a local editor.
The editor watches the two rail-
roads, he watches the affairs of his
county, state and nation.
He talks daily or weekly to his fell
low citizens concerning affairs that
most vitally interest them. He is for
them an eye that does not sleep, a
man alert and devoted to those that
are his constituents.
II the railroad crossing kills too
many, II the railroads combine TO
charge too much or serve too poorly,
II the judge, governor or mayor seems
more OF a railroad official than peo-
ple's official the editor Is there to tell
about 1T.
Big metropolitan newspapers with
running into many hun.
1reds of thousands daily have pecu-
lar power OF their own
But II you took all the metropolitan
newspapers of the United States and
them in the balance against
The press Of the small cities and
Towns 10 America, it would be as
though you weighed city building
against Pixies Peak-and the local
press would be Pixies Peak.
THE LOCAL EDITOR.
The local editor speaks to his read.
srs as one friend speaks to another.
They know him by sight. They
know. his record. They know the
nard fight he has made and Is max
ing. They know for how small a re.
ward be renders efficient unselfsh SER
vice. And a word from him means
more than many columns from some
anonymous and unknown "editor Of
Lhe big CITY,"
The politicians OF this country know
we'll the power Of the local editor.
They respect 1t and they fear it-and
Il Is good thing for the country that
they do.
A man writing fearlessly 10 some
or some senator's home
town can do more to keep that public
official straight" than all the metro.
polltan newspapers put together.
Public men know the power Of the
local editor and of the local newspa.
per. 1t is a pity that the business
men OF the country are ignorant OF
that power.
THE BEST MEDIUMS.
The man who has something really
worth while to advertise could, II he
would use the local newspapers INTEL
Iipently, multiply his sales by ten,
make himself known to millions that
10 not now know him and put himself
At the head OF his line Of competition.
II the automobile manufacturers
who attract attention just at this
would put their advertising
In the local newspapers,
paying good, fair rate and offering
good value, they could very soon
change the output OF automobiles 10
America from 10000 in one year,
which was the record in 1910, to 500,-
DOO or 1000, 900 10 one year-and this
Is no exaggeratIon.
The smallest OF the country news
papers has among its readers one or
Ave or ten or a hundred men that
could be made to buy car now and
will buy one sooner or later. Some in
tellipeut automobile manufacturer
with the right kind OF product will
realize this and sell tens Of thousands