Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-04-20

THE ENQUIRER has been informed
that the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany has issued an order to its operators
to discontinue a practice some Of them
have had of summarizing the news of
the morning papers and telegraphing it
ahead to be given out to the public free,
| in advance of the arrival Of the papers.
The order was issued as the result of a
complaint by the daily papers. and that
it is right and proper there is no question.
The newspapers are the most liberal GUS
toners of the telegraph company. Their
stock in trade is news. They do not get
news for fun; but to sell. For the opera
tors to give the news away, though not
intended so, is really a kind Of robbery.
1t Injuries the sale of the papers and de-
creaSes their ability to get news. All OF
the free news that is circulated, originally
costs somebody big money. fit is given
away free, then there is no inducement
to collect it, and the industry is killed at
the fountain head. Newspaper patrons
intelligent, liberal people-who are will
ling to pay for what they get, might learn
valuable lesson from the circumstance.
Those who permit deadbeats to use their
papers, do not only the publishers, but
themselves, a serious injustice. The efli-
cheney of newspaper is necessarily in
proportion to the support it receives. No
class of people are quicker to respond to
material evidences of appreciation than
are thoroughgoing newspaper publishers.
Nine out of ten of them are willing to
spend every dollar that can be spared i'll
the Improvement of their newspaper, and
to a large extent it is true that every new
subscriber not only gets better paper
than the one he borrowed; but helps to
make the paper of the man he borrowed
from better. In an experience of consid-
crably more than generation, THE En-
oUIRER has found that to get more than
200 or 800 paid subscribers in county
even like York, one of the most intelli-
gent in the state, seems to be next to inn
possible. Including white and colored,
there are as many as $500 possible sub
scribers; but large per cent. Of them
are inclined to borrow rather than pay,
and are, consequently, of no value in the
support of newspaper. What The En-
Qu1RER is now and how it compares with
other papers, everybody knows. Gen.
orally, they figure that if other papers in
this section have 400 subscribers, then
THE ENQUIRER has about 1000. But
THE ENQUIRER has not got 1000. 1t
would like to have them. Subscribers are
meant-not readers. 1t has not less than
5000 readers-many of them entitled to
read it because of their membership in
families which pay for it, and others
downright dcadheats; but if it had 1000
subscribers it would at once become a
newspaper the like of which THE EN-
QUIKER of today could hardly be placed
in comparison. So, under all the crcum-
stances, we would suggest that intelligent
people use careful discrimination in this
matter. Let them regard the newspaper
as commercial commodity squarely
upon its merits, and let them look upon
the deadbcats the man who can pay and
won't-as the most serious obstacle to al
improvement that cannot fail to work to
the advantage not only of individual sub
scribers, but the general public as well.