The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-06-17
TO BE GIVEN AWAY.

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The Republican Tries a New Dodge to Add to
Its Small and Dwindling Subscription List
The Change In Editors---In "the Frgeze
Out Game 1t Proposed 1t IL. Being
Frozen out'--What Will
It Do Next7
On May 2 the Republican announced that
the newspaper business in Rapid City had re-
solved itself into a game Of fleece OUT" that
it proposed to stay inthe game until the end;
that it had reduced its subscription price from
one dollar to fifty cents per month, the price
established by the UNION; and called loudly
alphabetically on republicans to come to the
rescue, subscribe for the paper, advertise in it
and help it to live. The UNION at the time
commented on the change in the Republican
and waited for results. They have come
sooner than it expected. A few republicans in
answer to the published appeal and the per-
sonal solicitations of the manager subscribe
ed for the paper. They, like nine-tenths Of
the republicans in Rapid City and Pennington
county ~wanted-and want still-a good
straight republican newspaper, one managed
and edited by real and not by bogus republic
cans, and to such a paper they would accord
a hearty support. There being no such paper
a few of them, as stated above, hoping the
Republican might possibly be made such, sub
scribed for it. On June I, disguised with it,
some Of the few ordered it stopped.
Then a council Of -war was held. Some
thing must be done. The UNION had gone
right along, gaining more than enough new
subscribers to counterbalance the sixteen it
had lost and the Republican gained when the
latter reduced its subscription rates and made
its frantic appeal to republicans for help. The
UNION had i'll fact been adding to its paying
city subscription list, already over three times
as large as that of the Republican, while the
Republican had lost instead of gained by the
chHnge. The people did not want it as a
newspaper because it did not give the news:
republicans did not want it as a party organ
because they had no confidence in the mana
ger whose name appeared at the head OF its
columns or the half dozen managers whose
names did no. appear but who were managers
of it just the m The income of the paper
did not justify adding to the expense of run
ming it enough to make a good newspaper out
OF it, the income in fact suggesting a decrease
rather than an increase Of expenditure; and
then, still harder problem, how was the paper,
providing 1t was made a good newspaper, to
gain the confidence and support Of, and an in
tlucnce with, republicans.
The mountain labored and -i it was de-
cided to retain the manager (whose name at
the head of its columns appears as George
Grid but who, as the UNION has stated before,
for months after coming to this city went
under the name of George Gordon aud passed
as a democrat and put on Frank ?. Williams
as editor. Mr.. Williams when he came to
Rapid City was a democrat but something
over a year ago he announced himself as a
convert, in part at least, to republicanism, be-
ing a warm admirer of Blaine and a believer
III and supporter of his reciprocity policy.
George g as soon as this change was
decided upon left for Omaha and other eastern
cities. 1t IS said he will return in a few days.
Last evenings Republican announces an
other change. The reduction to fifty cents
per month not having increased its circulation
more than a dozen or so it announces that its
carriers have been instructed to leave papers
at houses along their routes whether ordered
or not. 1t states that cit don't cost you any
thing; that it is giving the paper away, that
if you don't want it it to gently tell the car
rier So" This scheme is not original with
the Republican. 1t has been tried before by
dishonest publishers to bulldoze people into
taking their publications and by newspaper
editors i'll desperate straits in order to force
people to subscribe for their papers. That
the Republican intends, if 1t can, to force
people TO subscribe for it and especially that
it intends, if possible, to force republicans
into supporting it, is plain. Those who take
its free copies will learn this fact
to their annoyance when they,
as some were a month ago are first
asked, then plead with and finally bulldozed
if they will submit, into subscribing for it.
The Republican for some time past has not
deserved the confidence of republicans or the
support of the people, and until it does-and
the change mrst be radical and reach to the
root before it can't will not lave either the
one Or the other.