The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-06-03
Price $3.50.

SOME CT our Democratic contemporaries
have made haste to deny the statement that
Mr.. Tiden's friends had made arrangements
with an advertising firm to secure the publ
cation of favorable notices from leadin
newspapers in papers in various parts of the
country for pay. A few days since Demo-
cratic paper in the West to prove that such a
proposition had been made to it printed the
circular of the well-known advertising firm of
Bates & Locke of New York, which is as
follows:
J. H. BATES. D. R. LOCKE.
BATES & LOCKE.
Newspaper Advertising Agents, "a Park Row.
NEW York, May 10, 1876.-Pubtishers of -.
Gentlemen-Please insert the inclosed five notices,
taken in order as numbered, once each in your week.
ly, as quoted reading matter.
Do not fail to send us your weekly during the time
of the order.
Charge our agency $3.50.
We nclose postal card. Whether you accept or
decline, please mark the CONTRARY word off and re-
turn it at once The offer is the only that can be
made and notices must begin at once, as there is no
time for correspondence.
Yours truly, BATES s. LOCKE.
In the usual business manner of advertising
agents, and consisted of quotations from va
rious newspapers highly laudatory of Gov.
Tilden. We regret that the present hard
times have caused many Democratic papers
to print these "notices" in their reading col
umns just as if it was done conscientiousy in
behalf of Mr.. Tilden, instead of for the pal.
try sum of $3.50, after deducting thirty three
per cent. in commissions. There are papers
which object to the hiring of papers to print
paid puffS in aid of Presidential aspirant.
There are those who sneer at the quality of
the reform" which candidate represents
who allows his friends to take the same
means of presenting his merits to the people
as do patent medicine men. True, this
method of Mr.. Tilden's supporters is novel,
but have they not the testimony of A. T.
| Stewart, of P. T. Barnum, of DR.. Aver, of
| the proprietor of that exhilirating tonic
known as plantation Bitters," and hun
| dred other notable successes resulting from
| liberal advertising? On the other hand the
| great failure and subsequent sad fate of DR..
| Helmbold, the 'sDuchu" man, offers an ex-
ception to the effect that liberal advertising
does not always pay. There must be merit
in goods put upon the market-a fact the ad-
vertisers should bear in mind
To the newspaper publisher there is some-
thing commendable in the spirit shown by
Mr.. Tilden's henchmen. They evidently dc
not wish to 'beat' or "deadhead." They
recognize that the newspaper is the property
of the man who rups it and although the
sum offered will barely pay for the "composi'
tion,' the recognition is worth something
For this all newspaper propretors should be
grateful.
1t must, after all, be admitted that there is
something rather ridiculous in the idea of &
Presidential candidate taking the same means
to present himself before the country which
the proprietors of patent medicines take tc
bring their goods into notice, especially wher
that candidate affects to be the champion O
the ''higher politics. and reform. Perhap:
Mr.. Charles Francis Adams Jr., who recently
endorsed Gov. Tilden as the only man in the
Democratic party worthy of support as I
high minded reformer will change his mint
because this method of bringing Presden
tial candidate before the people isn't alto
gether high toned.