Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-06-05

private individuals and conducted for the
beaeft of their proprietors, and the recipro-
cal effect which they produce upon those who
subscribe for them. Their number is regu-
lated by the demand, and in this respect they
are like any other business in the community
the silversmith, the grocer, the merchant,
the tinker, the tailor, all of which are gov
erned BY the same inexorable rule. Printing
material to stock the business, must be
bought and paid for in the same way that the
conductors of any of the above named
branches of business would be compelled to
pay. The labor which is necessary, in the
prosecution of the business, must be hired
aud paid for in the same manner that the la
Dor in any other business is paid for In
every respect, then, the publication of eoun-
try papers is a legitimate business, conducted
for the mutual advantage Of those who sell
and those who buy, OF those who publish and
those who subscribe. There appears to be
no difference in the prosecution of this bust.
ness aud that of any other established occu-
patton. The man who buys a pound of cof-
fee, yard Of muslin, or suit of clothes,
pays fair equivalent in money and he is re-
/ lieved from any further responsibility to the
tradesman from whom he buys, so il is with
the man who subseribes for newspaper and
pays for it, he receives fair equivalent for
his mouey in half hundred newspapers,
which entertain him and his family night af.
Ter night, week after week throughout the
twelve long months. Can any one suppose,
for moment, that the publisher who has
received two paltry dollars, Tor perhaps
hasn't received them for an article which
has cost him thrice as much, is under any
obligations to his subscriber Or, is under
any obligation to the merchant, or tinker
who avails himself Of bis published adyerti-
zing rates to advertise his wares for his own
special benefit? We say most emphatically
that be is under no more obligation to him
than those who buy the wares of these trades
men at their counters and pay a fair equiya-
lent for them in hard cash or greenbacks
The transaction is only the reciprocity of
trade-value for value.
Let Us examine this matter. No man can
/ do business IN community, successfully, u1l-
/ less the community Is made acquainted toith
/ the nature Of his i0ares and his place Of do
! ing business. This is settled beyond question;
/ Il Is common sense. Now, then, there are
various ways of advertizing. First and fore
most is by judicious advertizing in the col
umus of the public press. This is con
/ sidered, by men who understand the success
/ ful prosecution of business. as by far the best
aud cheapest method, secondly, by a judi.
cious distribution of flaming placards, and
thirdly, by the employment of runners, 3"
or 'puffers, which are, very frequently,
called "blowers and strikers" These are
the hree principal methods. Let US look at
the cost of the two latter. The man who
rides, or walks over the country, with brush
and pot, must be paid q round sum- In ad-
/ dition to his wages, his expenses, not triae,
must be paid, and then it will take him an
1 age to travel over the same ground that an
/ edition Of a newspaper viii travel over in a
single day; then, again, the man who designs
! the brands and stencils must be paid, lrsll
paid; taking all together It is rather dear
way Of adyertizing. But suppose the person
advertizing does not desire to advertise so
/ extensively and he hires man to write OF
/ paint him placards He cannot even have
an ordinary sign painted. which will be seen
( by few, for the same price that he can have
an advertisement inserted in newspaper
/ that viii be read by thousands. As for the
last class, il is equally expensive, as must be
| apparent to any reasonable man. But it is
not so much the expense that we are at as a
desire TO exhibit the feelings of the advertiser
and the means employed. Here he employs
his man, pays his price, pays his expenses,
and when the object is accomplished, each
goes his way. It is an ordinary business
transaction. Neither the employer nor
the employe considers himself under any
obligation to the other. Each has rendered
| equivalent for equivalent But not so, the
country press, the poorest paid, at least this
| is our experience.
Why is this? Our readers will excuse us
! for treating this subject at such great length,
but e desire, in an humble way, to insist
upon the Independence Of our profession,
and to establish our claim to such independ-
ence, by such substantial reasons as will ap-
| peal to the good sense of those whom we ad-
| dress. We are free to say tha. we publish
| the INQUIRER for profit consistently advoca-
/ ting the principles OF the party which we
have espoused. In this We ill position that
is demanded by the necessities of the Re
/ publican community surrounding as. We
claim that We give to every man, who deals
| With us, fair aud an honest equivalent. In
/ other words, instead Of being under obliga-
/ tions to those, who see that it is to their ad-
vantage to avail themselves of our commodi-
ties, we contend that they are only paying US
! for what belongs to US and what they find ii
( advantageous for them to buy. And we ap-
| peal to any sensible man to say whether we
/ have not as much right to be paid for our
means Of advertizing as the man who carries
his pot and brush, his placards, or posts his
bills ?
We make 1t duty, and believe it to be
the duty of the local press everywhere, to
! spare 60 honest means to advance the local
Interests of the community in general. The
! local press which does not do this is greatly
deFe4lcJ 10 uuty' 1hls We nave never Ialleu
to do, nor have we spared friend nor foe
who has stood IN the way ofthe interests OF
this community, but while we have never
failed to stand by the community, and the
best interests Of the party, we insist upon
being paid, for all labor aud materials fur
nished individuals or associations Of individ-
uals, as much so as the merchant, the tailor,
the tinker, and the silversmith have right to
insist upon being paid for their wares upon
hich they make their profit.
Let US illustrate this matter. Publishers
are daily, almost hourly asked ''to doso much
in charity, and there are no five single oe-
cupations in the community which do so
much in this way. It is needless for Us to