Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1943-01-21

And The McC COnnelsville
Herald Merge
/ An agreement was entered into this week between
Raymond Durbin and Wilbur D. Matson for merging the
Herald and the Democrat which will hereafter be print
ed under the masthead of the Morgan County Herald
the McConnesvlle Herald and the Morgan
County Democrat The agreement will take effect the
first of February. Mr. Dbn will assist in the details Of
consolidation and has agreed edit the paper for few
weeks later in the and from time to time, if he
grows restless after retiring following than third
Of century Morgan county journalism.
The merger was an outgrowth of necessity Newspa-
pers have been hard hit by rising operating COSTS by
slump in advertising which is the principal of
enue for all papers. Last year heavy mortality IN
both daily and weekly publications the nation many
of which either merged or suspended publication
ing conditions have made two newspapers Improbable in
this restricted field They covered the area in
news way, divided the business and doubled overhead
and production costs Advertisers were compelled to
carry two ads to cover the local field and at the
time both papers felt obliged to sell space at ridiculous
y low advertising rate in view of the situation Many Of
the contributions both from correspondents and readers
papers printed the day of the week. and the
principal difference between them that was a
Republican and the other Democrat paper.
No field so small support two good papers under
existing conditions There is one paper in Guernsey
county, one in Washington county with the Dispatch
which serves the Beverly Waterford neighborbood;
in Athens county and in Perry county, larger than
Morgan but for some time until recently without any
home paper at all.
Whatever the future of Morgan county journalism may
be- unless the county has unexpected expansion in in
dustry and population and unless the trend of present
conditions is reversed two good Morgan county papers
will never again be profitable in the opinion of two ed
tors who have spent 5 and "a years respectively serv
ing in this field.
The present editor feels keeny his responsibility for
publication that will really
munity medium for all of the people OF Morgan county
While he has his own perhaps somewhat positive, views
on public questions his prejudces have outweigh
ed his sense of fairness and his belief that liberties
depend upon free press and free speech and that every
citizen no matter how obscure humble, has right to
be heard We have political friends to reward and mol
personal ambitions to subserve We belong to clique
or crowd that is seeking political control to ndoctrn
ate or to sway public opinion for their particular
selfish interest. Our policy shall be directed far as
possible primarily for what we conceive to be the great
at least what sincerely believe for the best IN
terest of that majority.
It is only fair to speak word in behalf of Mr. Durbin
who is retiring after long and honorable career in local
journalism. In 19O9 Messrs: Durbin and J. p. Torber
now of Sebring purchased the Democrat from the Tan
neh brothers. In 1918 Mr. Torbert entered other fields
Of journalistic endeavor and since that period Mr. Dur
bin has been in sole charge OF the destnes OF this paper
Thus he has actively been identified with the Morgan
County Democrat for "a years. the longest period Of time
served in such capacity by any Morgan county ed
tor The nearest competitor in point of time, is the late
B. Tanneh and the present Herald editor each with
quarter of century of service to his credit.
The capital stock of the editor of community paper
lies largely in his knowledge of the people and the history
and background of the particular field which he
It be said of Mr. Durbin that he knows more Morgan
county people than any editor who ever functioned in
his field He has exceedingly keen for items of
local interest," and he always worked all the out of
every item garnered for his paper By unusual energy
and hard work combined with good management and
flair for the newspaper business Mr. Durbn not only has
served longer editor than anyone else in the local
field but he has also made greater financial success
than any of his colleagues past present mr. Dubin
will have something to say in his valedictory
The present merger is the outcome of factors over
which neither party to this agreement had any control
and is dictated by the march of time and inexorable
events brought about by world in convulson-W