Green Mountain Freeman

Differences of Opinion among Subscribers to Newspapers.

Any one who has had experience as a school-teacher, has learned that even in the circumference of a school district,--however limited, provided it contains two scholars of different parentage--it is utterly impossible to please everybody. No mortal man of the least independence of thought or action, or of the smallest honesty and integrity of purpose and candor of speech, has ever succeeded in winning the favorable opinion of all who know him; and it not unfrequently happens that popularity is in inverse ratio to honest independence. Newspapers are no exception to this experience; and while it is, perhaps, true that an independent, fearless journal will win as much respect and support as a truckling and servile newspaper, yet editors find occasionally some subscriber who has a notion that any paper said subscriber reads, must in all respects be made to suit said subscriber. It is, of course, the privilege and right of every man to read no newspaper which is in the least degree different from what he would have it; and when such a man sets up his standard he can refuse to take any publication that does not reach that standard. It might occur to such a person, perhaps, after some reflection, that, as no two persons were entirely alike, so no newspaper should be made entirely with reference to the tastes or opinions of any single individual; but which is controlled by honest, candid, and fearless management, and exhibits proper news enterprise without descending to street gossip, or personalities, or slander, or petty quarrels. Such a newspaper, if conducted with ability, becomes a teacher and leader of public opinion, and not a mere pander to vitiated or depraved tastes, nor a mere echo of popular clamor, nor a weather-cock to indicate the direction of every wind that blows.

As an instance of the difficulty which a publisher experiences in pleasing all his readers, we append a letter received a few days since from a former subscriber to the Christian Messenger,-and we commend the letter to the attention of Mr. Beecher, who is now one of the "big guns" among the contributors to Mr. Bonner's Ledger.

January 1, 1868.

My Dear Brother C. W. Willard:

My Dear Sir,

Believing in Christ as I do with all my heart I cannot make myself believe that it is right for you to advocate a paper that will be of so much evil as the one you advocate in your paper that is the New York Ledger a paper that will be the means of doing so much harm as that it will in my belief that will be the means of leading away the young minds from the true center which is Jesus Christ our Lord and thus believing as I do I request you for this and other reasons combined to stop the paper you send to me.

The paper has been stopped, although we should be glad to hear the "other reasons combined."

Of quite a different tenor is the following:

C. W. Willard, Esq.,-Dear Sir: -I send you herewith $2.00 in advance in payment for the Freeman for 1868. I send you also my thanks for making the Freeman a live Republican newspaper. I have taken it since October 1, and am glad to say I like it. I wanted a sterling State newspaper outside of my own county that was sincere and fearless in advocacy of the equal rights of all men- the reconstruction of the South on that basis -while it was not so partisan that it could not sometimes criticize the men and measures of the party which, despite some delinquencies and shortcomings, is essentially pledged to that policy.

Besides the independent and high-toned discussion given to subjects of local and general interest in the editorial department of the paper, I am pleased to find a judicious selection of miscellaneous and news matter, omitting that which is of substantial interest by excluding much that is worthless and of no value.

The agricultural department, always resorted to with interest by me as a young farmer, shows signs of careful supervision, selecting valuable suggestions. The very full market reports are also a high-prized feature of the paper. So much I have said though I did not intend to use the language of flattery. I believe the Freeman deserves encouragement and support among its Vermont contemporaries, as furnishing at a low price a weekly repository of editorial and selected matter, interesting, sprightly and seasonable, and of solid value.

Yours, etc.

We think the great majority of readers of modern newspapers recognize the fact that a newspaper to be really valuable must have a sharply defined character of its own: yet it is undoubtedly true that many select the paper that is most likely to go with the majority, and will print anything which a subscriber desires printed, whether it be commendable or the reverse, provided it will occupy space in any paper, are yet anxious to control not only the reading but the advertising columns of their home newspaper, and like the departed subscriber to the Messenger "Stop" because of the Ledger advertisement, or "other reasons combined."

The latter small class of readers will not probably be entirely suited until they print a paper of their own.