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Show . A t t i Mission of fho Newspaper I This interesting paper on "The Mission of the Newspaper" f i was read by Roger F. Miller, editor of the Morn stown Republican, f beforc thc East Tennessee Press association in convention at t Cumberland Gap, Tenn., last week: Y "The mission of thc newspaper, in my opinion, is to preach progress to work continually, intelligently, persistent y for the i Improvement and development of the territory in which or for f A whch it js published. Thc newspaper that fails in this fails n its t X mission and has no worthier excuse for existence than the laborer T A who works merely for a living. J Y "We all agree concerning the power of the press. We are in- ? Y clined at times to boast of the fact that we mold public opinion. Y How often do we Bit down to consider the question of how nnd A 4 where we are directing public opinion? How many of us, I won- A der, hnvc it definite goal toward which we nre pointing, urging, ! A icn(jng the people of our communities? Is this power of the press X given us to boost friends into office, to build politicnl mnchlncs, to f f pcrpetunte partisanship, or is it placed in our hnnds for a higher $ Y and better purpose, to promote Christinnity, to Improve the condi- . Y tions of mnnklnd, to build cities, communities, commonwealths, a i, Y fation? , . i . i .i "Rut, you wty, the newspaper is a business enterprise, the t newspaper profession the hardest worked and poorest paid, the J JL least apprcciatctl nnd thc most imposed upon, nnd printing the V T only business excepted when merchants talk of the horrors and Y dangers of the mail order invasion. 4 X SHOULD HE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. J f "Thc newspaper should be a business enterprise nnd should be X conducted along strictly modern and nggressive business lines. I Unfortunately too few of our newspnper men are really business t A men nnd few lines of industry could survive the methods that pre- T t ail in the average smnll publishing plnnL We are poorly paid be- V Y cause as n clnss we do not know whnt it costs us to do business. Y If we find out and determine to our satisfaction whnt we should L chnrge In order to earn a reasonable profit we haven't the nerve X t to demand thc price. So we sit in the bottom of the rut and growl f and complain, nnd spend our days fighting the sheriff and the, X A wo'f from the door. -T A "Appreciated? Well that depends upon the character nnd ex- r X tent or thc service we have rendered, .lames G. Blaine, informed 4 Y y friend that he was bitterly opposed by the people of a ccrUtln & y district, said: 'Why, that is strange. I don't remember to have L ! ever done them n favor.' If your service has been chiefly political T favors to the ins or ouUt, your labor has been in vain, for whllu T A there arc exceptions, thc average politician lives only to call for T A more. But, if you have rendered worthwhile service to mnnklnd y 1 1,nt' to 'our community, then nppreclntlon will be yours in bountl- 4 j ful supply and not lacking in any quality that satisfies. Y "YcH wc nrc Imposed upon, but find (he man in nny line of L Y present day activity who is not imposed upon. True, wc nrc ex- X t pected to run beautifully detailed wedding accounts, extended nn-, T nounccments of home talent Hhtms, interviews galore and lengthy T A obituaries, furnish free copies lo everybody concerned nnd then T A ,hnnk thcm for helping to 'fill up.' The business man who doesn't 4 X believe in advertising asks for free wrltctip nnd thc average Hub- & Y r-crlbcr, if left alone, will pay when he gctH ready. But, have you i Y cvcr thought of .the lady who examines every bolt of cloth in the I ! lry goods store, collects a handful of samples and trips gnlly nwny T A to shop nnother dny? Or the fellow who calls on the soda foun- T A tan clerk several times dally for water, but Indulges in profitable T A dr,nks onI' when the other fellow pays the bill? Or the young 4 A H1"" nroun town who ndorns himself with swell spits nnd fine ' 4 f 'nen nnd leaves the clothier to fight it out with father? Or thc A Y lndy wh? v'8i.11 t,,c Kroccry store to sample everything In sight X Y nno reach, and buy nfivecntlwx of mntches? Or the economical T J carpenter who expects the hardware man to'donatc the nails be- T cnuc e only wants five or six 7 Or the fellow who buys n pair 7 A of pants nnd n8"8 the merchants to 'throw In' the suspenders? T j UNFAIR MERCHANTS PASSING f Y ., "There are merchants who expect us to defend them against Y , .ronjj, order (nvnalon and who repay us by sending their print- A Y ,nK to Cincinnati, Knnsas City or some other foreign port. There 1 Y l,rc, others who place their printing onler with the lowest bidder. t A nnd demand that we pay the price marked on the ticket. Both of T A u,ee represent a passing order and one that will entirely dlsan- T & SSnmT.. f fin, ft0"' l n' ,neWflPr ? business IwbIh and j are prepared to face the world in competition. A Y , ,l0 m helievo iu special fnvors. I do not believe that we X should receive the undivided support of our bus ness men simply 1 A because we are running 'the home paper.' A progressive mi- t A fncturer in my home town has an advertising phrase th it rcS s" t 1 'Oive our flour n trial and if you find that it is better thnr Tnnv" T X you have ever used, buy it because it is mnde in Morr stiwn ? This Y f an W ,of kccn competition. When we enter this or nn- nilV, r A Y lltlQ 0f lm,utry let us be men enough to determ e t .. t we will S A win on our merits and back that dctcrmini ion wit" ?the bes ?thit I Y sP'lce? Pl them with iliter r ki,.- r ' !,e. hree column of V w,"ol. hetter farn i E 01 h , kt,r beliur rom,s bette' f A concerning the SMAS&tii f'.,CtH ",1 f,Kurert f A ment sermons from the . I, oi-.r lm nt "f th? l,ome town 're- 1 time, hustle for uiinui. M ' f prok'ro8H' Aml f the mean- f ' t'OMPENSATION OF E)IT0K. f Y "What coiiipennntion t0 we rwulvo-' i.'i..u , X Y ,,nt than nny other wiiwitim W f ,,ru, moro lmPrt- f A from good work wel 1 S e U,e k L wi,Kifnc,Uon thnt comes only f A cur share to the dcveKJoK U,nt S)VirQ contributing A mankind, the glory of ," SiVvoinint t ,tr am! ih.e betterment of I A wort, wh"e. Will ulllliHS' R Joy (,f building things X Y the active co-oper it n i f ou? imS ' n?i,,rovnl nml eventually Y town will grow and p 0s, e T RTl dt fe,m8h T,1 home f . mission in the commut.it ind liZ IT Tr U,.nt ms fu,nlll 1 ment will receive Its fullS," V It ft? ?, Sff81 wlth elon- f-SSlITbi $Tg Sfe new and keener t Y lA w,nnln on the merH of vn..r i ,f.you nre 8tl working 1 |