The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1920-03-09

In a series of little paragraphs
which THE NEWS man was reading
short time ago, under the heading
of Twenty Years Ago." we came
across one which read as follows
Running country newspaper III
Paris was not a business" That
paragrapher was certainly right.
But the war has shown the editors
and owners of country newspapers
! that their business is thei rbusineSS
after all, and must be run on bust
ness principles.
The good old days when an editor
could loaf around with a pipe in his
mouth, and accept garden truck and
such like on subscription accounts
are no more. During the war the
value of the paper to the community
and to the country at large was
clearly demonstrated. His full
share of the burden of helping to
win the war fell on the country ed
itor and he bore it bravely. Here
and there a weekly paper has gone
to the WALL" but largely they have
Imet all conditions and have given
splendid service to home and cOun-
try.
And out of it all has come great
good for the paper because it has
demonstrated beyond any question
that advertising pays. The Govern
ment has learned it in the Liberty
loan drives. The postmaster has
been convinced by the demand for
War Savings Stamps. The local Red
Cross has discovered it through the
responses made to their appeals
Through the press The committees
in charge of the various drives for
war activities will admit their labOrs
were greatly leSsened by the public
ity given to their campaigns in the
home papers.
| During all these demands for free
publicity the editors gave of their
space, which, after all, is their sole
lstcck in trade. Expenses went up.
The cost OF material and labor ad-
vanced, but the Government contin-
cd to demand the support of the
country newspapers. Munitior
manufacturers, dealers in supplies
for the army and navy, even labor
. erS On Government work were all
paid and paid well, but the loyal
home newspaper trudged on under
the added load without whimper or
a cry of complaint.
> Now the war has been won and
, the country newspaper owner has
the satisfaction of knowing that he
: did his bit TO the limit. But he
has learned that running his paper
, | is business, and hereafter he will
, demand the treatment accorded to
/ other business men. He has right
) to it. In his plant he has an in
r vestment equal to the average stock
2 of merchandise carried in any store
: in his town. He must meet his bills
On much shorter time than in the
: days before the war, and he is en-
titled to the cash discount as we'll as
the grocer, the druggist or any
other man in business.
The postoffice department taught
him a valuable lesson when it de-
5 manded that all unpaid Subscrip-
D lions must be stopped. The country
8 editor has been too easy-going. He
t has permitted himself to be imposed
!. lon too long. In order to exist to-
= day he must do business as Other
4 men do business, and the town thai
3 wants a newspaper must treat thai
e new spaper as they do the bank OF
e the telephone companies.
That paragrapher was right
e Twenty years ago running a news
L paper in Paris was not a business,
t SO tomorrow The country ed
p tor wore patches on the seat of hi!
trousers and was expected to live OF
free doing. 1t is different today
70 hn mn
r and that was why the country ed
e itor has a serious duty to perform
o and he succeeds in doing it. There
s fore, he is entitled to the respec
e and support of the community.