Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1893-01-05
The County Advertising

Was let by the County Commissioners.
at their monthly meeting in December,
for the present fiscal year, to the hEo-
WEE COURIER and Oconee Ne,cs for $3.50,
the share Of each paper being fixed at 500
In this matter We believe the new
Board of Commissioners have acted as
seemed best to them. They endea-
yored to have the greatest publicity
possible given to the county advertise
ments for the least money. At the same
time they recognize that newspapers can
not afford TO give their space for nothing.
and neither can printers work for moth
ing any more than other people. Be-
cause. forsooth, rival newspapers may be
forced into the cutting of advertising
rates beyond all fair compensation IS no
reason why fair-minded and reasonable
officials should want something for moth
ing.
The original agreement between the
editors of the COURIER and Oc0nee NetrS
was that the two papers would do the
advertising for the one price allowed by
law and then divide this price equally
between the two papers. ~ swould have
given each paper so cents per square for
first insertion and Is cents for each sui
sequent insertion, aggregating, in the
course of the year perhaps, So or sl39
for each paper This proposition was
submitted TO the old Board of Commis-
sioners at the annual meeting IN Novem-
Der. They rejected it, and N the mean
time made ar offer of the advertising TO
the Oco,lee Ne,cs for 800. Notwithstand-
ing an amicable adjustment Of the mat
ter had been made between the EDITORS
OF the two papers. who lad agreed that
neither paper would "a me advertising
on any other basis than haif the rates
allowed by law. vet when this offer OF
500 was made to the Oconee Ne,cs and
accepted by it. the COURIER was released
from its agreement, and, OF course, war
to the hilt was again renewed in the mat
ter of advertising rates. This being so.
the COURIER offered TO Go the county ad-
vertising for the present fiscal year for
81. but at the same time insisted that the
advertising should still be given TO both
papers on some basis of compensation
deemed reasonable. fair and equitable by
the Commissioners This was the view
taken bv them. and they fixed it at the
rate above named.
When viewed from the standpoint Of
economy. retrenchment and reform the
action of the Board of Commissioners
must be received with satisfaction by the
tax-paying public at large. AS matter
of abstract justice there is no more rea-
son for requiring the press to work tor
half rates or less. than there is Tor paying
the Sheriff, Clerk of Court, or any officer,
the same reduced ratio OF the compensa-
ton allowed by law. When blacksmith
sharpens plow or mendS wagon he
charges a reasonable compensation for
his time and labor he should receive
it. too; and just so should the printer be
allowed to live. Because circumstances
may be such that for a season he may be
forced to give his time and labor for
nothing is no adequate reason why any
fair and just person should take advant-
age of his necessities in such an extremity.
and. what is more, a fair-minded and
generous public does not deal that way
with the press. However much few
narrow-minded and parsimonious per
sons would delight to throttle the press,
happily it is not in their po..e1 to do so
and the press of the country. the "paila
dium OF liberty, will survive the preJu
dice and parsimony OF any such.