The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-15
CRAWFORD HAS HIS SAY.
Explains the Cause of His Trouble
With the Morning Paper.

With the Morning Paper.
The fight between the morning paper
and Manager Crawford is growing IN
bitterness. The paper this morning
chat ged him with maintaining sliding
scale Of prices.
Mr. Crawford followed it up by issu-
ing the following signed statement to-
To the Public:
In justice to the Amusement Syndi-
cate company, 1 desire to make a state
ment Of facts concerning the mlsrepre-
SenTat10n and attacks maze py the
Daily Capital Of this city upon the
Crawford Opera House and recent at
fractions playing therein The advertls-
ing representative of that paper called on
US and made a demand that we double
our advertising and sign a contract 70
that effect. We refused to comply with
his demand, stating that we would ad-
vertise from time to time and to the ex-
tent of what in our judgment would
pay He informed us that unless we
doubled the advertising and increased
their free list that we would not have
their support and influence, and that we
could better afford to double our adver-
Using than have them roast the the
alter and companies We informed MN
that roast was not legitimate. mat
we did not object to fair and just critic
ism, but criticism was not fair and just
that did not point out to the players
and management wherein improvement
could be made. He further stated that
If we would double our advertiS-
ing and increase the free list that the
Capital would give all the shows favor
able notice and the house favorable
mention regardless of whether the per-
formances were good or bad. 1 inform
ed him that we did not believe in that
sort of thing, that what wanted was
just and fair criticism, and that we were
glad to have the newspapers or any per-
son point out the weak points and make
suggestions that would make them bet
ter. This agent and other representa-
tiVes of the paper fatty refused to give
legitimate criticism unless we acceded
to their demands and then commenced a
TRADE of abuse. We called in the tick
cts they We're then using and reduced
the advertising to such space as we
thought juStifiable. They then refused
to print our advertisements, but when
they discovered that we could raise the
record of the house in attendance and
interest without any assistance from
them, they asked us again to advertise
We stated that we would do so provid-
ing We could do as we saw proper. When
they found that they could not coerce
US in this way they began their attacks.
They make statements concerning the
house and its attractions which they
November Is, Mr.. Ba bize, managing edi-
tor of the Capital in formed me that
unless we complied with their demands
they would make 1t red hot for the
theater and all attractions that played
the house. and that they would have
Mr.. George Wilmarth, the fire marshal,
examine the mouse as 10 ITS SAFETY, etc
coolly told him that when he made
such a statement that he knew that it
was false, and that neither he or any
one else could bulldoze or threaten US
in that sort of manner. That we would
not permit to their demands and that
we claimed the same right to ad-
vertise the theater in our own way as
any business man had in conducting
any other kind of business.
We ask the public to Judge for them
selves OF the influence OF such methods
in business We believe the citizens of
Topeka are too just and fair-minded to
believe the attacks that are being made,
actuated as they are, and with an evil
dent intention to cosrce the manage
ment of the opera house.
L.. NJ. CRAWFORD