Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-02-08

is not as well patronized and supported in this
state as it is in Colorado Idaho, Nevada and most
of the other surrounding states. This is a con-
dtion peculiar to Utah, and is directly traceable
to the conditions under which this state was
founded and settled. When the Mormon people
first came to Utah and for good many years af-
ter, there were no newspapers outside of Salt Lake
City and possibly two of the larger cities
The people became accustomed TO getting along
without local newspapers. Lost and found prop
erty, commodities of exchange, and most items of
local news of consequence advertised in
worship meetings. Young people were reared un-
der these conditions and having gotten along
good while without newspapers, they were inclined
to look askanse at the little struggling papers that
were from time to time established among them
The merchants said, "Our fathers got along with
out advertising in newspapers, and guess can
do the same" The people continued long time
to effect the exchange of commodities, the recov-
cry Of lost property and the dissemination of the
important local news through the medium of the
worship meetings and the early papers had hard
shedding. Most of them died in infancy, or be-
fore reaching robust manhood and are now lying
in the journalistic churchyard
The Record is the oldest surviving newspaper
that has been published continuously without in
terruption, south of Provo. This is not so much
due to the fact that the soil was more fertile or
deep here than elsewhere but to the fact that it
possessed more tenacity of life.
Gradually conditions are changing, and the 10
cal newspaper is coming to be looked upon in Utah
as almost an essential. At any rate with good
deal more liberation than it once was But the
utter lack of its appreciation which was general
throughout Utah in the early days, has been re-
fected in the construction of the laws. which are
not nearly so favorable for newspapers in this as
in most of the other states of the Union, and the
lack of respect and appreciation that Secretary
Porte notes the part of state officials is merely
another trace of the old faint.
! And this lack of appreciation and respect is
something that works both ways The fact that
Utah has not been a favorable locality for country
newspapers has had tendency of keeping the
better class of publishers out They have sought
greener pastures and local men of ability have
engaged in more lucrative and promising lines of
employment. Many of those who remained in
| the business in the face of an utter lack of ap-
probation, were weddings and pigmies who were
fit for little else and were content to exc out an
existence in this line of endeavor, rather than to
hazard change of occupation; some had become
so thoroughly mbued and infatuated with the
charms c2the "art preventative" that they could
not tear themselves away from it, and so remained
through the darircst days. But, the whole, the
environment and conditions here had the tendency
| of lowering the standard of journalism in This
state, and this in turn tended to lessen the re-
specGsOf the layaty for the profession. And this
lack of appreciation and respect has had the eff
feet of keeping down those aspiring and worthy
spirits in the calling, which under normal condi-
tons such as exist in other states, would have
risen to eminence and high responsibility, if not
fame.
/ The sum fatal of results is just what Mr.. Porte
an experienced newspaper man and printer of
other states, notes here and is exasperated by
In the main, Mr.. Porte is right. If the country
publishers in Utah have backbone" and appreca-
ton of their own position and power in the var
ous communities they can very soon compel the
respect of other people, and elevate the profession
to the plane that it enjoys in other sections of the
country But first of all, it must be placed upon
a business basis equal to that of other business
enterprises and professions. And this is what
the Utah State Press Association, under the drec-
ting hand of Secretary Porte, is trying to do for
us. If all the papers will join the organization
and help boost for themselves, the country pub
fishers will soon become just as much power in
Utah as they in other states of the Union, and
in time, they may even compel little respect and
consideration from the national administration
in which we are all sadly lacking at the present
time.
| -(O
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"