The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-30
The Unexampled Prosperity or tho
Herald-What Accounts For It's

Hcrald-whas Accounts For IT'S
Over paper containing one hundred and
eight columns of printed matter, of which
sixty-seven columns are advertisements, we
salute our readers to-day. The paper on this
score speaks for itself; but the public may not
be aware that it is the first time in the history
of the HERALD that the quadruple sheet OF
ninety-six columns fell 80 far short of the
demands for space Of advertisements and news
as to compel the issue of twelve column sup
plement in addition. We have many times of
late found ourselves considerably chagrined
at the necessity of choosing whether we should
omit valuable news that we had paid for or
advertisements for which our business COM
munity were anxious to pay us. The puzzling
position is not so comical or SO easy to decide
as would appear at the first blush. There is
q serious, weighty contract on each side, and
even in the best arranged compromise one or
both must suffer. To a struggling journal
the windfall of rush of advertisements might
settle the question of news pretty effectually.
To moderately successful journal the adver-
tisements might prove temptation hard
to resist, and the human likelihood
is that the news would suffer- To the
HERALD, however, whose prosperity removes
greatly the necessity of narrow view of the
situation, it can only be decided on the fairest
and most impartial valuation of the items on
either side lowest down in the scale of interest.
To the HERALD with its reputation to sustain
of being the foremost news-gatherer of the
world, and the mouthpiece of Independent
opinion, the necessity of giving all the news
and the fitness of its views thereon becomes
paramount. On the other hand the advertiser
has undeniable claims upon publication out
side OF the money he is willing to pay
These are briefly told. The advertise
ment is means by which o person
seeks to appeal to wider circle than he could
otherwise command. In nineteen cases out of
twenty he desires to make his appeal on
certain day. After that date it may be value
less to him, or at least of diminished benefit.
From the regularity with which the contract
to publish in an indicated issue has been kept
it becomes highly improper to break faith
with him. When he presents and pays for
publish it. To return his money would not
fully compensate him for the loss, and if the
Geneva Court Of Arbitration had not ruled as
it did he might have good grounds
to sue for indirect damages" based
on the profit he ought to have reaped.
There is only one real escape from the diff
Guilty. and that is to publish all the advertise
ments and all the news. The HERALD Of
eighteen pages, which we issue to-day, is a
proof that we have determined fully on that
course.
To those unacquainted with the busy inner
life of great daily paper this resolution may
seem as simple as knocking in the end of an
egg, to make it stand, did to the Spanish
courtiers with whom Columbus had his re-
nowned discussion about discovering America.
1t requires, nevertheless, the consideration of
q multitude of details which we do not now
propose to relate. Every newspaper estab-
lishment has well-known limit to its pro-
duction. It's maximum issue of printed copies
is regulated by rules the public do not appre-
ciate. The number, capacity and working
the only conditions of its productive power.
If the HERALD presses can run up to hun
dred thousand impressions an hour and can
prepare full edition of ninety-six columns in
time for the mails and the carriers, it does not
follow that with such immense printing
resources twelve column supplement is
mere bagatelle addition. The time and facil-
tiles for ''setting up" classifying, arranging,
indexing, editing and stereotyping the entire
mass of matter are limited, especially the
time. In an establishment conducted on
business principles there is as little
waste force as possible, and hence
every step forward in increase of
size or circulation makes careful fore
thought necessity in the mechanical branches
as the occurrence of events at home and
abroad does to insure their being duly chron-
icled among the news. In the present case the
peared altogether unexpectedly. The rise of
the HERALD in public demand has been steady
and continuous. The present number indi-
Gates sufficiently how we have prepared for
the pleasing emergency. Need we add that
further calls on our resources will be met with
similar promptness and cheerfulness?
But what does this unparalleled prosperity
of the HERALD mean? 1t is simply the strong
pulse of the nation beating with gathering
force and vigor. The HERALD is the paper of
the nation, not of q class or party, and it
rises and prospers with the nation it repre-
sents. The full tide of the young nations
life-blood flowing fresh from the heart tingles
in its lines. The energy, the persistence, the
unconquerable courage of the people are in
fbrated with its thought, its aspiration and its
achievements That such a paper should be in
rising demand, that men seeking to make their
wants known through advertisements should
seex It's columns are easily dedncihle conclr-