The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-15
ELOQUENT AND INsTRUCT1VB.
The Public Spirit Displayed by Sacra
mento NeMspapers.

Aho uDllc spirit DlSpIayeO ny SttSfa-
mento Newspapers.
The following editorial from the Bee of
last evening is so full of pith and point
that we commend it TO the thoughtful
perusal of our readers:
A very eloquent and instructive fact
came out last night in the report OF the
Treasurer of the Open air Concert Com
mittee, and it was this little Item IN his
financial statement for 1911:
Paid for advertising. 90
The newspapers of this city may be said
/ to have been the mainstay, support and
prop of these concerts. Year in and year
/ out, they kept the people UP to a high
pitch of enthusiasm in regard thereto, and
/ doomed them along without Interrupt
ton. One year in particular these con-
! certs were made possible only because the
! Bee put its shoulders to the wheel, per-
sonally solicited and collected all the
money necessary, and turned it over to
| the proper committees for disbursement.
] The newspapers of Sacramento have ever
pushed these concerts TO the front at the
proper time, to the exclusion of ali other
topics, and there is no doubt that on more
than one occasion the concerts would have
been allowed to have been passed by, had
1T not been that the newspapers kept the
matter constantly before the eyes of the
people, and daily prodded them up to do
their duty in the premises. And yet in a
total expenditure OF 81 $50 Y last season,
we find this item shining out ''like good
deed in naughty world":
Paid for advertising So 90
The Bee does not call attention to this
matter now with any object but this in
view: To point to just one little instance
where the newspapers did more for moth
ing than all other elements in the city
combined. They furnished column after
column of valuable space, all without
hope of reward. No other business con-
tributed anything for nothing. Every
man who furnished anything to the Con-
cert Committee was very prompt in put
ting in his bill, and undoubtedly some of
them are complaining now about the
money paid to newspapers, and cannot
imagine why this item should be in the
Treasurers report for 1891:
Paid for advertising. 90
The same thing holds good in the cele-
brations of the Fourth of July. All other
classes look upon that national holiday
as an occasion for money making. Mu-
slclans advance their prices hackmen
swell their rates, decorators want addi-
| tlonal sums above their usual charges
| in fact, there is a grab for the funds all
along the line. The newspapers, however,
are expected to donate nine-tenths of
their legitimate advertising; and, if the
|
nance Committee does is to try and lop
off the small newspaper bills that are
| sent in. AT one celebration, seeing that
the funds might not hold out. the Bee,
RECoRD-UNIoN and Leader donated all
| their advertising bills in order that the
money might not be short The very
| next year, however, prominent mer-
chant remarked that there was no
wonder the newspaper men took so
much interest in big celebration of the
Fourth of July, for they always made
heaps of money out of that day!
The newspapers of this city made GER
tain the needed Improvements to the two
| Orphan Asylums. In every cause of
charity or public good yet known or
imagined their services have been freely
and willingly donated, and free pass
key has been given to their advertising,
as well as their local, columns.
| All other causes combined do not do as
much work for nothing as the news
papers, and all they have received in re-
frequently from those they have
assisted the most-has been sneering
criticism, and even abuse.
In view of this fact, the Bee desires
again to call the attention of the public to
the eloquent lesson to be learned from
this paragraph in the report for 1891 of
James Z. Mills, Treasurer of the Open
air Concert Committee:
Paid for advertising ......."...............S2 90