The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-04-16
THE AMERICAN TOBACCO cos AID
AND ADVERTISING RATES.

Lan0Wark, says under Inc ABOVE neau-
ing. Although the main point at issue
Chat of demanding fair price for adj
vertising space was covered in wha;
we wrote last week, courtesy to our
friend and justice to ourself demand
that we allude to the matter once more.
Editor Clark is mistaken when he
says we are is.urbed because so many
OF our contemporaries are carrying the
ad of the American Tobacco Compa
ny. On the contrary, we have no
objection, if it is carried at rate sui
fciently high, as in the case of the
Landmark Ifthere is one trait that
characterizes The makeup of this wri-
ter above another, it is that of unself-
ishness. We wish to see every news
paper succeed. We want to see every
portion OF North Carolina prosperous.
We delight to speak in commentator
of the efurts and achievements of 9TH
ers. If they accom- plish anything worthy
of praise the GOLD LEAF is quick to
recognize the fact and ready to ap-
plaud the act. We do not sit and sulk
and say nothing when a praiseworthy
feat in journalism is performed merely
because we did not do it. And so any
intimation that we were actuated in
what was said about this matter from
a spirit Of selfshrtess falls hat-as I'M
worthy of the man who utters it as it
should be beneath our notice.
1t was purely in the interest and well
fare Of our brethren of the press-the
protection Of such papers as the
Statesville Landmark itself, whose pub
Usher recognizes in letter and spirit the
code of honest journalism and adopts
no method outside of legitimate bust
ness principles-that we have said
what we have, as much as for the ben
eft Of the fellow ~ho takes anything
and everything that comes along re-
CARELESS of price or consequences TO
himself or others. If in this way we
can put them "on to- the sharp prac-
tlces of these foreign advertising agents
and cause them to stand up for their
rights or make them ashamed to &C
cept business on the terms proposed by
some, then we shall not have written
in vain, although in so doing we may
not have the appreciation Of our es-
,eemed Statesville contemporary whose
good opinion we value so highly.
That there is cause for such writing
now and then (and. if the press of the
State was more united along this line
it would be SO much the better) we
have Brother Clark's own admission to
bear us out Hear him:
We agree with Mr.. Manning that many
newspapers, perhaps a majority in the
State, take foreign advertising at ruin
ousy low rates. But not all them do.
The Landmark certainly does not. The
ad. in question was offered us for about
half what we thought it worth We
named rate at which we would take it
and the offer was accepted That rate
we regard sufficiently high. We are sat
isfied with it and the conditions of the
contract. Had we not been we would
not have accepted the proposition, for
we turn down offers almost daily simply
because the advertising agents will not
come to our terms.
We have never said that this ad was
accepted by all of the papers at lower
rates than it should have been. Nor
have we charged that "perhaps ma
jority of newspapers in the State take
foreign advertising at ruinously low
rates. But Brother Clark sees US one
better and goes that far. We know a
great many that do not, and what we
want to see is for it to be said in truth
that none of them do. Perhaps this
will never be, but that is no reason
why we may not wish for and work
for such consummation.
The Landmark says that because
the price offered us was not satisfac-
tory it is Unfair to charge that the
same Germs were accepted by all
the other papers. Again does our
friend do US injustice. We have not
made any such charge as that. On
the contrary, we know of many pa
pers that we were prepared to except,
the Landmark among them, even in
the absence Of its declaration above
quoted.
What we did say was that we had
reason to believe many papers print
tnlS advertisement LOT almost nothing
at a much lower price than they
would charge a home merchant or
manufacturer for the same space.
Why do we say so? When this prop
o5Ilion was sent out tolhe newspaper,
the plates of the advertise ment went
along with it. The very week in
which we received them we saw the
advertisement in several of our ex-
changes. Business of this kind is
usually sent out in a batch, whole
State or division of State being COW
cred at one time. These publishers
had not had time TO write and secure