The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-12
FREE ADVERTISING.
Are Colleges and candidates TO Take
Possession of the NewsDapers:

Are SOiieseS anu SnnUIUatcS 10 TAX
Possession Of the Newspapers:
AS rule the newspapers are generous tc
the colleges as we'll as liberal TO the politi
clans, and they are seldom reluctant to be O
service to either when the occasion offers.
As rule both colleges and politicians have
been square and fair, and have been willing
to pay reasonable charges, but 1t seems to ut
that some colleges. and some politicians, eX
pect little too much of this newpaper.
Some weeks ago we received notice from
Furinan University that that institution had
scholarships to give away, which notice W.
were requested 10 publish. When the bill
was received for the same the following an
swer came back:
Greenvlle. S. G., Aug :, 1896.
Mr.. Hugh Wilson. Jr., Abbeville, =. G..
My Dear Sir IL have received your bill fol
printing our locals. Thinking there must be
an oversight write TO explain. The matter
which sent you was not at all In the nature
Of an "Ad." We have never paid for the In
sertions of them, and have sent them fol-
the past three years to the papers Throughout
the State. 1t was merely information for the
benefit OF the people OF your county, and
thought as such you would be glad TO print i
for US. Kindly let me hear from you.
Yours very truly,
Chas. H. Durham, Sec.
OTHER COLLEGES PAY FURMAN SHoULI
DO THE SAME.
An institution that Is so we'll off as to bs
hoIc W give IL OCCuTS 10 US, mas
reached that degree of prosperity that II
should be able and willing to pay to have the
same advertised, Erskine College, Due West
Female College, South Carolina College, and q
dozen other colleges pay for their advertise
ments and we see no reason for making an
exception OF Furman.
WISDOM OF THE LITTLE PEANUT LEGIsLA.
TURE.
When Mr.. Durham says he has "never paid
for ,,nI,
pressed with the wisdom of the little Peanut
Legislature tha: proposed to pay the least
possibl lie amount to printers. We believe II
WAS the same Legislature, however, which
piled up the costs and business for lawyers
by requiring creditors to go into court to fore.
close mortgages.
Last Summer we received from a lifelong
friend an account OF the commencement al
some OF the Greenville colleges-a matter IN
which our people were not interested-but
which WAS published because OF Its source.
While we would not think of charging for
publishing such articles, yet IT Is safe TO say
count OF Greenville commencement will be
paid for by some one else than the editor OF
the Press and Banner.
MORE CHEEK.
Some politicians seem to have no limit TO
their presumption in making drafts on the
newspapers. Within the last few days we
nave had an unusual number of applications
lot tue puOllcaLlOQ or mat
ters of interest to themselves. but as in the
case OF Furman University, there was q back
wardness or timidity about proposing TO pay
the nece ssary expense. They actually want.
ed the editor OF the Press and Banner to incur
the expense for setting up the type of their
speeches., and then expected him to print the
same In his newspaper, merely for the health
OF the editor, or Just for the fun there
was In Ito the candidate.
This newspaper is friendly to everybody
who Is friendly to its editor, and we think the
lies of the paper will prove that this news
paper has ways been ready to do a reaSona-
BILE favor for any friend, but when friends ex.
pect US to pay out several dollars for the priv.
ilege OF publishing speech In which neither
we nor our readers are especially interested we
must decline, and perhaps we would not now
that the generosity OF men who may be in the
business for the fun of currying favor with
politicians Is always quoted to US, even as
Furman University does. We take the ground
that II Is the business of the politicians to
their favors. We do not propose to cultivate
them by paying out money to print their
speeches in the hope that the lucky candidate
Tor Congress Will pay us back for all that we
have done for all the candidates by sending
US ten cents worth Of last years seeds from
the agricultural department..
ANOTHER INSTANCE.
A candidate for State office who had been
strongly endorsed by his home people, and
by letters from well known citizens, had
these endorsements printed on slip and sent
to us With the intimation that he would like
to see them in this paper. This candidate is q
good friend OF ours and we are good friend
TO him. The people of Abbeville County will
likely give him strong vote. This editor
VIII certainly vote for him. But this friend
forgot to enclose the necessary amount to COW
er the actual outlay for typeSettlng and we
can't afford TO pay dollar, or any other
amount, to boost any candidate, unless there
be circumstances warrantipg or demanding
1t.
DRAWING TIE LINE.
To be able to draw the line where charges
should be made Is sometimes difficult one
but there is a safe rule by which such matters
can be settled satisfactorily to this office, at
least. The man who IL most Interested
should pay the expense.
Sometimes this editor prints some OF his
own writing. In such instances, he always
pays the expense.
In like manner, If any speaker is more In :
terested in seeing his speech In print than
we are, then, he ought to pay the expense.
II, however, the editor propose to print IT,
then he-and not the speaker-should pay IL.
In publishing speech or other matter that
Is OF personal interest the fact that 1t may
also have some interest to the general public
should not be overlooked. In cases of this
sort we think only a small charge, say IS,
should be made TO cover the actual outlay
pay the actua! expense of publishing speech,
the printer who would do so at the request OF
another-and not upon bis own motion
doesn't lack much OF being natural born
fool-or to put 1t more mildly he may be
akin to the man who has been described 30
appropriately In these words: "a fool and
his money is soon parted