Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-07-05
Mr.. Whitelaw Reid's Address.-Bus
ness Like Talk on Newspaper
RusinesS

We give below portion of the address
delivered before the Ohio Editorial Con-
vention, at Cincinnati. by Mr.. Whitelaw
Reid, now editor-in-chief and business
manager of the New York Tribune. 1t
is very pointed, suggestive and practical,
and its perusal will be interesting not
only to printers and publishers but to
their customers as well. We take pleas
ure in quoting as follows:
Young editors are likely to grow up in
an atmosphere of opposition to the count
| ing room. As. they become older theycease
| to despise the base of their supplies, and
will be ready to give some careful con-
sideration to certain counting room
points: -. -....5..-. Ill .-.s., O..
l. There can be but one head to a
newspaper, and that head. i'm the nature
ofihings, must be the editor. The control
cannot with safety reside in the counting
room. In younger days was Opposed to
depreciate the publisher. Long since l
learned the folly of that, but / Insist, as
strongly now as ever that the place for
final decision must be the editors chair.
! No newspaper can havethe highest repsect
whose editor does not peremptorily say
when occasion requires, twill not insert
that advertisement at any cost. am not
willing to Ivy it before my readers" IL
will criticise that abuse, no matter what
advertisements it may drive away from
u.s." And, again: 81 will not put that
advertisement in that place or, in that
type, no matter what they are willing to
pay for it. will not affront intelligent
readers by thrusting liver cure or pat
ent truss under their noses, in the column
where 1 have taught them to look fol
our dramatic criticism Whenever there !!
) a conf1ictbetween the counting room anu
|, the editorial room on these or hundred
similar and larger points, there is Away!
weakness and loss of public respect, III
matter which side prevails. All success
: full newspapers conduct points to tn,
, necessity of an absolute autOcracy, will
the autOcrat i'm the editors chair.
2. One golden rule should be kept be-
: for every occupant of the counting room
, This is a One-price establishment.
, There is no other fair way for advertis-
ers; there is no other self.respecting wa.
e for newspaper. If you sell certail
4 part of your space at all, sell it under tn
same conditions to all alike. There Is n
special dispensation for newspaper
which permits them to commit CONNER
cial sins and escape the commercial pen
q atty. 1t you do "Cheap John" business
, YOU must take 8 "Cheap JhOn" standing
If you want a business as solid as that {
AT. Stewart you must abide by tn
= commercial maxims that made his SUI
!. cess. The moment one advertising ager
is able to get ten-line advertisement
into your columns under any partlcula
e classification cheaper than another on
o can, or cheaper than any individual Gus
~ toner can (the recognized commisslo
excepted), that moment your cuisines
: has ceased to be an honest comm erci'
s, business and degenerated into dicke
v There can be no safer rule tor publish
> er than to dismiss any employe Who, fe
any consideration. takes an advertise
1t ment FROM any quarter for less than til
r. honest rate the paper protested to chare
for it. or who charges any body else
u penny more than that rate. All tn
sounds like truism, and yet we shall