Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-07-31
Newspaper Patronage.

There appears to he many differ.
ent ways OF understanding the true
meaning ofnewspapcr patronage, az
IL is called, and, Az an interested par.
ty, we give place to disquisition ON
the subject by one who knows where
OF he speaks. twill serve, perhaps,
as mirror where certain persons
see themselves as others see them.
Many long and weary years have
forced tho conviction upon us that
newspaper patronage is q word of
many definitions, and that a great
majority OF mankind are either irpo.
rant OF the correct definition or are
dishonest in q strict biblical sense of
the word. Newspaper patronage ia
composed 0fas many coiors as rain.
bow, and is as changeable as cha.
meleon.
One man comes in and subscribcs
for a paper and pays it in advance,
aud goes home and reads it with the
proud satisfaction that it is his.
lie hands in his advertisement, asks
the price, pays for it, and goes to his
place of business and reaps the ad.
vantage thereof. Another man saws
you may put.my name on your books,
and goes of without saying q word
about pay. Time passes on, and
you want money, and want him to
pay you what is honestly due. He
flies into a passion, perhaps pays,
perhaps not, and orders his paper
stopped. This is called newspaper
patronage.
Another man brings in a fifty cent
advertisement and wants a two-dol.
Jar notice given it, and if you refuse
he goes of mad. And this is news.
paper patronage.
Another man lives near You he
does not take the papcr-he don't
like the editor-the paper is too
small for him-yet he goes regularly
to his neighbor and bOrrcws it, and
quarrels with the opinions Of tho
editor. Occasionally he sees an arti.
Gle he likes; he begs, OF gives half q
dime for the nrnbcr. This is called
newspaper patronage.
Another man iiEes the paper and
takes copy for his family, and pays
for it, and docs all he can to get new
subscribers; he never grnmbles, but
always has cheerful word for the
editor. Ifany little item of interest
occurs in the Heighborhood, he in
forms the editor. This is newspaper
patronage.
Another man has q patent and
wants yon to give it a two dollar
notice every week; it will be of in.
terest TO yonr readers, he says; but
although konwing it will benefit him
most Of all, he does not offer 10 pay
for it. This is called newspaper pat.
rOnage.
Another man has taken the paper
for several years, but has not paid
for it, and comes in with four or
five-doflar advertisement and asks
yon to insert it for nothing, because
he is an old patron of yours. This
is called newspaper patronage.
Another man--''a young man
about town." 10 use of taking q pa
per, he knows all there is going on.
BY and by he gets married, and
hands in notice with '.just give q
dozen copies He gets them, aud
when you mention pay looks sur.
prised-"you surely don't charge
for such thing!7 And this is called
newspaper patronage.
Now isn't Newspaper patronage q
curious thingi And in that great
day when the gentleman in black
gets his dues, as he surely will, how
many Of the patrons enumerated
above will fall to his sharei Now
it will be seen that while certain
kinds of patronage are the very
life and existence Of newspaper,
there are other kinds Of patronage
that are more destructive than the
deadly night shade.-Er.