The sun., 1894-01-28
THERE Is MONEY IN IT.
TBB WAY SOME NEWsPAPKRs BUNco
1BEIR SUBSCRIBERS.

/
| Cash fronts OF from 60 60 zoo per Csnt.
| Fro- O. C7.rsard Isrt,r.
Few newspaper readers have had opportu-
| mites Afforded them for an insight into what
| Is known In journalistic circles rs the coupon
| business" The business has become a feature
| with many newly established newspapers as
| well as with number o, those which though
| old In years. are not making both ends meet
| financially. In few instances old and we'll
established papers have gonc into II because
! their competitors did So The general suppo-
| sition Is that tho coupon scheme is n laudable
| enort TO increase newspaper circulation.
Instead OF that being the case the
| prime motive OF the coupon fake" pub
| Usher In adopting II f. to make money
| by carrying on mercantile business
| In connection with his Journalistic enterprise.
! Long advertisements tell the reader that by
| cutting coupons from certain number Of
! papers and presenting them at the puulishers
| ONCE with n certain sum OF money hs will
receive In exchange como article mentioned
in tho Advertisements. The article 10 repre-
| sented. at least BIZ inference, to lie worth much
| more than the newspaper sells IL for. and tho
| reader believes that n SPECIAL bargain is
| offerod him as n subscriber OF the paper. lie
does not know that the publisher cares moth
| ing for the coupons. and that from 90 to 2O)
pcr cent profit Is realized on the cash received
ioE lne hlllCleS 4 llb money lUAt nus goes 10
tho newspaper comes usually from tho poorer
readers. who arc induced by tho bargain"
Offers to buy things which they
DON'T WANT AND Don't NErn
As a rule they regret tho expenditure after
ward, for in many cases they cannot afford to
spend the money for tho article. Tho paper
that engages In This form OF mercantile busi-
ness com into direct competition with mer.
chants engaged In legitimate trade who arc
asked at the same time to patrOnize It's ndver-
tising columns Tho Leddpr and other leading
newspapers such "a THF Nav YoEK Su" the
NeC lork Hsrdd. and tho st. Louis G!ohe-
Democrat. have not gonc iuto tho coupon bus-
ness No increase in subscriptlon2 results
from It, The old subscrihors nre the ones
who bite at the coupon bait. Experience has
proved that new sui ulscrirtions do not fol-
low the Introduction OF the scheme. The only
newspaper In Cleveland that has tried. to any
great extent. to gull its subscribers py deal
ing In cheap merchandise. is the cx-ofliclal
municipal organ: its subscribers are being
treated to n dose OF coal oil tactics such IA
tho city was suhjectei to for two or three
years. Recently the Nori! advertised that for
twenty-five coupons and sl.5O n chids Bible
would be given. At least one person who
purchased the book AierwarI Nscertaned
that he could buy the same Bible at a store on
Superior street for ~ cents.
=
to increase the circulation Of his newspaper.
ha5 volunteered to accept products oi the farm.
dairy and factory
IN EXCHANGE FOR HtS JOURNAL.
He has always, however ondeavored TO in
crease the circulation, and with hat end IN
eT many ny prnJests S nave been deyri"ped
came prominent Publishers got together
and dubbed with one another. Two papers or
paper and magazine were offered to suO-
scrihers at price much less than the com-
bined cost OF each. The newspaper publishers
tn la ,,..l
clubs OF subscribers. Pianos. organs. sewing
mnchipes; and many other articles were
W. clubs This plan was legitimate. and
many reputable papers adopted it. Tho
to subscribers. aud chromos were gwen
to those WHO sent in years subscription:
books were given TO subscriUers. such books
as Webstsr's Dictionary. United states histo-
OF Inactivity In This Inc followed The PS't%H int
ventive genius and resources OF the publish
for the money he had invested to come bNck.
upto this time al premiums and presents
scrlbers as gifts. For period OF ten or twelve
years title was done by the publishers along
sorted in newspapers BY dealers in cheap Jew
elry. Jewel caskets.
WATCHES AND BOGUS DIAMONDS.
The forms OF the advertisements were sent
left in them to be filed by the Insertion ol the !
names OF the papers The idea was 10 havo |
tio Vebple lp DeIltNs |
that readers OF the paper printing It were |
given special indpcement, to inyes: IL what
pers refused to permit the use OF their names |
In these adyertsementsi 1t was from this
People are told that tho coupon scheme is |
for the purpose ot increas ing he REGULATION Of I
duced 10 use il. The plan is to ofIer some art- |
Gle to the reader for certain number OF c9u.
would seem small price in cash. The coup"a
10 used as trick What the publisher ~ aftec
Sa;h shd pro1 05SE on the GG9as he osrf for sale
paper office they are thrown into the waste
that the newspaper has gone into the rnercan-
tile business. and Is roaplnG harvest among
books are a favorite article Of merchandise
with these newspapers. Books sold 10 tho
readers Tor one COUPON and 10 cents cost tho
sold Tor 70 cents and two coupons cost thS
newspaper ~ cents The newspaper publisher
and three coupons. and from 20 to - cents
for what he charges % cents and six coupons:
Instead OF being conducted for the purpose OF
BESEFTTING sUBsCRIDEEs
the coupon business Is really an illeGitimate
money King scheme Of the owners Of the
Of the coupon business. and " from i'S It. Il tRs tH
scheme has spread over tho country. The
Sns ana are HSm7 NHy PaH.s ors 81 Of ' the h~ouHy
York journal which pays man SlUuup z
sh. ae The ESS4nS And rev HTSs , S%G
pspers have, aS rule. kept ou' of the bus,
ness. lhS Kansas tlty >tdr has denounced
the scheme As n dsgrdre to journalism. The I
same paIer has offered good, 10 tho public AT
tine price 1t pays the manufacturers. II does
not require coupons and sells She articles Ht
first cost instead OF getting from 20 10 2to per
cent profit, The Pittsburgh lOs also ue-
nOunces the coupon business.
Tho greed OF the neWruIpcFs 10 enter into
this business has resulreI IN tho building
up OF "a dozen large Institutions whicn
manufacture cheap goods e.pr'Ial!y for
the coupon fake" trade They mako
everything, from - rOlea mil to a cu.Ia. /
Sewing machines, watcuHs reprints OF cy-
coprdlR- TeprInts ~ books 10y w'l- known
authors. pictures. AMI patterns are aInpu.s tha
products ~ thss" establishments iictur,s ~
tho Worlds Fair are At present n iruitful
pTCdurt, No les than hall a dozen arms being
engaged In printing them tor newspaper
cunpDn 0Usratnns. With the majority ~ tho
papers engaged iu II the coupon ira a4a 4, tho
most profitable part Of their business. Tho
fraud Ia the whole thing Is that IrnpIe are iH-
duesd to hOli-Ns that they are otTrrrfl sI.gu- .
"A 4u,uIl mart rpNl ,s,'ra ..ttr.a