The colored American., 1901-09-21

There is no class of men who are so
persistently and Systematically robbed
as the publishers Of newspapers Net
only do subscribers think il cute and
smart not to pay subscription oil, but
advertisers and people VINO seek nOto-
Tiety through the columns Of the news
papers take all mean advantages Of the
publisher and Will not pay bill III less
they are forced to do 1t. The c0lOFed
publisher especially is the victim of
these c0mOrants. He suffers most from
delinquent subscribers and he suffers
much f-Om bad pay advertisers and fa-
kris who are constantly demanding his
space, but abs Olutely refuse to pay for
it when they get it The average Negro
publisher is poor at best and can ill-af-
ford to lose that which is due him. He
suffers not from any lack OF ability 10
manage 3 publication. but from the
fact that those Of his race who are able
TO help. will not help, and these who
are willing 20 help are, as rule, unable
10 help. There Is another school OF
trout Iars-the delinquent subscribers.
They will pay nobody. They wouldn't
pay che "l0Wly Il az 4rene" If he we're
here. Bot the NegIO publisher is ex-
pected to be up-tO date, to print all OF
the latest news, to make his paper SO
neWsy, as spicey and mechanically and
typOgrsp phically as pretty as the white
publisher. TheWhite pubLs her gets the
advertisements and the subscriptions
and he gets pay for them. Ia addition
he gets the moral support Of his con-
stituents, and is helped, Wnen he needs
help.
A numbsr of fake advertising con-
Germs are invading the colOred news
papers. The latest one out Is "The
Asthma Cure Free" backed up and
handl I'd by Dr.. Taft Bros. Medical
Company, 20 E 130 h street, New YOik
City, II. Y. More than fifty cOlOred
newspapers are carrying this advertise
ment and not one Of Them will get
penny. Those who have any doubts
about the above statement should send
IN their bills at once
Another fake advertising concern op-
Grated st Decatur, Ill with d. n. R1se
as msnageT and offering soaps and per
fumes and the likes for sCng is In quite
g number Of race papers, ard some OF
them are still carrying the advertise
ment.
II the DuDlS1eTS OF race papers were
better organlz d and more united they
could obtain larger amount OF adVer-
tising and could get better pay for
it They are too Jealous of each other,
however, to do>any busInefs 81 ing this
line. Every fellow Is for himself. II he
gets contract through brother editor
ne wants his pay in advance, and
wants two prices for il. The S me edit
or will print all sorts Of fake advertise
ments for white cone rus and he never
gets q penny for tt. Tne writer Of this
column undertook to syndicate some
advertising more than two years ago
aud ii order to test the Vaue Of certain
papers as adver isiUg mediums, he
msde short contracts. There wss no
money IN the deal, but for the sake OF
the experiment, the writer offered to
pay for the work by making any kind
of cuts or Illustrations. The members
of the Press gang took up the matter in
good spirits, with few exec eptiCns, and
most Of them as 8 result Of the deal
h ave secured regular business fI0m The
firm. S SINE OF the papers, more than
the number OF digIts, hsve received ss
much as five hundred dollars year IN
advance on contracts which came out
Of this deal.
1.-THE managers OF the Il Naticnsl Afro
American Press Association would give
aome attention to the business features
of their papeIs and less 10 politics, and