National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-07-14
Country NEWSPAPERS.
In the course of his remarks before the
New York Editorial Convention, Mr.,
Tnsley spoke IA follows

ABOUT CIRCULATION.
Glow shall ! increase my circula
ton ?" is question often asked by TIN
publishers of country newspapers. Fo
whatever we may say about subscription
being our smallest sou 'ce of profit, (a
they certainly aro-of themselveS) or o
not caring to make much effort to en-
large our lists, $50 long ms they are al
ready iair-sized.) We all like TO have new
names come in; BECAUSE they show u
that the public consider us deserving oI
encouragement and support. Moreover
the greater tho circulation il has, the
more valuable a journal becomes as m
advertising medium, and the higher ad
vortising rates ii can command. The
number OF subscribers to which n loca
Journal may be said TO be fairly entitled
depends very much upon the locality il
which it is published. In some places 1
subscription list for local paper OF SOC
names would be considered (perhaps
properly very fair one in others,
where the population is greater, the
competition less active, aud the political
party it represents largely in the ascen-
dency, nothing short of $500 or 5000
should be satisfactory to the publishers.
As a general rule, there is no circulation
that cannot be increased by bettering the
newspaper. The publisher must not
wait for the encouragement of additional
patronage; he must make his paper
worthy (it it is not already of an in
creased support before he has right to
! ask for it or to expect it. He must print
it WE'LL he must have it ont on time, he
must make it geographically attractive
and inviting, he must pay proper attcn-
ton to his selections and to his edito
rials, and make his local department COM
plete and interesting. And then, ii a
proper effort tails to bring in new names
and increa his general business, Il am
speaking now of cases where the bust
ness is not already at least paying one),
the publisher may make up his mind
that he is pumping n dry well, and that
his paper is not needed ; and he had bet
ter move on than stay and fill at last the
chief-mouner at newspaper funeral.
/ am none of those who believe that per-
sistency OF effort will always bring its
reward. / know of cases where publish
tlS IlANt tui uilGl III
appreciative localities, to build up a pay
ing Misunderstanding their readers the
best work of their hands and of their
heads-struggling against adverse tate,
and hoping for better times because
some w-maker has said that industry
and diligence cannot fail of success
only to he sold ont at last by the sheriff,
and be sent back to the case to earn their
living by setting type by the thousand.
Location has much to do with success in
newspaper publishing-almost as much,
perhaps, as good management. The
first requisite to success, therefore, is to
find good place for it. A lawyer might
as well expect to build up an extensive
practice in a remote hamlet, as country
publisher to do a good, paying business
in a village of only a few hundred in
habitants. He must go where the peo-
pie are, or where they are sure to come
pretty soon.
PUBLISHED RATES SHOULD BE ADHERED TO.
Prices foi advertising must be regu-
lated by circulation, by location, by
length of columns, by the size of type
used, by the pressure of competition,
and by thousand other things of which
an association has no proper cognizance.
Every publisher should be left to fix his
own rates-to decide what the use of his
columns ought to be worth to his GUS
toners but having arranged his seal
of prices and announced his prices per
column, per half column, per quarter
column and per inch, don't say ''square,"
it's too iudetinite-he ought, in justice
to himself, to his patrons, and to his
brother publishers to print them at the
head of his columns, and adhere to them
unNaryingly. Here is where too many
publishers fail of what l conceived to be
their bounden duty, not less than their
pecuniary interest. They do not insist
upon their published rates They do so
for the most part with their home patrons
it may be but let a plausible patent
medicine man come along with his tin
trunk, his blank contracts and stereotype
plates, with their hideous cuts and
displays, and offer fifteen
dollars for space that under the rates
would be worth thirty or thirty-fve
dollars, urging that it will save setting
so much reading matter each week, and
and the contract signed, including
gratuitons copy of every issue of the
paper while the advertisement runs, and |
often free notice every week or !
month the publisher thus consenting
to do work for q stranger for onehalf or
one-third the price he would charge his
neighbors. And then, having secured
the publication of the advertisement in
one newspaper at almost starvation
prices, the agent takes himself and his
tin box to the next office aud exhibits ,
the contract TO the publisher as an argu-
ment why he too, should thus ungener-
ousiy discriminate against his local cash
paying patrons, an argument which Is
too often conclusive and thus the evil
spreads.
For my part, if have any favors to
bestow upon my advertising, patrons, |
prefer to give them to my friends and
10 my townsmen, and not to men !
have never seen, and whom / know only
)y reputation--someti not of the
,est. A writer in the Adce,tiSer's
Gazeye, a most excellent and useful
by the way, and deserving
If the confidence and encouragement of
he craft, has laid it down as a maxim
hat publisher who, having establish
ID his rates upon fair basis, cannot
let an advertiser walk out
If his Office because of the refusal to vary
rom those rates, "has not risen to the
moral altitude necessary for business
success" and | believe it. Ihave found,
however, that as rule, responsible .
oreign advertisers, OF whatever class,
Who really desire to patronise the press,
will not object to paying newspapers !
III hi she'd rntas IL they arc In sisfed nm |