The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-04-29
Wonderful PhilanthrOpists.

Wonderful PhiIanthrOpists.
From the numerous circulars which
are floating through the mails, offering
wonderful inducements TO the publish
ers of country newspapers, a person
not having practical knowledge of
the business would infer that the pres
ent age appears to be developing large
crop of philanthropists. Scarcely a
day passes that we do not receive cir
culars from inventors of astonishing
schemes, which give in detail glowing
illustrations OF the great benefits to be
derived by country publishers who
will transfer their patronage to them,
and thus aid them in crowding out some
legitimate business institution. In some
instances these philanthropists have left
lucrative business(?) for the sole pur-
pose of discriminating the poor printer,
and all for the love they bear him
Such is the manifest inference to be
drawn from the high-sounding circu-
lars referred to, which are remarkable
for their similarity, no matter from
what point they emanate, or whose sig
nature they bear. They claim to know
better how to conduct a newspaper
than do publishers who have devoted
Lifetime to the business, and are will
ing to impart their wonderful knowl
edge to the fraternity at less than it
cost them to obtain 1t.
Now, do these wise philanthropists
conscientiously suppose for an instant
that any man of business would fail to
see at glance through the thin gauze
nf .t-h, ot1,a 20
that their apparent solicitude for the
welfare of the printer is only an i'll
disguised scheme to further a plan to
put money in their own pockets?
The philanthropy dodge in some
forn is frequently adopted to Sc
cure business by men who fail
to make money as fast as
they wish by legitimate methods.
By plausible statements they occasion
ally hoodwink few into the belief that
they are sincerely endeavoring to put
money into the pockets of their Gus
toners instead of their own, but any
business man who will examine into it
can clearly see that in the long run they
will have the money and their converts
the experience.
The ready-print line seems of late to
have attracted the attention of these
benevolent parties more than any other
branch of business, and their elaborate
but sophistical circulars now flood the
country. Their scheme shows cute
ness" but, from the publishers stand
point, is fatally defective, and in
vital part, namely, the advertising
feature. They propose to give the
publisher who will use their sheets one
half of the advertising receipts each
month, without agreeing to furnish any
specified quantity or limiting them
selves to any amount of space they are
TO occupy. Here is an excellent oppOr-
tunity. They can cat dolcf the price
Of ddrertiSa1lg and thereby ruin that
part of the business of the individual
publisher, and fill the pages full to the
exclusion of reading matter. If the
publisher demonstrates he is met with
the reply don't you get half? You
can't object.
According to the schemes of
some of these wise philanthropists
the publisher surrenders one hundred
inches or more of good reading matter
and gets-what in it's place? Cheap
ADVERTISING scattered all over his pages
in every conceivable array of preferred
position, and at the end of the month
gets perhaps-if collections are good,
if accounts are properly kept, if divis-
ions are Justly made, If not withheld
because papers have not arrived, or
some other plausible excuse-one cent,
or may be two cents, per quire, as his
share of this schema Can no object .
OF course not. He has bound himself
by contract to let the philanthropist
fill his paper full of advertisements
without regard to character or price.
Years of experience in the business
of newspaper publishing has convinced
us that the true lCay is for every mar
to buy what he wants from responsible
parties who do legitimate business,
which will be guarantee that he will
get what he pays for. and not expect by
some hOcus pOclts to get gold dollar
for seventy-five cents. Rockford (IH)
Journal