The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-15

Good Results Growing Out Of ~ 81
Louis Newspapers Wransle.
Washington Post

w dSuiffS tol :
The wrangle which has recently broken
out among the stockholders of the st. Louis
Post-Dispatch is to be credited with some
good results. 1t has at least let the public
culation,' by means of which several news
papers Of a certain class obtain patronage
from the public The st. Louis Republic
"A familiar proverb is strikingly con-
irmed by the disclosures the. unseemly
wrangle between the stockholders % the
Post-Dispatch has brought out Honest
men are getting their dues. Advertisers are
gathering information OF exceeding inter-
est concerning the true circulation OF that
paper.
I'm an affidavit filed in the Circuit Court
last Monday the present business manager
Of the Post-Dispatch. Mr.. -. W. Jones.
ton at three specified periods; that IS. the
weeks ending Sept. Is, 1894; Feb IL. 1895.
and Sept. IA, 1896; and. referring to his fg-
large part of the circulation shown by said
statement OF Feb. 16. 1895. was improbable.
and. in fact. fictitious The Post-Dispatch
interesting disclosure. saying: The circn-
lation obtained in January and February
Following the cut in price was in large de-
gree bogus. 1t was impossible to say what
was and what was not bogus.
This is probably the most shameless CON-
fession or misrepresentation and deceit any
in its own Columns. It is an open adInis-
sion that lies have been backed I'D with
affidavits and folsted on advertisers as
truths. a confession that the facts sustain
1.-THE circulation afidavit' has been great
ly overworked. in and out of ST. Louis. Ad-
not only by means of figures that were
bogus, but by means of figures which, even
though they might be accurate in them
selves, did not represent advantage to the
merchant. A newspaper might. for in
stance. have a circulation of 1900 among
the Chinese. and yet ii would not be a val
liable medium for a dealer in American
clothing. 1t might circulate largely among
the Sioux Indians, and yet not be impor-
tant to a publisher of a cookery book. 1t
might be read by every Anarchist in the
~facturer Of soap. What the advertiser really
wants Is direct communication with his Gus
toners. He wants to reach the people to
whose tastes he caters. F1rst-class mer-
ers- 1t is nothing to them to lay their
wares before people who are not likely un-
der any circumstances to trade with them.
This case of the t-Dispatch, however,
is a very different matter. Into this the
ement Of wisdom and discrimination on
the part of the advertiser does not enter
at all. The question is one of fraudulent pre-
tense, pure and simple. The Post-Dis-
patch's circulation. upon the faith of which
| st. Louis tradesmen patronized the paper.
was fictitious. 1t did not exist. The bust
ness manager OF the paper now admits IL
under oath, and the confession Is confirmed
editorialIy. The advertisers were not de-
luded as to the character of the circula-
tion. They were just swindled- Neverthe:
less. we maintain that merchants would
save themselves a great deal OF money and
withdraw from dishonest and disreputable
newspapers a great deal. of temptation by
adhering to the very simple rule of giving
their patronage to the publication s that
notoriously go to the houses of Intelligent.
Industrious and well-to-do people. Those
are the people who deal with them-the
only. people whom it is their interest TO
reach.