The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-24
PETER FUNK JOURNALISM.
of the "Gfft" Humbug
n Sign of Returning Sense.
San Francisco Argonaut

San Francisco Argonaut
The pleasant intelligence comes from Chi
cago that all the newspapers there have
united in an agreement that after Feb. 1
they Will abandon the use of chromos as
gifts To subscribers, and also discontinue
the various guessing prizes and other cheap
John devices for attracting the, weak
minded and increasing their circulation.
The proprfetors of the Chicago journals
have discovered some facts that ought 10
be instructive TO the press OF the whole
country. When one of them began Offering
pictures or lottery prizes, its competitors
followed suit; Therefore, none derived a
special advantage. Such has been the
for pre-eminence in this line that some of
the Chicago papers occasionally expended
as much as two or three thousands dollars
for colored pictures for single number.
Tho proprietors met recently and com
pared experiences. They figured out that
they were paying 100000 a year for these
10 nothing in return. as the people thus in
duced to take any given paper were not OF
a class who could be held. Each paper
it bid for them got them in turn. the net
result 0 giving away more than a half
million dollars year was stationary sub
scription lists and poorer newspapers. SO
these able editors have determined 10 uuit
throwing money out of the window and
use it in improving their newspapers.
The Argonaut congratulates the Chicago
publishers on their late awakening 10 a
state of facts that ought to have been
obvious without Illuminating resort TO
experiment. And the congratulations go TO
the readers of the Chicago newspapers also.
We predict that material increase In cir
culation will follow
AZ present all the great dailies'' every
where. from New York toSSan Francisco, are
p.acticing the folly of which tle Chicago
press IL about to cure itself, and the public
the civilized public-is more than weary OF
it. Newspapers must be taken. They are as
necessary 10 existence as the visits OF the
butcher and baker. But when a man sub
scriDes for a paper in order that he may
keep himself informed on what is going for
ward in the world. he would rather soe
spared pages of matter which shout TO aim
that the publishers of the sheet are en-
nahsm. Appeals to him in black type TO
solve mystery pages. guess at the number
tion. endeavor to tell now a haif-fnished
story should end. try his luck al the beam
jar game by cutting out a coupon and in
closing 10 cents herewith TO the business
ofIice-al tnis is an intolerable imperti-
hence and heavy offense. The subscriber
pays for newspaper, not the advertising
circular CT publisher who Is feyerishiy
running a kin3 of country fair as a side
show, with the equivalents OF thimble-rig-
ging. roulette, faro and pool-box all COM
pIete. The publisher who does this takes as
great a liberty as would the butcher or
baker. who, after delivering in the area
what had been ordered. should mount the
front steps, ring the door bell. and invite
the household to engage in game OF three
card monte there ans then, or 10 step
around the corner and patronize she fine
nan was conducting in addition TO his bak-
cry or butehery. Should ones halter or
tailor hire a brass band TO 90 around daily
and serenade his patrons. the joyful pro-
session Including transparencies urging them
% purchase tickets in rafIies for watches
and turkeys. the proceedings would be as
seemly as is the conduct OF the newspaper
proprietor who bellows through his publca-
zion demands on defenseiess readers 10 play
at his various games-none OF which IS in
tended for the readers benefit, bur all for
that OF the modest proprietor.
The return of the Chicago press 10 jour-
nalsm will, let US hope. provoke emulation.
There will be a widespread desire 10 see
newspapers that are simply newspapers
journals that have no street-fakir attach
ments. 1t must be that marked gain in