Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-28
.Patent Ouasides- and Advertising.

E1Ellh klC At1AOh eLAANAN A-NAA ~
SDriRqfeld Record, we may state that the
papers in Gallatin and GAINESVILLE and
other towns, that do their own selecting
and printing, are doing a profitable BUSH
ness as well as the Record. They ind II
pays;
aThere are a few weekly papers in our
State that stick to the old and profitable
plan of editing their own reading matter
and printing both sides Of their paper at
home. The largest number Of our STATE
papers, however, have either the outside or
inside Of their journals printed by publish
ing companies organized for that purpose.
This they have a perfect right to do.
This is q free government, and every
citizen thereof has the right to conduct
his business, in a legitimate way, as he
pleases. We speak Of this in order that we
may lay our views before the publishers IN
this State, and that We may, in an intelll-
gent way, give our ideas IpOn this impor-
tant subject of advertising This patent
outside business, to-day, Is doing more to-
ward centralizing the system Of advertising
than everything else We have to contend
with. Advertising agents, in all conscience
sake, are bad enOugh-bUt nothing COM
pared TO the system above cited. Every
publisher who thus encourages this plan, in
our humble Judgment, only lends his in
fiuence TO a monopoly that will bankrupt
all the papers in this country who have not
a sufficient capital to live without adver-
Using patronage. You tell US that they are
a benefit to those who are not able TO hire
workrnen in their offices. That is mighty
thin. We find no trouble, or at least not
much, in procuring Just as much advertis-
inc as We wanl-cOuld fill our entire space
at our regular rateS-and could make
money enough from ten columns to pay
jours and the entire expense Of the Office,
and any publisher who will use the proper
amount of industry can do the same.
I'VE contend that the system is a curse
to our land-One that will recOil sooner or
later-One that all of MS will feel. Our
Judgment is that the sooner publishers dis
card this as well as the practice Of taking
advertisements from agents at less than
published rates, the better IL Will be for
them. Suppose we all unite our efforts
saw every Journal III the Uniled StateS-in
putting down agents who dictate terms,
what would be the result? Then suppose
we of Tennessee resolve TO select our own
reading matter, have it set up under our
own supervision, read our own proof and do
our own press work, do you not'belleye we
could raise the standard Of our profession
TO a higher mark than it now stands?
Would we not have more room TO give to
local, State and National affairs as we'll as
the markets, etc?
..We have before us an eight-column
paper which has its outside printed by one
of these companies. Its rates for adyer-
= 81, = hr~ the Pnlmmn
That is the publisher would make his
home merchant pay him that amount Tor
it. This paper has five columns Of miscel-
laneOus advertisements that would net him
from fifteen to eighteen hundred dollars If
he had any control over them-or II those
whom he should, if any are to be
favored, were the paymasters- These col
unns are literally given away.
"The Records reading matter on its out
side may not be as well selected or as in
teresting as the pats yet We are happy to
know that it comes under our eyes before
it is placed on the blank paper-and above
all we have the exclusive privilege OF say
ing what kind and what amount OF space
shall be used for adyertising-and best OF
all, we handle the greenbacks they bring in.
sSThis article is not intended as thrust
at those who adopt the aforesaid mode of
getting up their journals. Far from it.
There is not a newspaper in the State that
we would not assist, pecuniarily or other
wise, so far as in US lies; but gentlemen,
brethren, we are prompted by desire that
YOU give this matter careful consideration
and see if a candid deliberatiOn will not
lead YOU to the ends we seek to impress
Fill your space with local advertisements,
good local news, q synopsis of general and
State items, and Tennessee will then pre-
sent the best set of journals IN the country.
1--WE all like TO see home institutions pat
ronized and if any of our local trade slips
off to another market we make a great, and
we might say, a Just complaint. Now We
would ask our friends if the paper used by
the Patent Organization Is made IN our
State? You answer TO. Well then how
can we expect 10 sustain home manufacto-
ries, and there y carry out what we preach
unless,we set the example. Let the watch
word be home news, home advertisements,
and above all, home papers in toto-if ever
50 diminutiVe.'