Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-09-25
NEWSPAPER CLAP-TRAP.

Sometime ago a newspaper VS. publis he'd
here, the whole edition of which, according to
popular belief, wss carried in the hat of its
proprietor. He, however, was wont to assert
both orally, and in the biggest kind of Job type
that his circulation Immensely overtopped
the Of any other paper, and as he YVES a gem
tleman of comma ding physical proportions.
and carried a stuck OF commensurate size, his
assertions were received by he public with
every ex'ernal indication of cheerful belief.
The Express seems 20 have fallen heir to the
Job type, and bum ptious style of assertion Of
the "Toimes." Its extremely modest headings
TO its advertising columns, The Erening Err
press having the largest circulation in the
city is the best medium, &c &G.' ssHigh aud
low, rich and poor, read it, "a la DR.. Darby 8
advertisements and long string OF the same
style, remind us irresistably of the kindred
pretentIous announcements OF the defunct
.sToimes." Does the Express really imagine
that this sort Of clap-trap has effect with
gle intelligent resder? That paper knows
perfectly well that 1t has not a shadow of right
to the claim Of having the "largest circulation
in this city," and yet it makes this puerile at.
tempt to impose this belief on its readers
The IntelIigencsr, in the hands of its new
pIoprietors, has launched out in the same
bumptIous style Of Standardization on an
inadequate base, and gets rather smartly
raped over the knuckles therefor, by a paper
or its own political faith, the Baltimore Gazette,
as follows:
"Messrs. Snow, Coyls & Co. are destined to
achieve greatness. What famous act is to
immertaliZe the firm, aud at what precise
time their glory Is to burst upon the world,
are matters yet wrapped In the gloom of
futurItv. But they are cool hands-Messrs.
Snow, Coyle il Co.-and are possessed of an
amount of indomitable self-assertion which
must inevitably land them In q high niche in
the temple of fame. AS yet their names are
not known in that establishment, and per-
haps are not very familiar to the mass of the
people outside OF II, and so 1t may be just as
we'll TO isform the public that they are the
pIoprietors OF the National IRteLigencer, as
prospectus pu blished in that journal daily an
louIces 10 its readers. 1t is this pros pectuS
which he's aw akened us to a knowledge of the
peculiar character Of the genius Of the firm,
W hiCh, as hi s been said. Is The valuable quail
ATTY OF ,elf.assertion. This the prospectus in
question beautifully illustrates. Itaunounces
that the National Intelligefeer is snow the only
frst,class journal Of large circulation south
OF New ork." As it is somewhat difficult to
apply the standard by which public journals
are measured and assigned ID the first, second
third classes, Messrs. Snow, Coyle Il Co.
can continue 10 make the same announcement
until the end OF time. But when they assert
that 1.-The size OF the sheet on which
the InteUiJenceT is printed is superior TO
Others" and piece of string shows that the
IRtcIiigencer is smaller than the Gazette IL
is evident that the firm, even tor the latitude
much must be conceded to q journal which,
according 10 its own account, publishes daily
'sreally new readable matter to an amount
''nearly double that of other papers," and
whose subscribers are people of tsuperIor il.
telligence" 10 other people We have remarked
that we could not say in what line OF life
Messrs. Snow, Coyie & Co., will achieve dis
tinction We incline to the belief, however,
that they are to find their true calling in the
patent medicine business"
The Constitutional Union, which has really
some claim to large circulation, INDUCES SO
extensively IN bunkum announcements, dou.
ble-leaded, triple.leaded, and sprinkled with
big caps, little caps, black-faee and italics
(giving that sheet the look OF a bad attack or
measles) that the public does not give it credit
for having the circulation it can rightfulIy
claim. -..-r.# ~
This clap.trap boasting and the system Of
employing advertising drummers are pieces
OF quackery alike discreditable to the newspa
per profession, and have long since been dis.
carded by all well-establisned papers.