The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-05-08
Final Exercises.


LEBANON, May S.-The Association met
at Masonic Hail for the transaction of bust
mes at O'Clock A. NJ, President Kirby 10
the chair, and the following named mem
| bers present, Messrs. Albert Roberts, Of the
Nashville Banner, and r. g. Stone, of the
Nashville Journal of Commerce, having re-
turned home on the morning train: T. B.
Kirby, Chattanooga Times, President; Il.
Boyers, Gallatin Examiner; N. B. Buck,
Murfreesboro Monitor; j. G. Burcb, UNION
AND AMERICAN; II. NJ. DOak, Clarksville
Tobacco Leaf; j. o. Griffith, Rural Sun: .
p. Jones, UNION AND AMERICAN; L. W.
McCord, Pulaski Citizen; T. w. Neal,
Dyersburg Gazette; w. j. Slater, Win
chester Home Journal; A. Thomas, Spring
field Record; W. /. WestbrOOk, Brog nsville
Bee; r. L. Z. White, Lebanon Herald: Col.
Baker, West Tennessee Democrat; Mrs.
Lide MerriWether, Mrs. L. Virginia French,
honorary members.
The minutes of the last mesting were
read by the Secretary, r. L. g. White, and
upon motion of Mr.. Griffith were so amend
ed as to show that those who had been APP
pointed at the preceding meeting, to pre-
pare and deliver OratiOns, read poem, etc &,
had performed that duty. The minutes
were then adopted
NEW AIEAIBERs.
The following named persons were pro-
posed and admitted active members of the
Associa! ion:
E. E. Winters, Nashville Bulletin; G. A.
M&thes, Somerville Falcon; j. q. Cook
Woodbury. Press; A. G. Cox, Rural Sun;
and John NJ. Fleming, Knoxville Press and
Herald, John Il. Bell, Nashville UNION
AND AMERICAN being elected an honorary
member.
REPORTS.
The ranort IF tho committee apn.i nj ad
TO secure stock subscriptions to the Paper
Manufacturing Company, not being forth
coming. the committee was discharged.
Mr.. Jones, of the committee appointed
10 memorialize the Legislature in relstion
TO legal advertising, reported that bill in
troduced in the Legislature last winter, in
that regard, had not met with much favor.
On motion of Col. Baker, the committee
was discharged.
COMMUNICATIONS.
Several communications from newspaper
editors in various parts of the State, rels-
tive to the intentions of said editors to join
the association at an early date, were read
by the Secretary.
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT.
President Kirby then addressed the assc-
citation, as follows
Gentlemen Of the Association: In pursuance of
The QuLy imposed upon me by the CONSTITUTION,
had prepared an address to read to you upon re-
firing from the Office with which you had hon
ored me, but after had completed it received
a note from our efficient Secretary informing me
that the distinguished gentleman elected to de-
liver the public address had failed to
come 10 time and that therefore 1 must fill the
breech Accordingly [ prepared a brief address
which shall endeayOr to deliver on that Occa-
sion to the public; but l thought 1t would be too
bad to waste allthe labor Ihad bestowed upon the
remarks intended for the private ears of the AS
sociation, and therefore with your permission L
shall proceed to infict them upon you now.
The work of our Association begins with CO
operation in business inter ests but IL is not
organized upon the proper basis 10 40 TINS. we
come here not as tho combined newspapers OF
Tennessee, with power TO bind each member OF
the association to such action as may be for the
good Of all, but simply as an association Of gem
tlemen interested in the newspaper business.
After an experience of two years and careful
consideration OF the subject, 1 am convinced
that in order to aceomp ish any thing the plan
OF our association should be changed. Our rep
resentatiOn should be by newspapers upon an
equitable basis OF circulation and influence.
Only an association so organized can act upon
the practical questions which We are called upon
There are questions of local Importance which
can be met only by an organization Of newspa-
pers. Chief among these Is the matter OF lega
advertising. take it that the result of this last
session of the Legislature has decided that we
can expect no action from this body IN our inter-
est. with thorough OrganlzauOnOf the news
papers of the State our remedy is in our own
hands. There are certain classes Of legal adj
vertising which tho law cOmpels to be published
in the newspapers. Let US simply refuse to
cept this advertising at less rates than our reg
ular customers pay, and the parties at interest
will either compel change in the law, or will be
compelled to accept the same prices which
other people pay.
1t is true OF our business as Of all others, that
competition is the life Of trade, but our cOmpeti
ton with one another should not lead us to cut
down prices below lair profit, but TO strive to
excel IN freshness OF news, typogIa phlcal exc,
cution and other features calculated to win and
retain the good will and support of the public
When competitors come as they Will come, SOON
er or later 10 all of us, we ought not to decry
them In order 70 build ourselves up. The better
plan is to ackno Wedge their merits and welcome
them TO our guild, II found worthy. OF course
this need not hinder from intimating that,
with all their good qualities we are little ahead
OF rivals, but we should not forget that the
public, after all, the ultimate judges in mat
ters of this kind, and It will take something
more than words to make pretensiOns good
The question OF advertising agencies Is one
frequently discussed by the Press Associations
of other States, though we have never cOnsid-
cred Il. IL seems to me that advertising agents
are nect ssary TO our business as jObbers and
middle men generally are 10 other trades. They
are convenience, in fact necessity to intro
duce the consumer 10 the producer, and serve
similar purpose to that performed by the cireu-
| for Press Associations TO Indulge IN indiscrini-
nate denuuciatiOn of advertising agencies, II
| frequently occurs that editors fly into printed
passion because some agent has offered them
advertisement at lower rate than they are will
! ing TO ACCEPT. This arises from a misconccption
| OF the business of an advertising agent He is
the agent of the press in SO far AS he agrees TO
be responsible for the business he may
1 H.
mission. He is also the agent of the sdVer-
tiser. for whom he contracts TO do certain
amount of work at the lowest attainabie price.
II the price offered any paper Tor a certain
amount work is not considered sufficient, It
should be courteOusly declined and the matter
should end there. Because a man controls n
newspaper he has no more right TO abuse anoth-
person In p int for offering TO buy three inches
| of space at "A reduced rate, than John Doe has
10 publicly dcnounCe Richard Roe for wanting
70 purchase three yards of calico for fifteen cents
| OF ten pounds of A. sugar for a dollar II ne
does IL, he only makes himself ridiculous and rs
ssts in degrading the popular conception Of a
most honorable profession. Il is a safe rule to
| work by, that the man who never counts he cost
Of his pu' chascs will either fail in business or
never Intends to pay. The advertising agents
who never Maggie over prices are usually not 10
be found when pay day comes around. When
an agent of travelling show does not try
Job work, evcntf he knows IL 90 be iust, you may
rest assured that your only chance 10 collect your
hiil Is TO attach the show and you viii generally
find that Il has nothing out of which the money
| can be made. II YOU permit yourself TO be pre-
1 vailed upon 10 do printing Of any Kind LOT less
than its worth, the agents smile at your verdan-
| CIV and pocket the profits. If you are tnsensible
| 20 persuasion, they respect you for your knowl.
/ edge OF the business and If they really need
1 YOUR services they never fail 70 pay Your price
OF course no prudent man will make a business
/ contract Of any Kind Without good assurance OF
the certainty OF the pay for his labor.
have thus tried TO suggest few themes Tor
/ your consideration and discussion 1 claim
no originalityftor the ideas, and no intalhbilits
/ ton can only succeed by discussing and acting
| upon these and similar practical questions
| NEW BUSINESS.
The resignation Of Il. S Thomas, Spring
/ field Record. was presented and accepted.
Professor A. b. Stark extended TO the
association an invitation 10 attend musical
1 49, - ~