The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-01-30

ufSy UC AC0N2SAs
NEWSPAPERS FAILURES.
,ffB GUci q nj f"r Z. -.
Tho Reason why There Are So Many
In HE recent excellent address before
the Press Association Of Tennessee,
General Ira P. Jones, OF the Nashville
Union and American, gave the following
truthful account Of newspaper mortal
ity:o '<'
1--WE do too much work without COM
pensation. We pay too much money
without any return whatever. We es-
tablish an eleemosynary institution at
our own expense. We keep charity
school on our own hook. We conduct
business as il we owe everything to the
public, and the public is not indebted to
us a farthing, We are preyed upon by
the shsrpers and innocents alike. We
advertise gratuitously every week.
when we should have the money
for it. The general public are en-
tirely iguorant-probably we our.
selves are not fully aware OF
the extent to which newspapers are
burdened by this insidious drain upon
their resources. 1t insinuates itself in
eyery conceivable form. 1t does it
through reporters. through agents,
through correspondents, through edi-
tors, through business managers, through
proprietors, aud generally, too, with as
much disadvantage to the public as to
the press. There is not business, from
the dispenser Of glnger.cakes and cider
to the largest mandatory, which will
not advertise with you gratis-whlch
will, if you listen to it, endeavor to con-
vince you that it ia your duty to the
public to do 30. There is not an aspl-
rant for public station-aud when con.
template the numbers of these, | eX-
perience an overwhelming sense OF com.
mingled smazement and disgust
from constable to the Senate OF the
Union, who does not conscientiously
believe it to be the imperative duty OF
the press, daily and weekly, to speak
with a pen of telescope power, OF his
microscopic deservings. Even that
army of strollers which infest the coun-
try and the people as sort OF visitation
of Providence for our iniquities, from
the street corner seller Of prize candy or
magic oil to the operate empressarlo,
will expect you to write an indefinite
number OF editorials on three square
advertisement inserted for five days,
cbaugeable daily, without charge
We are required to write up, urge up,
and put through every enterprise, great
or small, that seems to have q possible
connection with the public. But we
never hear of q share Of stock, or of q
dividend. The church, the State, com.
merce, industry, art, invention, and
humbug alike, seem to regard the press
as their servitors, and to be run and
sustained for their advantage.
There is line of demarkation in
these things between public demand,
public utility, newspaper duty and in E
dividual gain. That line should be de-
fined, and held, as it in reality is the
Dead Line. Not letter nor a space
nor a figure, not a comma, nor period,
nothing OF all theinnumerable particles
that enter into the form and structure
OF daily or weekly newspaper, is there
that it's picking up and putting down
does not cost cash money. Not a revo-
luton of the press, not square inch
of paper, that does not cost something
in cash. This should be understood by
the public. II it is net, its correlative
should be practiced by the press l do
not mean that the press should abandon
it's position of being the foremost charita'
BILE institution in the world. 1t should
bold that, for its munifcent liberality,
after purging itself of nine-tenths OF
the daily swindles practised upon 1t,
will exceed that of any other business.
ITO get rid Of this stupendous- fraud
of gratuitous advertising, this cancer,
canker-call it anything, provided you
select an epithet that will characterize
it strongly enough can prescribe no
other rule than this: Put voluntarily
and without charge any and everything
into your paper which you deem adj
vantageous to il in being beneficial to
the public. All else exclude, being OF
advantage to those who wish to make
money upon your capital and enterprise.
Hold your space at its value. Fix your
rates at a fair price for your circulation
and adhere to them. Fair dealing will
accomplish more than foul, at all times
and everywhere. For be it known that
the American pressis not vampyreto be
constantly sucking the life. blood OF the
people. 1t has vastly higher mission
but it should also be known that it
will not longer be made the victim Of
the thousands of vampires that come
daily to the counters. in every conceiv-
able garb, to have its life-blood inconti-