The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-28

limited. In many towns OF 5000 inhabitants scores
OF families not subscribers for any paper,
did they read one while monthly magazine was
o novelty. Hence the power then welded by
few leading newspapers OF national reputation.
Now, from Bangor to Matam0r0s from New York
to San ancisco, can scarcely find well-to do
family that does not take from two to half dozen
newspapers, and perhaps half as many magazines.
All newspapers contain advertisements not
pleasing to some readers; and, pray, how can 1t be
avoidedS The tastes OF readers besides being Oft
times variable, are as various as their counte-
nances and IL is often as dficult for publishers to
discriminate between the proper and the what
may be improper as 1t is for the ticket agent OF
steamer to decide which are agreeable and which
dsagreeable passengers.
Nevertheless, that some religious papers do ad
nit advertisements nowadays that would not have
been touched by them with q ten-foOt pole twenty
years ago is undenable Aside from tie necessity Of
more advertising patronage there are other causes
silently at work. In many OF the higher, more
elegant and better cultivated fields Of thought the
more aristocratic and carefully prepared onthly
is gradually undermining ana taking the place Of
the somewhat pebeian weekly as an educator OF
the people. so that the weekly very naturally falls
back upon more OF the characteristics OF the daily
than 1t was wont to initiate aloretime. Another
and less defensl6le cause may, possibly, be slowly.
though surely, producing It's fell effect. That ter
rible disease, love OF money, heretofore considered
endemic or sporadic though often hereditary in
some families, like the govt and chronic
in others), has o. late become epidemic In
our country, ana 1t has grown to be both
contagious and infectious. Men OF prominence in
all stations and professions have succumbed to its
deadly power. Bank officers and other nduciary
agents nave been smitten our city fathers and
other magnates have been most virulently at
tackled State legislatures are iou with us poison;
n Ia tnT mo vll
its taint; some gentlemen OF the ermine have
fallen victims to its insidiOus approach; governors
itcning palm, and Whispers are aioat that there
nave been some slight symptoms oil its presence
Ali Classes and conditions being liable to the raw
ages OF this pestilence that waiketh abroad In
broad daylight, how is 1t possible Tor even the best
and purest oil men entirely to escape contagious
Not that they can be supposed to take 1t crmnally
like those before mentioned. but Just enough to
make them hunger and thirst little after the I'M
righteousness Of display, equDage and state. AS
was well put by that ponderous philosopher, Fall
what should these poor eX-parsons do in the days
OF villanyS They average as much flesh as other
men, and therefore must have some frailty.
The space occupied in not a few first class re-
ligious papers by bond sellers and lie insurance
companies might mislead unsophisticated people
to imagine that those papers had been subsidized
by these interests, neither OF which is OF much
Germ to the great mass OF leaders. Such advertis-
ing Is very profitable; but the people at large can
not live upon bonds alone, nor upon insurance
alone, nor upon both together-especally other
people's-nor is any prophet required to fOretell
that some untoward event may make such adver-
Using as unpopular was that OF corner lots on
paper cities In 1885, or that of paper railways In
England during the mania OF 1S45. when the Lon
don Times threw away $4,000 week by refusing
that class OF advertisements, but ultimately made
money by thus eschewing the tempting bait.
When naked truth Is somewhat defOrmed 1t Is
not allurlng; but, even when very ugly, 1t is not
actually repulsive, II viewed in perspective Let
glance at these papers through vista Of q decade
or Two OF years adOwn the stream of time. Should
our religious newspapers progress downward in
as rapidly some have Tor the last twenty, their
advertising columns Will have become as edifying
for Sunday perusa as are the circulars OF bogus lot
teries, mOuntebank showmen quack doctors and
swindling gilt enterprises. The advertising side
will resemble the unsighty posters daubed OF the
street front OF vacant lot IN any crowded thor
oughfare; hideous pictures some, perhaps, border
ing on indecency; long, black letters and fgures
with liberal sprinkling OF printers | l.
somewhat resembling pauper's coffin in days OF
yore and heterog eneous hodgepodge OF incon-
as Ola 70 90 or
meat hot with the pungency and steaming with
the compound odor OF garlic, onions and assafGt-
ida, would be to the palate and nOStrlS OF any
But, as before stated, redundancy Of advertise
ments in respectable newspapers can be pruned
by the patrons thereof; for, though publisher
will not give heed TO the remOnstrance OF q sub
a drum or the call OF a bugle, yet he can no more
run counter to general public sentiment than the
weak water OF Taunton can run up hill;
Some papers not only greedily snatch at every
advertisement that Is offered, but their publishers
actually employ agents to solicit advertisements
from every known advertiSer-gOOd, bad and indf-
terent. These vicarious vagabOnds prOwl up and
down the business world like hungry hyenas or
aoomlnated insurance ghouls, begging patronage
as well OF unrespectabie and irresponsible adver.
tiser5 as OF respectable merchants and tradesmen,
many OF whom often give them an advertisement
as one would toss bone or crust to whining
dog, to get rid of him. They seem to have adopted
for their motto-and their Obtrusive supplcatlons
place their principals In the same rather awkward
| categOry-the advice of the celebrated Cyprian
sage put money in thy purse" with the staid old
| make money" This OF course, does not in any
manner apply to regular advertising brokers, most
OF whom are as honorable men as live, and whose
business is AS honorable and as useful too to both
advertiser and publisher, as is that OF the cotton
broker to both planter and manufacturer.
Another crying evil Is the Offering OF premiums
for new subscribers When a publisher openly
buys patrons the world at large looks upon the
OF his paper is too high or tacit acknOwed gment
that he Is losing patronage and Is driven into the
inconsistent measure by present or prospective
! pecunarv embarrassment. A merchant who has
met with unexpected losses can well afford, Tor
once, to pay usurious interest to bridge over the
continually kiting around among the curbstone
gentry OF Wall street would soon establish his
status with the worthless OF that vicinity.
| The publishers of cash-in-advance papers may
very properly O1er premiums, and by judicious
system OF premium giving find profit In 1t; but Tor
the publisher OF a religious paper, Ostensibly es-
tablished to defend, elucidate and uphold great
pie to take his paper is to debase It's own prnci-
pies and degrade the profession. In the words OF
the immortal jurist OF Messina-"lt Is most tOler-
| able and not to be endured"
All, nearly all, religious papers are conducted
| on the credit system; and, OF course their pro-
prietOrs better AFFORD to make present to all
prompt paying subscribers OF several years. stand
ing tLan they afford 10 hire probatlOners to try
their respective papers Tor single year. for very
large percentage OF these bought-up patrons drops
of ut the close OF the first year. and many worth
! less ones continue on for a year or two with
| out much profit to the publisher. Scared old
volunteer veterans who enlisted for life or during
| the war, and who have stood the brunt OF many .
hard-fOught battle and have grown gray IN the SER
vice, ought to be rewarded with q greater pension
than your eleventh-hour raw recruits, who enlisted
but for one year. not from motives OF patriotism,
but to clutch the offered bounty, and who till mus
tered out did nothing but camp duty, though care
| full enough to draw pay, ratOns and clothing.
When credit newspaper offers premiums for
single subscribers 1t Is seductive inducement for
old subscribers to transfer the same subscription
TO some other member OF the same family. IL news
| paper men who resort to such patry, such BELT
ting tricks to gain customers, would turn over q
new leaf make their papers better, an absolute ne