Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-20

the use OF them on the part OF res
ponsible business men, the publisher
inserts it in his paper, and at the end
of the first quarter sends his bill. He
receives no answer; he writes the sec
ond and third time-still no answer.
Fraud is then apparent! He comes
out in an editorial and denOunces the
advertiser as a swindler and advises
the public against dealing with him.
In this way publishers are bit year
after year, until we are sick and tired
of reading their yells OF duplicity.
Still they continue the same policy,
allowing themselves to be defrauded
and at the same time defrauding their
readers of a great deal of valuable
reading matter. They not only wea-
ken the tone and lower the standard
Of their journals, but subject their
readers to the swindling operations of
worthless schemers. The readers, in
turn, feel the injustice, and become
careless about paying their subscrip-
tons.
This is so often the case we cannot
comprehend why publishers, who
have been duped time and again, will
not place themselves on the common
basis of business.
No groceror othermerchant will ad-
vance goods to strangers without col
lateral or a sufficient guarantee from
responsible parties. If they did, the
commercial interests of the world
would not be worth shucks. And vet
newspaper publishers continue in
this groove of dupes, apparently with
mo business experience to protect
them. Have they no tact-no apti-
tude at all? Is it the fate of the
newspapers to be managed by indi-
viduals of this Glass; If so, we have
a reason for the inferior quality Of
our country journals.
One of the greatest frauds in the
line of advertising is the due bill-the
part cash and part advertising sort.
Not one out of a hundred of these
due bills are ever redeemed, and in
transactions where they are used, the
amount of cash accompanying the Or
der willnot cover the real value of the
article purchased. We hope no one
will feel aggrieved, when we say that
the journals having the largest dis
play Of these one-third cash electro
plates in their columns are the very
poorest and most uninteresting of all
the papers we receive; for our object
is to throw out beneficial suggestions
These papers have no attractive fea-
lures about them, except possibly
where the electro-cut pictures take
the eye of the unlettered African OF
the A B G schoolboy.
We could have been swindled per.
haps fifty times within the past
year; but we escaped by demanding
spot-cash or legitimate security. In
two cases we made inquiries of prom
inent parties, who represented that
the contractors were solvent; but
even then, the bills three months la.
ter found them insolvent. Now We
have adopted the cash basis, and
these swindlers-whom we believe tt
have a regularly organized associa'
ton, by which they keep each Other
posted-have nearly stopped sending
US their vile propositions. Our waste
basket, consequently is not emptleG
half so often, and we move along
with less annoyance.
We may talk about maximum rates
and all that sort of stuff, to be fxei
by press conventions; but we cal
do better. Let every publisher or
ganize himself into committee o
one for self-protection, by the adop
ton of steadfast business principles
with which to stife irresponsible ad
vertisers. Newspapers will then make
more money and become more indie
pendent of the ambiguous sharks
that seek to steal away their life
, giving substance.
, GENEROUS INVITATIONS TO TIL
PRESS.
Major M, K, Snelman. the wide