Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-12-26
THE DEAD HEAD QUESTION.
[From ths Sew York sew Era.l

! From the New York New Era.l
A great deal has been said BY the
press about dead heads. We think
many of our contemporaries entirely
lose sight of the proposition upon
which all their remarks on this subject
should be based, which is-What is .
dead head? The answer is a simple
one: ne who obtains, through impor-
sunity, something for nothing, whether
pun In 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 receive
many complimentary tickets and passes
be properly elassed with the great
army of deadheads-those eoutempti-
bly, mean creatures who are ever on
the alert to get something for nothing ?
We uGhesitatingly and most emphati-
cally answer, Noi 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 OF other advertise
Notwithstanding which would, in the
COUAcC Va UucIuCtcs COct tHt
parties who receive IL about twenty
times the price of the few tickets they
bestow. generally with an air of great
liberality and as though they were
conterriDg a special favor upon the
editor, while all the time they expeeta
"tip-top notice" before, and favorable
comment after their show, If per-
chance they run one, or numberless
puffs of "our railroad, or "our line of
steamboats,, if connected with either
of the latter. Every editor in the land
would be richer in purse and more ia
dependent in criticism IL be should
pay his way wherever he goes, and
charge full rates-sO much per line
for all puffs and notices. But those
who give complimentary tickets are too
wise to allow such a course 10 be adopt
ed. They know that uine outOf every
ten editors they extend the eourte-
sizes of the pres" to, will, in their good
natured way, literally puff and thus
advertise their various enterprise
that they will for one or two dollars
worth OF tickets devote at least i've or
ten dollars worth of space to eommen-
datory reference to the entertainment
Of the "Spekeshave Dramatic Club"
or Billy Browns Burlesque Buffers"
OF Jerry jenkins Lecture or
Mdle. Sing-song's Concert" and con-
not fail to send in the com
There is a class of
deadheads who ought 20 be despised
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 of as members Of
the press, even going so far, many Of
them. "a to say they are editors of
such and such a paper. Every news
paper Of character and influence suf-
fers more or less from such vermiB.
No profession or business is more beset
by dead heads than the press. and
the theatres come next in the
list Not a week passes but an editor
is solicited to give this OF that enter
prise a favorable nOtiee-One day
few lines are asked for in behalf Of
''our church; the next, an amateur
dramatic society wants a real nice
notice, written IN your best style :"
another day John Smith calls and says
he is about to open gin mill Che calls
it a sample room) and would like a
bang up puff; then, Rev. DIR. Dry
asdust must have his sermons opened
regularly; Rev. DIR. 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 ad7er-
tised because she has left his bed
and board - and last, on publication
day, when you are extra busy and have
not moment to spare, in pops the
fellow who bores you, in spite Of all
your gentle 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,
because 1t is of general interest to
the public Then there is that class
of dead heads, with which most of the
country press is afflicted, composed Of
nom paying subscribers, vast army of
dead beats Of the first water, who sub
scribe for every paper which will put
their name on its list without pay. and
they never mean to pay. There should
be radical reformation in this matter;
the sooner IL Is accomplished the bet
ter il will be for the press, and we will
call upon our brethren to use their
utmost endeavors to squelch the dead
heads.