Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-11
CIRCULATION ESTIMATES.

The object Of the AMERICAN NEWSPAPER
the velI-known mercantile agencies which exis'
in all leading cities. The latter keep their sub
scribers informed of the character. habits repu
tation, business ability and financial strength O,
persons with whom they are likely TO have bust
mess transactions, enabling them thereby to ~
regulate those transactions a. TO secure probabk
profitable dealings, or to avoid such ss viii b
likely 10 result In ultimate annoyance OF loes.
The DIRECTORY conveys the best obteinet
information concerning the character and valus
of newspapers. IT. patrons are the men who
expend money In advertising q large and I'm
portant class) and it il from them that the pub
fishers of the DIRECTORY, in their capacity q
advertising agents, derive their profit and sur
port. II Is to them and not to newspaper pub
fishers that they owe the duty of faithful eervic.
The theoyy that advertising agenc 60 are tts
servants Of newspapers, and should advsne
their interests first Is snnihilsted BY the systen
long adopted by publishers, almost without a.
oeption, OF ignoring any idea OF protecting TIE
so-callei agency and maintaining the rightto
appoint competitors In the same field without
the consent Of those already occupying it.
As TIE MOST IMPORTANT PoRIIos OF THE ~
FORMATION SUPPLIED By 4 MERCANTILE AGEsCY
CONSISTS OF A REPORT OF THE FISAScAL
STRENGTH OF The PERSON ABOUT WHOM mfr
NATION rs ASKED, SO Is THE CIRCULATION o, A
NEWSPAPER GENERALLY CONSIDERED THE POINT
UPON WHICH INFORMATION WILL BE OF Apsr
VALUE TO THE ADVERTISER.
There are, among merchants, some who dny
the right of . mercantile agency 20 inquire hto
their private affairs, and who decline givingsny
information upon which report may be bAed;
but the mercantile agency does not on thaiac-
count, neglect TO make report. 1t gets fom
ether sources the best obtalnable information,
and upon this its estimate Is based, althouh it
al.-k A. ~ fl.<w -
In question is almost always attributed % .
knowledge upon his part that true rport
would be prejudicial to his credit. The rport
made is, therefore, likely to be less favohble
than IL might have been had the information
asked for been cheerfully and frankly furnihed-
So also there are among newspaper publihe,s
some who deny the right Of any one TO inquire
into their Affairs. 1t has been the policy the
publishers Of the DIRECTORY to omit q in
| formation about circulation whenever painly
| and unequivocally commanded 70 DO - In
such cases the matter IL disposed Of by mex
ing to the report the words "oljects 10 dating
| circulation" In every case where the above
command 10 not plainly and unequivocall con-
veyed to the publishers Of the DIRECTORY
they make mp their report in same manne pur.
sued by the mercantile agencies In estimating
the financial strength Of . merchant an, LIKE
| the institutions referred to, they declineto re
veal the sources from which they have Obtained
their information.
Il is undoubtedly true that 10 publication Of
this character Is privileged, and that imam In
stance where . merchant or . newspaper d
seriously injured by an unjust or materially In
correct report the courts furnish . remeiy, and
both mercantile agency or Directory pupliehel
will be held responsible for actual damag0howr
to accrue to an injured party from repor
proved upon trial TO have been erroneou.
This is q liability which the publisherfof the
DIRECTORY cannot escape; 1t is, therefore
one which they hold themselves at al times
ready to meet.
The greatest possible care Is taken b maxi
the DIRECTORY reports correct Every pub
Usher IL applied to very systematically. Al
information Is taken In q form which Gclude.
any but definite statements which cannot b
misunderstood, while every effort Ia made t.
protect honest publishers against suchas wouis
resort to lying or perjured reports togain ~
unfair advantage.
It has rarely bsen found that causs of com
plant has arisen against any report which hal
appeared In either Of the seven annualvolume'
OF the Directory already issued which has no
resulted either from the neglect Of . yublishe
| to respond to appeals for informatim or ~
effort on his part 70 substitute other asd differ
emit information instead OF answering he plair
| questions upon the blanks Furnished for taa
purpose from the DIRECTORY Office.