San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-06-01
An Editor on Deadlleads.

An Editor on Deadheads.
The following just remarks on tn
subject indicated above are taken from
FOrney'S Progress: With what ar
called "deadheads, in general, over thu
railroads and at the theatre, have
nothing to do, the present purpose be
ing to prove, if possible and L thlnl
it is possible-thc truth Of two propo
sitions:
LIST. That no other business is sc
preyed upon by "deadheads rs that Of
journalism, and
I'd. That the most accomplished and
successful of the deadheads, which al
lict the newspaper offices, are first
the railroads and then the theatres.
In proportion to the expense in
volved in its PREPARATION, no article is so
cheaply supplied as the newspaper. Its
cost to its readers is as near nothing as
it could well be, and, to make living
profit, to its owners it must look else
where for revenue than to its sub
scrption list. That, in many establish
ments, is positive loss regarded by
itself, but the circulation attracts the
advertiser, and the advertiser furnishes
the sinews of war. To get the adver-
tiser you must first get the circulation,
and to get the circulation you must
give the people paper that will inter
est and please them. Every line which
q newspaper publishes for any other
reason than that its editor thinks it con-
tsins something the people wish to
know, is more or less an injury to him,
because it occupies space which other
wise would be filed with matter which
would aid in building up or retaining
the popularity of his journal. To this
must be added the cost of putting the
puff" in type and the other OUTLAWS it
requires The wise newspaper proprie-
tor limits the number of columns to
which he will admit advertisements, or
increase his columns to accommodate a
rush, knowing that to crowd the read
ing matter though it may temporarily
make happy the heart of his cashier,
means speedy and permanent ruin. Yet
here is not newspaper in the country
which does not give away in the course
If year many columns of its valuable
'pace-a trite, but true expression
md, more than that, places these gratis
notices in positions which the money of
he legitimate advertiser, paid down
'ver the counter, could not buy. The
people who ask these notices, and who
re offended if they do not get them,.
re legion, but no class approaches any
where near the rapacity of the railroads
nd theatres. If other newspaper adj
ertisers received free notice in the
anne proportion as do railroads and
heatres, there would be room for moth
ng else. And not only are the rail
Dads and theatres granted these free
Offices, but ia many cases their paid
ADVERTISEMENTS are inserted for much
sss than the regular rates. do not
efer to the so-called criticism of plays
nd the attention called" to the change
{ timetables on the railroads, which
lay go under the head of matters of
lterest to the public, though they are
advantage in every instance to the
BAD or house of which they speak, but
, the preliminary putfs of plays, notices
the improvements along the line, etc.,
hich are never paid for, which are a
'urce of expense to the newspapers,
1d which oftentimes necessitate the
mission of news. Why, you may ask, !
o the newspapers submit to this i'm '
osition? Clearly, the affair is in their
wn hands. All, gentle reader, you do ,
Of know the ways of the railroad and ]
lie theatre men? They must be petted I
I'd coddled more than any other adver l
ser ever dreams of. If one newspaper t
enies what they ask, another one will t
rant it, and away may go the advertise S
ents from the sheet of the bold jour 6
alist There are q certain order of i
lvertisements which some newspapers I
lnnot afford to be without, and among
lese are the cards of railroads and the
res, and this, not because of the
oney they bring in, but because they
e supposed to establish in the minds .
other advertisers, from whom fair
ices can be had, that the circulation =
of some account. Those who control
eSe advertisements are of course
yare of this, and presume upon it TO :
mpel acGuiescence in their demands :
r the free insertion of this, that and !
e other.
PIUTE John, of Empire, Nevada, was v