St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-08-10
Stand by Your Home Paper.

If you would succeed in business adopt
the means by which you may insure
success. J1dicious advertising is the
most effective way to win success. 1t
brings your business prominently before
the world it helps others and promotes
the growth and prosperity of the city or
| country in which you live. You cannot
hope to succeed unless you let your bust
ness be known to the world Withhold
your patronage or speak in disrespectful
manner of your home paper, and you will
very soon realize the fact that others can,
with equal ease, withhold from you. The
| man who can see no farther into his bust
| ness future than this has soul too little
to claim my attention in this progressive
age He is a failure in everything that
pertains to progress and is only fit to join
the army of cranks and croakers that are
to be found in every town or city of pro-
gress. Tn g ma n in whatever profession
or calling, that does not do what he can to
promote the growth of his town or city,
who withholds public spirit or patriotism
cannot prosper to any great extent. News
papers nowadays are expected to send cor
respondents all over the country to write
it up. The correspondent will be told that
all the country needs is to have it's resources
written up. There is nothing more needed
than to show this to the outside world and
immigrants will come in, every man will
be independent and sell his own land at
fair price to the immigrant and then curse
the paper and the correspondent that told
of the resources of the country.
We extract the following, "a business
mans duty to the local paper" read before
the Editorial Association in California by
Bryant Howard, of the San Diego Union ::
Not long ago large property owner in
San Diego county suggested to me that he
thought it would be good plan to send
correspondent all over the county to write
it up for the Unio1ss He said if we could
find man who could graphically describe
the country, it would be good advertise
ment of our resources. All our country
needed was to be known by the outside
world, and immigrants would come here
in large numbers and settle it up. And
the newspapers, he added, was the best
means by which this might be accomp
lished. fully agreed with him, in fact,
was nearly as enthusiastic about the mat
ter as he was. Igently suggested to this
man that a good ad. for the Union would
help pay the proposed correspondents ex-
penses. He was little disconnected at my
suggestion, as he probably never had in
his life thought about advertising his land,
but he soon rallied and some cross firing
followed, about as follows:
"What shall l advertise for?'
"To sell your land"
"My land don't need advertising it
speaks for itself ALI that is needed is for
people to look at it and they will see it's
value at once"
"Who will look at it ?"
''Why, the people who come here"
''Who will come here if they don't hear
of the country through the newspapers
Didn't you just advise me to advertise the
country SO as to invite immigration %
Eyes, but what's the use of newspapers
if they don't advertise the country p
Every little. Suppose we drop them. as
we shall have to do unless property owners
and business men help support them. And
If no papers are published what will your
land be worth p
'But have Always supported your pa
per-"
Howl"
"By taking it,
"How much do you pay for it?"
"The regular price,"
Glow much is that day?'
"About three or four cents"
"Well, my friend, the paper, the ink,
the press work, and the type setting costs
about that much. What pays for the tele-
grams from all parts of the world? What |
pays for the editorial work. Who pays
for writing up the country, your farm in
cluded? Every paper you read costs the
publisher twice as much as you pay for
it."
"How do you live then ?"
"By the patronage of men who appreci-
ate the value of paper and advertise, as
you should do. Were it not for the publ
cation of newspapers very few away from
here would know we had good country,
scarcely anybody would come here, and
your land wouldn't be worth nickle an
acre"
But he refused to be converted. He
evidently thought that the newspapers
were indebted to him, instead of he to them
for furnishing them information which
advertised his farm.
Good advertisers never have to steal or
beg, for the fat of the land is theirs, espec-
tally if they support their home paper.