Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-01
raE PATENT OUTSIDE BUSH

~aE PATENT OUTSIDE BUsI-
MEAS.
As some surprise has been expressed
At the rule announced in this paper to
decline exchanging with papers known
as "patent outsides," or insides, after
the first OF next January it is proper
to state our reasons and position. In
the first place, a patent outside is q
paper bought BY its publishers already
half printed-that is printed on one
side. There are establishments in
Chicago, Cincinnati, Atlanta and vari-
u cities which supply the country
press with these half printed sheets.
The editor Of the paper may have his
name and the date printed on the
outside, but he has no control over
the matter that appears on
the patent pages. If his
rival in the same town, or in the next
county happens to buy paper from the
same house, which is often the case,
the same matter appears in both, and
there is no help for it. One house
may supply a hundred country papers,
and they must all come out alike. The
houses engaged in this business buy
white paper from the mills at whole
sale prices, and by reserving the right
to use certain space for advertisements,
can sell the paper already printed on
one side about as cheap as the country
editor or publisher could buy the
white paper at the mills, The patent
matter is necessarily neutral aud dry.
1t never has an opinion on current
topics, has nopolitics, and is as dry as a
dictionary. If the editor has any views
he has to work them in on the half Of
the paper hat he edits and prints at
home. A brilliant editor in this
State who at one time thought it was
economical and convenient to buy his
paper already half printed, once wrote
a witty aud sarcastic article on the
Beautiful Snow" and on tue papers
that kept 1t going the rounds. A
miscellaneous il not wicked editor at
Nashville szwthis and calling at the
patent" shop, requested them to
publish the Beautiful Snow. 1t was
done and the next week that country
editor had the pleasure of seeing that
rare old poem in his " paper. It'll
said he never smiled or went to Nash
vile for a year. Many excellent gem
tlemen engaged in the newspaper bus
mess use tho patent" outside or
inside as the case may be, I'M
der an impression that it saves
type setting. Where two printers and
a boy would be required they can get
along with one man and a boy. They
encourage a big monopoly and in the
aggregate turn hundreds and thou
sands of worthy and skillful printers
adrit--On the side of the papers
which they edit they invite
capital, immigration and labor, and
on the other side is a notice to labor
to shift for itself. This is very neon
sistont although possibly not thought
Of or intended in that light. The pat
eat" side is liable 10 be duplicated in
every county around and to issue n
is santamount to an admission that
thepaper, although printed a long ways
of, does not go very far from home.
The principle at the bottom is wrong.
The editor appeals to the people to
support home enterprise as manifested
10 the county paper and yet he goes
five hundred miles to have half his
paper printed rather than employ a
home printer. He is not proud oil this
kind Of enterprise and never
tells his readers that his Chicago.
editor who scissored up the outside
has given them a fine dish Of news
this week. We call attention to this
style Of journalism for the good of the
country press rather than its injury.
Many Of our personal friends are in
this line, and whilst they have a right
to manage their own business affairs
as they think best, we cannot help
thinking that patent outside Journal
ism is a serious drawback to the legit.
innate business of the profession.
And claiming the right for ourselves
that is accorded to others, We prefer
not to give a paper all printed
in our " Office in exchange
for one of the class described. Sham
journalism should be discouraged;
country papers will be all the better
and stronger when the patent outsides
are Discarded and every editor really
edits his own paper and is responsible
for all that gees init. Much more
might be said upon this subject; for
the present this is enough to set pub
fishers and readers to thinking, and if
it should bring forth good fruit in the
near or distant future in the form Of.
more energetic and prosperous jour
nAlism, none will feel greater satisfac-
ton than the LEDGER
The fellow, who, by mistake, sent
his auburn haired sweetheart instead
e. hotla IL H. Ruliie oouob- qvrun a