The record-union., 1893-12-06
A BRAssY PROPOSITION.

w hen the RECORD-ONION recently
warned the people of the interior that the
special edition" and boom "write-up"
of foreign papers would soon assail them.
we knew of what we treated.
The threatened invasion was manifest
in Sacramento on Monday, when the
special agent of a San Francisco paper
coolly proposed to the City Trustees to
take thousand dollars or more of the
taxpayers money and dump it into the
counting room Of that paper for write
up" in proposed New Years edition of
the metropolitan sheet.
OF course this proposition to loot the
treasury is an absurdity. The Trustees
have no more power to do so than to
legislate coin out Of the national treasury.
But such an obstacle did not deter the ap-
plicant particle.
The plea was made that the cities and
counties of the interior are in the slough
of despond, and this pretentious foreign
sheet, out of the great good will it has for
The interior, proposes to sell its columns
to lift the interior out of the mire at
thousand dollars a lift.
Sacramento is not in the slough of de-
spond. It is not distressed about its pres
ent or its future. 1t is reasonably pros
porous and healthfully hopeful. What
ever it may need. it certainly does not
need to buy of any San Francisco journal
All these offers from the outside to
''write-up'' are frauds. They are frauds
upon the people who pay for them, be-
cause no sufficient or good consideration
passes. They are frauds upon the reader,
because no man with thimbleful of
brains attaches the slightest value to
them, knowing full well that these ad-
jectival screeds are ground out to order
by the hack boom writers of journals
that have only coin in view.
Whatever honest, truthful expository
literature a community such as this
deems itself in need of, it can best pro-
cure at home and give circulation to
through its own papers, which are as
capable of as wide distribution as any
other. Behind such matter so appearing
is the credit of the journal and the faith
of the community in which the journal
receives its support in whole or in part.
The business men of this city have had
their eye teeth cut long ago in this bust
ness. At one period of their history
they spent a good many thousands of
dollars upon these foreign special edi-
tions, the bulk of which found their way
to the Chinese laundry, and even less in
v1ting repositories. Sacramento has had,
in short, its fill of boom edition foreign
journalistic aid. Such swindles no longer
address themselves invitingly to our
people.
They know that all diversion of means
through such agencies is at the expense.
first, of themselves, and, second, of the
local press. which has right 10 expect
support in and from the community, the
interests of which it conseryes constantly.
They are fully awake to the fact that all
such dilution of the advertising fund
which every wise business man sets
apart for the publicity of his business is
dead loss.
The local press of every community
where these attempts to rob it of its legiti-
mate support are made, has q right to
protest. It does precisely the right thing
when it frankly and unreservedly noti-
fes the local community that it viii
suffer by any and all concessions, to these
nomadie boom agencies. and that if the
community persists in such diversion it
deals with a two-edged sword that cuts
in two directions.
The local press that does not, with hon.
est indignation, protest against these
metropolitan schemes of the stand-and-
deliver order, and all similar comers
with offers to take coin for puffery, does
not deserve respect or support.
DEATH OF JOHN TYNDALL.