Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-16
THE DEAD HEAD QUESTION.
New YorlZ New Era.


A great deal has been said by the press
about deadheads. We think many of cur
contemporaries entirely lose sight of the
proposition upon which all their remarks
on this subject should be based, which is
What is a deadhead? The answer is a
a simple one :: he who obtains, through
importantly, something for nothing,
whether a puff in a Newspaper, a
railroad or steamboat pass, or a
theatre, concert or lecture ticket, or any
other thing universally paid for by decent
people. Now, can editors, because they re-
ceiTe many complimentary tickets and
passes, be properly claSsed with the great
army of deadheads-thOse cOntemptibly
mean creatures who are ever on the alert
to get something for nothingF We unhesi-
tatingly and most emphatically answer,
No, and do so on the ground that every
courtesy shown an editor, in the way of
tickets and passes, is paid for at least ten
times over IN the way of editorial
or other advertisement = advertising
which would, in the ordinary
course of business, cost the parties
who receive it about twenty times the
price of the few tickets they bestow, gen
orally with an ar Of great GbeIality and
as though they were comforting a special
favor upon the editor, while all the time
they expect 4 stip-top notice. before, anu
favorable comment after their f'sh0w," if
perchance they run one, or numberless
puffs of sour railroad" or sour line of
steamboats," if connected with either of the
latter. Every editor in the land
would be richer in purse and more
independent in criticism if he should
pay his way wherever he goes, and
charge full rates-so much per line-for
all pufs and notices. But those who give
complimentary tickets are too wise to al
low such a course to be adopted. They
know that nine out of every ten editors
they "extend the courtesies of the press to,
will, in their good natured way, literally
Espuff7' and thus advertise their various en-
terprises-that they will for one or twod dol
lars worth of tickets devote at least five or
ten dollars worth of space to commentator
~ reference to the entertainment Of the
ssSpokeshaTe Dramatic Club OF "Billy
Browns Burlesque Buffers" or "'JerTy
jenkins Lecture" or "Mdle. Sing-song's
Concert" and consequently not fail to send
in the 'EcOmplimentaTies." There Is a
class of deadheads who ought TO be de-
spised by every one-a set Of sneaks who
worm themselves into the good graces OF
everybody connected with the shows, lines
of travel. etc, and if they cannot be dead
heads in any other way, pass themselves
off as "members of the press" even going
so far, many of them, as TO say they are
editors of such and suchpaper. Every news
paper ofcharacter and influence suffers more
or less from such yermin. No profession
or business is more beset by deadheads
than the press. and probably the theatres
come next in the list. Not week passes
but an editor is solicited to give this or that
enterpriSe a favorable notice-One day a
STEW lines" are asked for in behalf Of sour
church, the next, an amateur dramatic so
ciety wants ssreal nice notice, written in
your best style;'' another day John Smith
calls and saws he is about to open gin
mill Che calls it a sample roOn) and would
like a sbang up" puff; then, Rev. DIR. Dry
asdust must have his sermons opened reg
ularly; Rev. DR.. Mild desires a special
mention made of his donation party; Miss
Floral Flyaway drops in with prettily
written personal notice; Sam Simpkins
wants his wife advertised because she has
GIeft his bed and board;" and last, on pub
LEGATION day, when you are extra busy and
have not a moment to spare, in pops the
fellow who bOres you, in spite Of all your
arentle hints" for half an hour or more
with description Of his patent apparatus
for taking the stings out Of
bees, and which he would
like to have noticed to the extent of half a
column, s'because it is of general interest &c
the public" Then there is that class OF
dead-heads, with which most Of the coun
try press is afflicted, composed of nOn-pay-
ing subscribers, a vast army of dead-beatS
of the first water, who subscribe for every
paper which will put their name on its list
without pay, and they never mean to pay,
There should be a radical reformation in
this matter; the sooner it is accomplished
the better 1t will be for the press, and we
will call upon our brethren to use their ut
most endeavors to squelch the dead-heads.