Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-28
CIRCULATION.
The Unsorupulous Methods OF a Com
temporary Exposed-A Challenge

CIRCULATION.
The Unsorupulous Methods OF Com
temporary Exposed-A Challenge
Renewed.
Wars between newspapers regarding cir
culation are always entered upon by con-
scientious journalists under protest. They
very seldom receive much consideration
from the public, and engage its attention to
about the extent of any ordinary street
wrangle.
| There are occasions, however. in which
vicious assaults. if wholly ignored, may be
used for nefarious purposes, and as means
ing to methods the reverse of honorable.
In such cases the common instincts of men
dictate to them the duty of defeating the
purposes of their assailants. Long suffer
ing patience has an end, and to the policy
of silent contempt there is even limit.
With US that limit has been reached re.
garding the persistent, shutting, falsehood
and vicious assaults and illegitimate BUSH
ness competition of the Daily Erening Bee
of this city. in its futile efforts, very often
characterized by methods despicable and
dishonoraDle, to harm the RECORD UNION
| and injure its business patronage.
Its constant misrepresentation of this
| journal is a matter of the smallest concern,
and its opinion regarding its journalistic
| integrity" the latest expression of which
appeared on Saturday, is simply amusing,
| but the supplemental bombastic challenges
regarding the circulation of this paper, con-
| Germ its business department, and may not
| be passed by, since the Bee, according to its
uniform system of juggling, would do its
utmost to turn the silent contempt its chal-
| lenges deserve to the furtherance OF its own
| ends.
The Bee, with its usual exhibition of
braggardism, and vast amount of buster,
makes six challenges to the RECORD U MON,
| each fortified by bet of 800, regarding
| the circulation of this paper in comparison
| with that of the Bee, and seventh SlOO,
| that the latter would not, if accepted, lose
| more than four of the seven silly wagers.
The disingenuousness of these offers ne
cessitates the recital of some local history
| which is not creditable to the Bee, and
utterly destroys the force, and exposes
| the duplicity of its insolent and insincere
challenges. 1t will suggest itself to every
| candid mind that any competing journal
can well afford to lose four one-hundred-
dollar wagers, and in advance concede that
| it would lose at least that number, in or
| der to gain access to the subscription lists
and accounts of competitor i'll business,
| whose success and admitted honorable
standing in business circles are thorns i'll
the sides of its rivals
I'm February last, the Bee trusting to the
forbearance which has uniformity charac-
terized the REooRD-U MON, Haunted at the
head of its columns in bold type, q state
ment that the Bee had /" a larger circulation
than any other paper published on the Pa
cific Coast, outside of San Francisco The
business manager of the RECoRD-UNIoN, in
view of this new and unblushing false
hood, deemed it worthy attention, and de-
manded that the Bee take down its boast
and accompanied it with a challenge set
forth in the affidavit below, which also
gives a history of its origin. 1t was drawn
| for publication at the time in a circular
| letter to the business public, but was sus-
| pended on the earnest appeal OF the Bee, as
explained hereafter.
OFFICE OF THE RECoRD-UNIoS,
| SACRAMENTO. Cal, February -, 1884.
A PROPOSITION which was made by the RECORD
UNION and declined by the Bee, to test the
lattcr's untrue statements regarding circula-
ton.
Since the death of the late James McClatchy
and the withdrawal of General John +. Shee-
| han from the Sacramento daily and weekly Bee
| the new management of that journal has had
| more than the customary Boosting at the head
ofits columns concerning the circulation of that
paper, the purpose being, mo doubt, to bolster
| up a failing business. This would be matter
| of no special comment did it not involve q di-
! rect, unfair and baselesS attack upon the bust
| ness of the daily and weekly REcoRD-UN!oN, as
the constant publication of the claim to largest
| circulation, - and il it remained undenied. might
lead strangers to conclude such statements to be
| true. The management of the REcoID-U MON
therefore deems it duty to the public and itself
to make a statement Of fact, clearly fixing the
-falsty of the claim of the new proprietors of the
| Bee. The columns of the RECoRD-UNIoS are too
| valuable for news and business purposes to per-
nit their use to refute these false assumptions,
! hence this method of doing so.
| The recent methods of the Bee i'll this matter
| have been as follows: When the late decision on
| the hydraulic mining cases was rendered by
| Judge Sawyer, the leading papers of the State
published only synopsis of it, it being deemed by
all too long to publish and more acceptable to
| the reader in tie shape of an intelligent synop
sis. The RECoRD-UNioS procured the entire de
| cisiOn at the time it was delivered by sending
| two Stenographic reporters TO San Francisco,
and the synopsis published filed nearly six
| columns of our paper, which was much more
| than any other paper in the State contained.
| few days afterward, as a reward for former ser
vices of the Bee one ofthe attorneys in the case
an his friends raised fund Tor Its full publ
! cation in the Bee, the amount fully covering the
entire cost, including large number of extra
copies in addition to its usual edition, to be dis
| tributcd promiscuously throughout the coast
On the strength of that single, and, for it, extra
| ordinary large edition, the Bee put at the head
| of its columns the affidavit of its new business
manager, so worded as to convey the impression
| to the general public that that edition of some
1900 copies was the regular daily issue of the
paper. People who were aware of these facts
were more amused than otherwise by this trans
parent and baldfaced ruse, knowing that If the
| figures were divided by four it would be fully
| up to the truth.
This affidavit after repeated appearances, was
| supplemented by the fruit of the deception in
the form of card in the Bee, prominently dis
| played, as follows The Bee has Il sworn circu-
| lation larger than any other paper published on
| the Pacific coast outside OF San Francisco"
This false and deceptive card, which challenges
| the circulation of any journal in the State out
| side of san Francisco. was based upon that sin
gle issue, and is still Haunted. 1t is possible that
| its very brayado may mlslead and give the idea
| that it is true on the principle that falsehood
stuck to persistently will answer the purposes OF
the truth.
The truth is that the circulation of the Bee is
nothing worth speaking Of outside of the city,
and even in Sacramento between the two pa.
pers the purely local circulation does not at the
present time diverge one way or the other more
than fifty copies. or Whereabouts.
While the managers of the REcoRDU UNION en-.
terrain no fears that the mendacity of its local
business rival will impair its patronage, still
they do not propose to longer permit strangers
to the facts to be misled or imposed upon by
such false representations. Acting upon this
resolution, they recently determined upon a
perfectly fair course, which would expose the
falsity of the Bees boasting, and they submit to
the business public the details of that plan, con.
fident in its perfect business. They solicited o
conference with the male members of the new
| management of the Bee. This meeting took
place February IL, 1854. There were present the
McClatchy brothers resresenting the Bee, and
s. L. Darlington, the managing editor, and T.
W Sheehan, business manager on the part OF
the RFcnRD-I MON The REPRESENTATIVES of the