Evening journal., 1899-12-11
a LIrrLr roo EXAcTING.

ton to barter $3.50 worth of whiskey
for $3.50 cash and $3.50 in advertising
Today We have q proposition from St.
Louis patent medicine man to adver-
tise long list of alleged specifics and
to accent the specifics 90 for pay; the
suggestion being that we sell the nos
trums TO duggists-who probably de-
cline to buy from the compounderl
There is an eternal stream of such
propositions. Not day closes upon
any daily newspaper Office that has not
brought to the paper from half a dozen
to a score or more requests for free ad-
vertising.
The great bulk OF this demand for
free ads is local. It comes from the
best Of people. From business men and
women. and from all sorts of organize
tions: for all sorts Of schemes and OBJ
jects. The person who makes the re-
quest is always certain that his is AM
exceptional case. and that the manager
who does not think 80 is either a skin
flint, a fool or a hog-or tripartite and
all OF these. They are people one can
not turn down" because they are peo-
pie who ought not to be turned down, ."
being excellent folk
AS it will illustrate the case we Will
give one local instance Howard Ross
Of D. Ross g. Son, Is pleasant gentle
man, an enterprising business man,
full Of energy and of whom Whining
ton has reason to be proud. His promi-
nence and deserved place in public fa-
vor and respect enables us to use his
case as an Illustration without subject
ing ourselves to any suspicion Of re-
sentiment; and It enables us to empha-
size the points We desire to illustrate.
Indeed, this phase Of the newspaper
business is so common to experience
that there could be no piQue from 1t,
so far as the newspaper is concerned.
The idea appears to be universal that
there rests upon newspaper an obli-
cation to grind everybodys axes. to
furnish the grindstene and do it's own
turning
Howard Ross called on the manager
of the Evening journal and submit
ted copy for a pun for an organization
from the University Of Pennsylvania,
which is about to give an entertain
ment here. The pun was an excellent
one. Whoever wrote IL understands the
business. IL was a dollar-getting.
money-making ad Mr. Ross wanted us
to print il free He admitted that il
would bring money to the show and
that 1t was because IL would do so he
wished to have us publish it. He adj
mitted that the organization makes
money; but said that they give 1t all
away to, "oh, ever so many"
The manager asked II they proposed
to do any advertising and Mr. Ross
said that they will probably publish
one paid notice about the date Of the
entertainment"
II the notice rendered by Mr.. Ross
was printed as paid matter it would
bring the Evening Journal from IS to
81 for one publication. The manager
could not see wherein the Evening
journal is indebted to anybody in any
way that It could pay of the obligation
by publishing free a money-getting ad
for a money-making show from an
other state. and Mr.. Ross was assured
that the notice would be published
later, If the Philadelphia amusement
organization does any advertising and
pays for it.
In substance the manager said to Mr.
Ross: There are many entertainments
all depending upon the public for pay
ment They advertise and pay us theii
money because they depend upon us te
send them customers. We send then
customers because they pay us for do
ing so; and they make money and 81
do we. We advise people to choose be
tween the several who pay us for sucl
advice. Now, if after we have beer
paid to advise our readers to go to
Wilmington entertainment. we volun
tarily, and not acting as the employe,
agent OF another entertainment. urg
our readers to go to a Philadelphia
show we defraud our own customers
Il is not honest to charge one shoy
for its ad and then advertise compel
ing show free. The Evening Journa
will not do that Every dollar that W
can send to our advertisers we ar
bound in honor to send them. Ever
dollar that we divert from them b
means Of a free pun for competito
we deprive them of unjustly and dis
honestly"
Mr.. Ross was unconvinced. decline
to leave his copy on file; and. bein
piqued, permitted the fact to be mani
fest and left the manager oppresse
by the knowledge that he had offende
a gentleman whom he did not wish
offend.
During the week the Ross holiday ad
appeared in our contemporaries: but n
Ross holiday copy reached the Evenin
Journal. The advertising solicitor cal
ed ct the store and Howard Ross tol