Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-11-30

NOoio oC aSSCPtdpiS oht far more highly unprecedented if you wou Id fill its columns with news instead of those worthless advertisement with which your paper is filled, if the mer- chants of Des arc must have an adver- 2 tising sheet published do it at their expense not that of yourreaders, either enlarge your paper or publish two, it is a shame that people pay such price for thing and then not get it ;, unless there is one ofth two above mentioned things done you will get no more money from me and I think I can represent hundreds for 1 hear much complaint this year
 l remain
 truly
 s4a4 Complainer
 Well, Mir. Complainer, we are truly obliged to you for your suggestion, and do not doubt that our paper would be "far more highly appreciated if it's columns were filled with news" &c., but we must object to your calling the advertisement with which our columns are adorned, worthless, they are the bread and meat of the concern, and of course could not be cut off without serious damage to the stomach of edi- tor and proprietor. But seriously, there is one portion of this letter that but too truly represents the spirit which characterizes the patronage of q newspaper throughout this whole country, we mean ''it is shame peo- pie pay such price for thing" &c. Yes, it is a shame that an editor should toll while others sleep; work while others rest; read column after column day after day, throughout the whole year and clip and write and put to- gether i'll the form of newspaper, and then charge for all this to each sub scriber, two dollars and a half year yes, it is assshame that brains and time should command ''such price," It is a shame that when the actual expense of publishing n paper, aside from the material used, is near two thousand dollars year, we should resort to any means to make it's gross receipts more than one thousand. Yes, it is burn ing shame to pay the enormous sum of two dollars and fifty cents year for a newspaper, and then receive in its stead sheet filled with the advertise ments of merchants who arc vain enough to think themselves and their business of interest to the general reader. Ne newspaper men of Arkan- sas, take warning from our sad expert ence; we have cast and lost. We sought and found advertising custom, but alas for our folly; we arc about to lose two dollars and fifty cents pity us, oh ye brothers of the quil; weep with us, oh ye setters of type ]; mourn with us, oh. ye that advertise. Two dollars and upwards gone, and "hun- drcds of represented subscribers with angry brows threateningly demanding | suppression ofadvcrtisements--t what shall we resort to escape this dread calamity. We who have been so de- luded; who have filled our columns M ,th worthless advertisements, and ,..nly imagine we were publishing a newspaper, are threatened with the withdrawal of the patronage of this new light who breaks upon the news paper world with astonishing revela- tions. Was it ever known before that anewspaper published advertisements !; for this cause we are condemned, and for this folly punished. How many complainers are there in the world, each thinking that to them is given superior knowledge concerning the manner in which paper should be conducted, but who ill truth by con centrated thousands could not produce a third rate newspaper article. But to answer Complainer directly we will say, our paper does not pretend 10 be strictly literary paper. It is our le- gitimate business to advertise, and as long as our paper is deemed worthy of patronage we expect to do it; and lastly, we have set behind an editors pen too lougeto try 10 please every body. Thosethat like our efforts and appreciate our lAbors patronize us and those that know more ihan we do of our own business, are beyond our reach and of course we can't benefit them and it would be folly to try. Fairly estimating the advantages and disadvantages of our correspondents proposition, we, with sigh, take the advertisements and let the two dollars and hsif go, that is, if it is collected