Year: 1873

4 @%-N ---~~%-- t<-%%-@


The State Press Convention meets at


Lebanon on the Sth inst, and from


present indications will be largely at


tended by editors and proprietors of


the daily and weekly papers Thus


far these meetings in our State have


not been so fully attended as the i'm
portant objects In view would have


suggested, nor can wepoint to tangible


results of consequence. But the MEM


bers Of the Association and others


have been led to.see that their union


and annual gatherings may be. made


mutually beneficial in business way


as we'll as socially rare pleasure.


The address of Gen. Jones delivered


at the last regular meeting, was pub


lished in whole or in part of nearly


every paper In the State, and as it con-


tanned so much valuable information,


sound sense and business wisdom, it


must have given the public, as well as


the members of the profession ofjour-


nalism, an increased degree of respect


for its dignity, power and capacity for


usefulness. BY concert ofactien and
determined effort the business of ed
iting and publishing newspapers can be


made more profitable and be utilized
to higher ends of material and moral
success. The abuse which creep into
the press from within and from without
can be corrected, and its true and high
mission executed without fear, favor or
affection. We trust that some steps
will be taken to draw broad line of
distinction between the quasi or orna-
mental members of the press and train
ed journalists, who consciously do
their duty, without the hope of subsidy
or gratuity, from any source. Such
distinctionsis often as essential as be-
tween a lawyer and shyster, for the
public often makea sad discrimination,
because thrown so little in personal
contact with journalists, and having
but limited opportunities for forming
Judgment. Another important result /
can be accomplished in due time If /
the press of the State will make the is
sue, and this we have urged with some |
zeal heretofore; and that is, to secure I
the repeal of the present unjust law,
only allowing one-half or one-third /
prices for legal notices. The limit I
should be removed absolutely, and the /
papers allowed to charge regular rates
for all pnblic work. There is no JUS
tice or reason in requiring printer to
work for nearly nothing. The wrong
has been perpetuated for nearly two
generations, simply because the papers
have submitted to it. If every paper
in the State will exact a pledge from
the next candidates for the Legislature
to vote for repeal of the present law,
leaving the common rates of business
to regulate the question hereafter, it
will be done. sThe papers make and
legislators, and often out of
very light material, and while they
should discard the cheap favOrs ten
1ered often like pittance of charity,
to secure the support of men, measures
and corporations, they should assert
and demand their right to full pay for
full work. Let that be the motto of
The Tennessee press at the next elec-
ton, and in less than in two years the
benefits of such policy will begin to
be realized. The Ledger hopes to
nave representative at Lebanon in
n full harmony with the main object
# the convention, but these sugges-
ions are thrown out in advance for
he consideration of our editorial
brethren.