CHAPTER IV
BEGINNINGS IN COLONIES
MASSACHUSETTS, PENNSYLVANIA, AND NEW YORK
Both for historical and for sentimental reasons, the beginnings of anything have unusual interest. This fact will explain why so much space is given to the first two or three newspapers in each of the original thirteen colonies. Some of these papecs were most unpretentious and were born to bloom unseen save by a comparatively few subscribers who were usually so delinquent in the payment of their subscriptions that many of the papers continually faced the possibility of suspension. The newspaper must be properly nourished and must have a fairly good circulation or it cannot withstand those diseases which thrive best when the circulation is poor and the newspaper is struggling for existence. Though the high death-rate among these papers tells its own story, nowhere will be found a more practical demonstration of following the advice, "If at first you don't succeed, try again." Whatever else may have been his qualifications, the early American printer as a usual thing was persistent in his efforts to enlighten his neighbors through the press, and in his attempts to found papers may be found that distinguishing characteristic of American journalism which knows no such thing as defeat. The fact must not be lost sight of that during the early history of this country newspaper censors were ever present who, clothed by the law with authority, never hesitated to annoy the poor printer whenever he put anything interesting in his paper. A jail sentence rather than a libel suit was the sword of Damocles which hung in every newspaper office should something be printed which reflected in any way upon the Government. Feeble as were some of these pioneer papers, they were the foundations upon which rests the journalism of to-day.
