The New York herald., 1876-10-23
THE HERALD'S POLICY.
FUTILE OPPOSITION MEETING TO TIE zxcxNr

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some persons, names stil unknown, TO discuss the
reduction In the price OF the HERALD. Az seven
O'Clock, tho hour set down for business, there
nondescrpt crowd present apparently anxious TO at
tend the meeting, but without any idea as to what was
TO come OF IT, Al that time, though the place
full OF individuals, not OF them seemed empowered
10 assume any responsibility; hence the difficulty
concerning the spresidng officer which followed.
As might have been expected OF such asscmblage
nothing practical resulted except the adjournment 10
reassemble, which is always u simple report OF prog
rcss where there is none.
II was ostensbIy meeting OF news dealers who, It
must be said. conspicuous only by their absence
There were, in fact. about twenty thirty grown
men present. the crowd werc the polo OF the very
smallest possible Try. In short they boys,
attracted by the unusual announcement OF meeting
in the HERALD interest sunday night in such
OF the way place. This will DO understood when II is
known that the call posted read foows:-'The sub
ect OF this meeting will be discuss tho HERALD and
its cost. 4"
The real purpose of this remarkable meeting was
discovered be tho formation of combination
OF newsdealers countcract tho beneficial conse
quence of the recent reduction In the price OF tho
HERALD. moro unruy SGT OF youngsters it would
have been impossible gather together Thcy shouted
and yelled and copped their hands and stamped thcir
feet until the noise was absolutely dcatenng. Order
thing foreign to their natures and the attempts
of one or two OF the older present went entirely
unrcwardcd 1t early became apparent that the orig
na callers Of the meeting intended to keep in the back
ground until they could ascertain tho sentiments Of
the majority Of the ncwsdealcrs of tho city, who
not there at all
Never there greater difficulty experienced by tho
callers OF any meeting than that discovered by those
who attempted to call this to order. Such thing
impossible. Chaos was rampant, order out of the
question; in iactthc only thing akin order It's
antithesls-disordcr No would come forward and
lead of, and time II looked though nothing
whatever would be donc Loud calls made for
Mr.. Tyson aud for Mr.. England but neither OF those
gentlemen put appearance. Finally Mr.
Richardson mounted q table and said that no one
else would do anything, and he anxious to got
home he would call the meeting to order. Tho
nounccmcnt received with perfect storm OF cat
calls and cheers, urchn shouting out ''Bully for
| you, old coflinback, you're our OYSTER The self
appointed chairman then went to recito the OWLS
which tho meeting called TO correct. He said
"rhe HERALD claims to have reduced its price, but
whose pocket does tho loss come out Off The margin
Of half cent copy is too close TO enable us to
! make living. know that IN my own case have to
| run around and squeeze and scrapo TO get living
| whilc newspaper proprietors rolling wealth.
The winter is coming on, and We must trudge around
| In the slush and the and the mud that our
customers have their papers at breakfast time.
! wish some gentleman would suggest something For
| my part I'll do anything that the agree do
either not take any ERALDs at all only just enough
| for regular customers Last year wrote
the HERALD that they couldn't get that paper
| on tho stands, and tho HERALD said then that they
would send people OF their hiring all through tho
city didn't takc enough for tho stands supply
| the demands. 1t Is aquestion with me whether
sL. ehnvo
| for it."
Mr.. Richardson's oratory was certainly forcibc, but
no was interrupted at almost every sentence. s'Ah,
sit downn .Giye It to them, old cptfnbacki" II
move let the HERALD get stuck on few thousand ~
ssWc hurt their circuationl" 'I,ont let take
out any" Put one-eycd witness In lhe chair!" and
kindred observations. Mr.. Richardson having con-
cludsd, good deal Of timc wasted in efforts to
effect organization. Some ono suggested that an
association bo formed "somchng che&p that wouldns
cost much money" There was much confusion,
however, and in tho absence OF any to keep order
or suggest practical proposition that nothing
| compshed
| Everybody at loggcrhcads, and tho meeting
seemed likely break up at this very unsatisfactory
crisis notwithstanding that the HERALD reporter wLo
present in cog, had becn asked TO
take the chair by enthusiastic lover OF
| order in tho person of youth who
addressed him fcrvcnty thus :-"Say. young fcller,
can't you waltz into the chair and FIX thngs9 The
gang is crookcd,n when oil poured upon tho
troubled waters by what 10 known tho initiated as
"a break" There arrival In tho
person of a dcalor known as Babeui. who
calculated talismanically s'Ordcr gentlemen -
such appeal awakened the deepest sympathias OF
the audience who rcjoined spontaneously in accents
like these :-"Bully for you .You'rc solidl" .Shoos
the Dixci" "Oh, twy his dcer! Tho effect cleo
rica Silence ensued and then he stated that he had
Just received Information that tho HERALD had hired
5000 boys So week apiece simply sell the papers,
and that they commence tomorrow This
staeme 1T the signal for fierce yell OF indgna-
ton ~ movo kill thom boysp 81 second i'll"
al third I'll" 81 fourth nl'' shouted tho Juveniles.
"oh, wen kick stuNin' out OF em," a senti-
mcnt which was wildly choered.
~ have also heard gcntlcmen," continued Mr. Ba-
bcuf .that Wednesday the price of the HERALD to
dealers will DO two and quarter cents, and think
best thing do is to adjourn until Wednesday
night, so that wc can SEQ what will bo done in the
meantime" "wncre is tho cnairman9n .Oh, he's lost
in tho crowd. was the reply. 'Then III put tho
ton myself All those in favor OF adjourning this
ing until Wednesday night, at half.past seven
O'Clock in this place. say Aye" The ono hundred
boys sent up throat splitting response, rush was
mado for tho door and the meeting adjourned.
THE TRUE Policy
Subsequently number OF tho larger dealers
met when the boys mad dispersed and discussed the
situation. The prevailing sentiment that It would
be an act folly attempt to force dictate
HERALD and It agreed Wednesday evening TO
organize ncwsdcnlers association draft rcso-
lutions circulate them for signature and then have
thcm presented praying for reduction Of tho price
two and quarter per copy. Said dealer to
tho reporter 1T would be biting OFT spite
our faces agree among ourselves not to tako any
HERALps because people win have the paper and
the result would be that dealers not agreeing with
would reap all tho profit"
The price Of the HERALD today and henceforM
7riH be three cents