The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-12-29
Newspaper Patrons.
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY cosBnRS.

This thing called patronage is queer
thing. It is very correctly remarked by
scme one, that it s composed of as many
colors as the rainbow, and is as changable
as the hues OF the chameleon.
One man subscribes for paper, and pays
for it in advance-he goes home and reads
it by the year round with the proud satisfac-
tion that il is his own. He hands in an adver-
tisement- the price and pays for it
this is patronage.
Another man says Put my name on
your list Of subscrbers;' and goes off with.
out as much as saying 'pay' once. He asks
you TO advertise but says nothing about pay
ing for it. Time passes your patience
is exhausted. you dun him; he flies into
. Passion--perhaps he pays you--perhaps
Another man has been asubscriber some
time. He becomes tired of it, and wants
change. Thinks he wants another jour-
nal. Gives il up, and you a bad.uame.. One
of his papers is returned to you, marked RE-
fused Paying for It is among his last
thoughts. After time you look over his
account and send him . bill of balance. -
Buthe does not pay it--treats you with si-
lent contempt This TOO, some call pat
ronage.
Another man lives near you-never took
your .paper--itis too emall--don't like the
paper, don't like its principles--too Amer
icanish, too Democratic--its leaders are too
strong. ils tales too dry, vice versa, ,'or some
thing else--yet goes regularly to his neigh
bors and reads it--fnds fault with its con.
tents sand disputes its position, and quarrels
with its type, ink or paper. Occasionally
sees On article he likes, buys a.aumber per
quarter. This too il patronage.
Another (and bless you 1t does us good tc
zee such man) says:---'The year for which
I have paid is about to expire; want to
pay you for another This is patronage, but
oh, how rare!
Another man subscribes wants you to
give Il to him on advance terms; he gets il
regular, reads it carefully, and will always
praise il every time he sees you as being q
good paper, wishes you success, hopes 9th.
,ers will subscribe and encourage it, icel dis
appointed If 1t is not issued regularly, and il
the first to complain of its non-appearance,
---all this he can do; yet he never dreams
of paying, unless you dun him. and ther
with good promises he puts you off, Thi,
too, is common patronage.
There is another kind Of patronage: A
man subscribes for your paper--neyer dreams
Of settling for it until the time for advance
payment expires--then comes in, wants |
stopped--is willing to pay according to ad
vance terms, but no more--thinks that i
too much. He likes your politics--but h,
can get the-, pulshed in the city. 70
81 per annufn in clubs offifty--he has work
ed hard to get up q club; has got sixty 0
seventy names in spite ofall OPPOSITION. II
grows warm in his eulogies Of the party an,
lie principles, You hint, that to insure th
proper discipline and success Of your part
in the county, the local paper must be sus
taiaed. He agrees with you, you are righ
h every particular--indeed he thinks II !
the dutyef the party to give you liberu
suPPort-your paper must be akept up"-
Il twon't Do % let Il 90 down. He sincerel
hopes you may be sustained, believes 20
will-wishes you succesl and--bids 20
good morning.
OF all the patronage we know anythin
about, this is the most interesting.