Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-05-22

tenths OF the newspaper publishers OF tn
state earn enough money every year to pa.
all their expenses, and something handsom
beside. but get financially crippled just be
: cause they do not insist on having precisely
what they did earn. Therefore, experience
teaches that advance collection on subscrip-
tion; prompt collection on advertising anC
job-work soon as due. must Be the rule. o
course. there is sound, eOmmon-sonse direc.
tion TO be used in all these things, but nevel
bea 'good fellow" and hll all orders re.
gardless of consequences, unless you prefer
the downSill road that leads to the poor
house.
You might as well attempt to keep up a
dry-gOOds store. or run rolling mill, as a
printing Office without money. Why should
a subscriber not pay as willingly in advance
for bis home paper, as for the foreign peri.
Odical he patronizes. Many persons do not
seem TO know it requires money to buy pa
per, purchase presses aud type; replace old
material with better, pay hands wages, pay
rents, insurance. coal, gas and tax bills, and
thousand other expenses that enter into the
publish;ng,of a Newspaper. For this cause,
repeat, never be ashamed or afraid to ask
for your own, even at the risk of being call
ed a persistent dunner. Every man who
succeeds in business is so regarded if he at
tends promptly to his collections.
aRATu1rous IVORY
1t is notoriously true that when man
wants something done for nothing. be goes
straight to the printing Office. The newspa-
per publisher is the free bridge on which
merit and demerit propose alike to cross the
stream. He is the free horse which every
one wishes TO ride to success, and when he
has carried his booted and spurred rider to
bis coveted destination, be is turned loose,
and with kick sent back for the next dead
heaI to mount.
he is expected to gratuitOusly 'puf7'
every man engaging in business until be has
advertised him into lucrative trade. He
is expected to write column after column
commencing manufacturing establishments,
and making their business known all over
the country, from which he only OCCASION
ally receives petty job or Insignificant ad-
vertisement at prices jewed down to stsrvs-
tion rates. To save the pitiable sum Os FIVE
ollars. these very companies when they
want a job done, will pstronize ''rat'' con.
Germ in their own town, or send four hun-
dred miles away to a city Office. and vet they
look for the editor to speak Of them and
their establishments in the most extrava-
CANT terms of praise, as ''immense, :" "Arst
class" "enterprising," "Ii5sTal," and all
such stuff, or else he will be charged with
making no effort to build up his town. It
would not be courteous to tell such men to
go for their free local advertising where
they get their job work. Oh, mol
Our money is invested in our establish
ments. With our own means we defrsy
the necessary expenses of printing our pa
pers. Their columns are our private prop
erty-a portion Of our capital in business, and
with the same propriety that others come
TO US, we could go to them and ask for their
goods their wares or their money, without
returning an equivalent. Bus We pay
cash, and full price, for every cents worth
We get from them. Should they not in like
manner, pay us for our columns when used
for their benefit?
MORE INDEPENDENCE NEEDED.
The truth is, tta publisher must act more
like other business men snd conduct affairs
in the same style. He needs TO be more in
dependent and more boldly demand and
maintain his rights. He must be above beg
ging fer patronage. do not mean by this
that be should not push his business-that
be should not, at proper times and on prop
er occasions present the advantages 8 msr-
chant OF 3 manufacturer might derive from
the use Of his columns, nor that it is beneath
his dignity to send out a canvasser for his
paper. but he should never urge upon any
man the duty, much less the necessity Of
him.
When asked the price for this or that SER
vice, he should state it, and then not be
wheedled into taking smaller sum. He /
must not complain or whine over the loss /
Of Job or advertisement, though he may /
feel in his inmost soul the ingratitude and 1
meanness that deprived him Of it, yet let /
him treat the matter in silence he must |
not be afraid to make an enemy now and |
then, for enemies made BY the faithful dis
charge of duty, will do him more good than
harm.
EDITORIAL CONVENTIONS.
There are a score of other things on which
I might talk. have scarcely yet alluded TO
the second point of my subjeet-"Ths Miss
ion of the Local Press" Time, and de-
cent respect for your patience, warn me TO
no longer impose on your indulgence But
1 cannot, nevertheless, close without saying
4 word in favor of these Editorial COnven-
tons. No publisher of local paper can at
tend these meetings without being benefit
led. "As iron sharpeneth iron," so the prae-
.ical experiences OF years in journalism,
when related or discussed, must impart some
new ideas 10 those who listen or participate
The members of this Association cannot
compare notes, however briefly. without
zach learning of the other something that
will be of advantage to him in regard
heir common calling. 1t is here where we
,ecome acquainted with each other, and
learn what manner of men We are" By
fraternal combination we elevate our stan
lard of position and ucefellness, and de-
nand and receive something like just re l
nuneration for our labor. For my part l
ave never mingled with my brethren ofthe
ress on occasions like this, that have not
cen ben gifted. Il is this periodieal rub [