Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-04-01
THE LITERATURE OF HAND-BILLS AND



ly read advertisements, else vast amount of
printing is done in vain. Newspapers TEEN
with them. The mails are full of them. In
every considerable town walls and fences about
public. places are covered with them. And the
men who do the greatest share of advertising
affirm that sit pays OF course if this is true
the advertising must continue to be done.-
Printers exhort people to advertise, but then
they have axe to grind in the business OF
course it pays them, and we might consider their
testimony liable TO suspicion. But it is cor
roborated by the testimony of others to such an
extent that we are constrained to allow that the
gentlemen of the press have the truth squarely
on their side.
No doubt advertising is legitimate, in the alb
stract. 1t is simply telling people who you are,
what you are doing and what you propose to
do as well for the benefit of your customers or
patrons as your own. Of course every man
who invites the patronage of others processes to
deal honorably, and 50 that the patron shall de-
rive advantage from whatever dealing is had
Now alarge portion of the advertising that is
done may be admitted to be above serious crit
cism, b6s Jas to its substance and as to its form
1t is the honorable way that highminded men
have of making their bow to the public, and in
viting patronage. What these men propose to
do they fairly state, and then scrupulously hon
or every promise they have made. 1t is all right.
But so powerful engine as the printer
press must be expected to be employed by un-
banks and pretenders of every sort will adver-
tise as well as Others And so there is not on
ly business in advertising, but morals also, and
literature, of its own sort. Hand-bills, pla-
cards, and the advertising columns of newspa-
pers indicate the prevalence of vices of the worst
description. They Indicate also, the existence
of large class of unprincipled men, and of ig-
norant men, who are ready to make gain out of
the credulity of Others The gulled public have
right to complain of them. And so have hon
est men, who seek to make legitimate busi-
ness fairly known by this medium. The ini-
guilty of pretenders throws suspicion on the
whole business, and leads the intelligent tos sus-
pect everything that is advertised.
The success of advertising in giving unprin-
cipled men lever of power with which to pry
upon the public, and thus to fill their own pock-
cts at the expense of the public, may also op-
crate as a temptation to men who are honest at
heart, and lead them to do things at least of
questionable propriety. Hence the bad morals
of Objectionable advertising are dangerous
The first thing which one notices in large
;,Il, +lo4
done by Hand-bills, is the cldp-trap How
many devices there are for catching the eye not
only, but the mind of the reader Grand words
are coined, high-sounding phrases are intro
duced, often thoroughly unmeaning and ridic-
ulous, and every conceivable method is taken
to cause the public to think-here is something
extraordinary.
With this clap-trap is associated vast deal of
unscrupulous eraggeration. We judge an adver
tisement issued by man whom we know, by
our opinion of his character. But when we
find one issued by a stranger we know we have
no assurance that the article commended to our
notice is such as it is represented to be. 1t is
notorious that the most extravagant exaggera-
ton is connected with the recommendation of
patent medicines. The manufacturers of these
in view by OVERRIDING the work of recommends
ton. But it is easy to see that there is strong
temptation to overstate the value OF an article
which one expects to sell by advertising. Per-
haps the most disgusting exaggeratiOn is that
practiced by travelling musicians or exhibitors
of shows. The adjectives which they use in
describing themselves or their wares are perfect
ly enormous, SO big in fact that no dictionary
will hold them. But this only illustrates the
tendency to overstate the claims of men or
things to public regard, when money is to be
made out of the good opinion of the public.
We often find advertisers of various classes
endeavoring to decry competitors. Not willing
to put their claims at what they are worth and
wait the application of proper test they adj
vance intimations uniavorable to others. They
seem to know no way of going up except as
somebody else goes down. These people should
learn that they have no higher claim to success
than other men. The world might be as well
off if they were to fail as if theyw to succeed.
hdHltSll( tll tLCSC diC NiplS5 ehlu uu-
generous. The strictest rules of uprightness
and truthfulness should be applied to business
in every respect. Let the advertiser set forth
the true and proper value of whatever he pre-
sents to the notice of his fellow men. If he us
es improper means to gain public patronageand
money, he will only debauch his own character
and become unworthy of public esteem. The
many who are willing to resort to exaggeration
and pretence to make their way i'll the world
are Justly despised. But the man of integrity
and honor, engaged i'll a legitimate business,
can afford to stand on basis ofperfect truth. =
The business which is built up ON this basis is
reliable, and wins the confidence of the public,
In general, ifthere is clap-trap or overstatement
in an advertisement it will be apparent on the
surface; and will surely win the disapproval of
the high-minded and virtuous
That which man puts forth before his fellow
men will invariably bear the impress of his
character. No man can write even an adver-
tisement without revealing himself to the dis
cerning If it is better to have high charac-
ter than to be rich perfect integrity is ever the
best policy. b.
THE HOME INSURANCE COMPANY.
We find the following notice of the above