The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-13
IESITIMATE AND ILLEGITIMATE ADvER-
TTgTNG

apelis to consider. In looking about for the rea-
ssas Of the success achieved, it is but fair to
award much to such of the management as
give of their time to putting it before the
people. Two or three devoted large portion
Of their time for months to working up an in
kerest in it. and should be credited accordingly
But there was another and more powerful agent
krsught into service, and its claims must not
be ignored With all the work done by the
gratlemen who were in charge of the direction
of the enterprise, it is not saying too much to
calm that the festival would have been
fnilure but for the aid afforded by the press,
Which was indefatigable in keeping it before
The public. Had the number of managers
been multiplied by ten. and had each and all
sf them worked day and night, they could
nss have succeeded in making the festival the
sueeess it proved to be without the aid af-
fswled by the press. While moiety of pat
runage was offered the press in the way of adj
vurtising the event, it did not stop at this, but
'itsralIy filled columns daily for weeks with
EDITORIAL and local notices Of the same, giving
in return for the small favors extended, the
best space in the paper, and such as money
could not buy for any private enterprise. The
editorial Endorsement of the enterprise was
the salvation of it.
Yet while it is true, and while no man can
Faithfully deny it, it remains that the man
nsement, or some Of them, failed to appre-
uiate this fact, but set about to rob the press
Of the legitimate fruits of the undertaking
There was set on foot a dozen or more cheap
schemes for diverting the advertising from
the legitimate channels into catchpenny
affairs Of all kinds, and all of which COM
biaed would not be and could not be as pro
ductive Of as much good as half the same
money invested in the columns of the daily
press. AS a result, the press was deliber-
akely robbed by the very men whose hands it
was upholding. The advertising public was
driven to frenzy by the appeals of these men
30 invest in every conceivable scheme of adj
vertising. Life was made burden, not only
70 the merchant but to the visitor as we'll, by
the multiplicity of hand-bills and circulars
with which the streets and sidewalks were
Uttered
IF there has ever been anything demon
sxrated to the satisfaction of the business
public it is that it does not pay to thrust
ones business inopportunely before the public
and by illegitimate and impertinent means
Every hour in the day the insult Of being i'm
portuned to take circular is resented on the
streets Of the city. Tens of thousands Of
these impudent appeals to the public are
wasted in the City of indianapolis. They are
not legitimate and are scarcely decent, for
10 reason that they are thrust upon the at
s.stion of people who are in no humor to be
;Sshered by them If there be any doubt of
.his ell one has to do is to stand at one of the
street crossings and watch the reception these
fakirs meet with when they attempt to thrust
these circulars into the hands of the busy
passers-by, who, nearly to man. resent the
impudence by shaking them off with ill-con-
cealed impotence. Not one in ten receives
amy attention, and the tenth one, perhaps,
only makes the recipient angry.
lis SO with all kinds of irregular and ille-
climate advertising A good many mer-
chants are inviegled into doing something in
this line by people who cannot be got rid
Of in any other way, but it is contemplate
business, and can but rouse the bad feelings
Of the victim. To the press it is owing, on
$ such occasions as public en- terprise. that it
be given every advantage, for to the press the
people must look for that help without which
there can be no hope of success. The press
Is in position to make or unmake such things,
and were the press to act as some do who
reap the benefit Of the help afforded by it,
such enterprises as the musical festival would
result in the most pronounced failure It is
claimed for the press of Indianapolis that it
did all in its power to forward this enterprise,
and in return had the modification Of seeing
some of the most petty narrowness
ever exhibited by men possessed of any
spirit of enterprise It were a little thing in
itself whether the managers did or did not
patronize the press on such occasions, but
when they add to the sin of omission that of
commission, and attempt to cut off the le-
itimate revenue of the daily press by impos-
ng on the advertising public, it is time to
enter mild remonstrance. 1t is unjust, not
only to the press, which is expected to do a
vast deal of free advertising, but to the bust
ness public, which is plucked to patronize
s.hnau--Inhr aduariicinn achamaa M fha az