Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-01-28
A CHAT WITH OUR FRIENDS AND
SIIRSCRIRERS

A CHAT WITH OUR FRlENDS AMI
SUBSCRIBERS.
With this weeks paper, closes the fifth vo-
lume of the Edgefeld Advertiser, and as the
wise man has truly said, there is time for
every thing" we are led to conclude tl,atthere
is time even for cgotism though our tastes
and habits unite 10 indicate tliut our sea.
son for displaying it should recur but seldom.
Yet as there IS, or should be time for the he.
truyal of even this unatractive Quality-par-
donable in journalist if in any body-we
have concluded That the fit shonld visit us just
ut this period. before entering Upon another
volume Of our paper.
None can be more fully aware than we. of
the utter Indifference oftllat Leviuihan the pub.
lie, TO any matter so insignificant, IA the pros
perity or adversely o ia jonrnul or its publisher.
Years of experience has convinced US, that
the cash system is, in The long run, the only
one upon which newspapers can be prosper
ousy aud independently conducted.
The charges for subscription nre SO small,
and ye, so vitality important in the aggregate,
that the trouble and expense of nlnking collec-
ton, is too apt to absorb all the anticipated pro.
fits and to defeat the hopes the proprietor.
All expenses of tho office must be paid in
cash. Yet subscriber when dunned for n
three or FIVE dollar BILL is too apt incons,der-
ately to regard it palny business, to impor-
tune him for so trifling an amount He does
not reflect, that several hundred subscribers,
being of the same mind with himself, might by
declining the liquidation Of these "paltry
amounts" seriously embarrass an es,ublish-
ment.
For ourselves we can see no good reason
why man should not pay his three or FIVE
dollars doun, when subscribing for a paper, us
well as his five or ten dollars when hs takes his
seat in Steamboat or Rail Road car. He may
say there is chance for the paper to stop be-
fore the year is up. And so may the Steam.
boat burst her boiler, or the Rail Road car be
thrown from the track, and while in the latter
case you run great risk of loosing your lives,
we assure you that you shall loose nothing
more than yonr money. The contingency,
however, in either case, is the same.
Another advantage of the cash system is,
that i, is friendly to the perfect independence
of the press. Subscribers in this country have
been too much inclined to regard it Us an act of
patronage, OIL tlleir part, to take paper. If
there is any word in the Dictionary, for which
we have a moral aversion, it is that same word
"patrouage." 1t has done more 10 degrade.
and embarrass The press of the United States,
than all the bribery and corruption" ,a, po-
llica chicanery ever engendcred.
"Thc ungraleful fellow" said one Of these
'"prgpGme pat'U"s,- .:.aA-"I
have given him my patronage ever since his
cnncn-. .ne stnrtedA-.-i.--- i-;- r--.i'>--.->--.
ten years, and nov he sends in his bill of thir.
ty dollars, and says he must have it paid or he
will sue ME. Ingra,itudc thou hard hearted
friend. You may stop my paper sir, and you
shall have no more Of my patronage.
Heaven save us from all such patronage
say we.-The word should he repudia,ed, ex-
plunged, and discarded, by every independent
man connected with the press. In London the
newspapers are conducted upon tile cash sys-
TEN. You might as well nsk to be trusted for
your fare from Liverpool 10 Manchester, as for
ycnls subscription 10 u London paper. We
are glad to perceive symptoms Of the gradual
Introduction of tie cash principle, into the news.
paper establishments in this country.
But as it concerns ourselves. We shull here
after at stated periods, scrutinize our books,
and all subscribers, who have for years past re.
ceived the Advertiser, without paying forit, and
still exhibit no signs of pay, will be suspended
until we hear from them. For whenever n
subscriber has suffered his account to run
three, four and five years, we shall take it for
granted, that he does not like the paper well
enough to pay for tin which case we certain.
ly do not wish to send it to him. We believe
this rule will prove fatisfaclory TO all who in
tend to pay; and, ir, m the opposite class, we
have received so bountilul patronage, !"
that we could well afford 10 dispense with their
favors hereafter.
In conclusion, we would beg permission 10
return our forvent thanks, to the friends whose
exertions have contributed so much to the mea-
sure of tho prosperity and the patronage we
now enjoy. May our future course Justify,
though it cannot requite their generous assis-
tance.
We have received from some unknown per-
son, an article without title or signature. We
are thankful for all favors in the way Of useful