The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-12
NEWsPAPER CALCULATION.
The Little .'News" Ahead Of all the Pom
derous New York Datlios, tho Herald
not 4 excepted.
from the New Yors p.ily News, August 81

from the New York Daily News, August 81
It is hardly necessary 10 inform rejecting
persons hat the publication OF the gross sum
received by o newspaper Office for subscrip-
rions is not an lnfsllibie index OF the circula-
ton OF the journal to which It has reference,
unless accompanied by publication Cf the
wholesale price at which the paper is sold. The
Herald, ior instance, publishes List ofthe
eross receipts from subscriptions alone Of all
the journals in this city save one. putting
down its own receipts for the last quarter of
1868 at $18S 395; of the first quarter OF the
present year ct $199 Isl. and OF the second
quarter, ending on June 3U. at $2O4, ,912, while
n, the Same list it gives the receipts Of the
NeWs from subscriptions for the last quarter
Of 1853 at $64 750; those foI the first quarter
of The present year at $68 $50; and those Of
the quarter ending on June 50, 1863. at sss.-
75s.
the Herald IN drawing public attention to them.
We AGREE ith it that table compiled from
the returus OF. the Internal 1evenue Depart
ment may be regarded as legal testi nopy OF
the facts therein stated; and ne moreover
agree with il in every other particular to which
lt refers in its comments yes 'erday on the put
llshed list allu Led to, except one, and that is
it's palpably selt-denying assertion that the
other daiiy journal" So far is the statement
of the Herald from being correct, that we deem
IL A duty to ,alI lis attention to the inexcus.
ahle falIacy of it's computation. Instead of ITS
having circulation double that Of any journal,
the News during the quarters computed 10 the
list referred to, not only more than doubled
the circulation OF the Herald, but during the
same time increased its Own circulation at Q
much greater ratio than marked the increase
Of the circulation OF the Herald, as shown by
the figures Of the internal ieVenue list, which
we take occasion again to declare, in the words
of the Herald, may be regarded as legal testi.
mony OF the facts therein stated"
Had the proprietor OF the Herald, who could
not have been ignorant Of the challenges:e
40 me months since put forth in regard to the
circulation of the News+-for 1t was published
ip the columns of that paper and shaa not to
this moment been aocepted-confned himself
TO the mere publication OF the internal revenue
list of the returns OF newspaper subscriptions.
we would have left the pablo to ascertain by
very simple rule Of arithmetic that the News,
which Is sold wholesale at half cent copy,
must outnumber more than two to one the CIR
culstion of the Herald, which is sold at whole
sale at three cents copy. But as it was
deemed necessary to make declaration which
might deceive those who look oply at the gross
receipts OF the various newspapers as lndlceS OF
their co npsratIve circulation, we have thought
proper to expose il, and suggest that the pub
lie ascertain for themselves whether or not
OF the daily News and daily Herald is correct.
The point is arrived at very readily after set
ting ont with the understanding that every
copy Of the News sells at the office ct one half
ceat copy, and the Herald at three cents,
and in MANY cases-perhaps one-slxth OF the
edition-at four cents, though We will give 1t the
benefit OF the latter. Had the wholesale prlce
of the News, therefore been that at which the
Herald sells, its receipts for the frat quarter
included in the list would have amounted to
1888 500 instead OF $64. 759, while the receipts
of the Herald from its sales at half cent
copy, the wholesale price Of the News, would
have fallen to The comparatively 1pslgnIhcant
sum Of $31 500 II. in place Of $lSS ,S95, and 30
in like proportion with the iecelpts OF the two
PAPERS during the other two quarters. the re-
turns of which are comprehended in the In
ternal revenue list. Dividing the Heraids re-
turns by six, and multiplying. the news returns
by the same figure, is the simple method by
which the trapsmutatlon Is accomplished.
In order to give the Herald. or any o.ner
journal which it may concern, an opportunity
OF testing this question efectually, ne append
the challenge we some time since published,
with the hope that it may this time be &C.
cepted:
A NEWSPAPER CHALLENGE.
OFFICE OF THE EVENING NEWS. April z,
18e9.-Beleving that the New York Evening
News has the largest circulation OF any daily
psper-morning or evening-publlshed in the
United States. make the following PROPOSE
tions:
First. That the Evening News circulates
daily more copies than the New York Herald.
Second. That the Evening News circuiates
more copies than twice the combined cilcula,
t1on OF all the other evening papers published
In this citv.
Third. That the Evening News has larger
circulation than auy other daily paper publish
ed in the United States.
agree to give $1,000 to any charitable insti-
tutlon of this city, if either Of the above pro.
positions is proved to be incorrect; $4,000 il
two OF them are proved to be incorrect; and
5000 II the three should prove to be incorrect; ;
provided the proprietors OF the newspaper ac-
cepting the challenge agree to forfeit the same
amounts in case ths above statements are de-
cided in favor OF the Evening News. Each
party to select the proprietor OF some d St
class newspaper, and il the two should not
agree, they to select third:
BENJAMIN WooD.