Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1881-05-25
Should Obituary Notices be Paid for7

who in hi. houest way has often shown
himself to be a trner, nobler man than
Others who pretend to much, ~ severely
cri,icises our adoption Of the new depar-
| ture" Of the Shreveport Times that we are
fam to defend q, some length orr action in
the premises.
The card of the Shreveport Times ~
adopted by Us, our readers will remember,
was declaration of war against dead heads
q refusal to do any more work for nothing,
aud fixing its rates for funeral suS marrige
notices.
When the charges of q funeral are
summed up it will I've found that the car
penter charges never less than double rates
for coffin making, the livery man double
for his horses and hacks, the grave-digger
twice 1T three times the worth ofhis labor.
and on screws, handles, plates, &c, \ tire
mrndous profit is madr-while the news
paper is expected to furnish space free for
some friend to cxtravagantly praise the
dead
Why this il 50, we can't understand.
Every one concerned charges extravagant
rates for his labor, hut the printer, who by
some ohliquty Of reasoning. is expected to
charge nothing at all Will the world
never understand that the printers stock
in trade is the space between the column
rules in his paper, is the number Of lines
that his sheet will containi First, a GER
tain space in 10 be filled with reading mat
ter Of general interest 10 his snbscrilfrs-
the remainder is to I've let, hired or sold to
individuals TO PIT before the public mat.
tiers primarily Of individual interest in the
/ hope that that interest may be made gen
eral through the circulation of the paper
! A livery stable is divivited into stalls,
one or more Of which may he had upon the
payment Of the price demanded hy the
owner, 81 of the rooms Of the lodging house
the dishes at the restaurant, etc. just ~
| these pa,tir, make their bread, 50 does the
/ paper ty the disposal Of its stock in trade
at such rates as are within the bounds Of
| reason. fla man from the country comes
/ to town Ia visit a sick friend boarding here
he puts his horse up with either Of the
stables who properly charge him for
its care; hr eats at one of the hotels and
expect to pay his bill; he would do likewise
if attending funeral aud would never
dream of demanding Ia he fed, lodg-
ri &c, gratis. But if he inserts notice of
his dead friend in the paper rnnmcrating
all hia good qualities. giving his pedigree
and public services i'll order to pcrpctuate
his memory and to give to friends and re-
lativcs, in convenient form, n constant re-
miudcr Of the dead to he filed in scrap book
or bible, he feels outraged if bill is pre-
scented for this work. No complaint is
made to the sections bill Of five dollars for
digging grave, none To the price of the
rnilin. none To hcarse hirc--it Is the pin
ter alone Tho has not the right to charge.
There are certain dniirs that al alike
should gladly render the dead, To aid in
filing the grave, in bearing the collin. or
earlier to watch by the corpse, and To
perform MANY little duties at The time of
and aftcr IT." death until ia" intcrmcnt
in these duties printers. merchants,
mechanics and others sEould Join with u
hearty free viii Ru' when it come, to
the duing Of somc act in thu scope of =
mans calling, the regular charges should
4. IL A
II public charity. It requires the labor
of five hands to publish to tire wnrlu even
the little death notice Of ten lines. Tn,
compos!tor must set it up. two hands N
the press to print, another to fold. ansthcr
to address, another To mail. Ii the death
motire were a matter ofpuhlic interest.
there might he some excuse Tor "a complaint
at charge. But the interest of the pub
lie is met by the simple announcement OF
the Heath, that may be made in one or
two lines. Anything more is published
for the qualification of family pride or
vanity. No one has ever given "A good
reason for pntting funeral notices. ohi,ra.
rlcs, &c. on The free li>t. Indeed. We
have earnestly sought for such reason.
The reply j., "Ah, we'll. because You know
you ought not To charge for all obituary"
To sum mp the whole matter, onr stock
in trade is the space reserved for the
publication of matter primarily of indi.id-
ual intcrcst-nattcr which the party seek
ing III" space desires for ttasaHs personal
TO himself or family, TO put l., fore the pub
lie Then il ~ not only our right, but our
duty. to d,mand payment for such matter
Oar dH'y h~ciuse foolish generosity dc.
prives ones family of its right Funeral