The colored American., 1901-09-14

only do subscribers think 1t cute and
smart not to pay subscription bill ,hut
advertisers and peonle who seek nGtO-
rietY through the columns of theneVs
paOers take all mean advantages of the
Publisher and will not pay a bill unless
Ihey are forced to do it. The colored
publisher especially is the victim Of
thesese cOrmorants. He suffers most
from delinquent subscribers and he
suffers mucn from bad pay advertisers
and from fRkirs who are constantly de-
m&nding his space, but absolutely re-
fuse to pay for 1t when they get 1t. The
average Negro publisher is poor at best
and can Ill afford to lose that which il
due him. He suffers not from any Lack
OF ability to mAA8ge q publication, but
from the fact that those of his race who
are able to help,will not help, and these
who are willing TO help are, as a rule,
unable to help There is anOthes school
Of trOublers-the delinquent subscribers
They will pay nobody. They wouldn't
pay the 'LoWly NaZarene" If he were
mere. But the Negro publisher is ex-
pGcted to be up-tO date, to print 8ll Cf
the latest news, to make his paper as
newsy, Rs spicey and mechanically and
geographically pretty ss the white pub
Usher. The wnite publisher gets the
advertisements ana the subscriptions
and he gets pay for them In addition
he gets the moral support of his con-
stituentR, and is helped, when he needs
help.
A number OF fake advertising con-
Germs are invading the .IOred news
papers. The latest one cut Is ''Lhe
Aethms Cure Free" hscked up aud
handled by DR.. Taft Bros. Medical
Company, 70 e, 13O5h street, NewYork
City, n. 7. More than fifty cOlOred
newspapers are carrying this advertise
ment and not one Of them will get a
penny. Those who have any doubts
about the above statements should send
in their bills at once.
Another fake advertising concern Op-
Grated at Decatur, Ill. with D. n Rose
as manager and offering sOa and pei
fumes and the like for songs in quite
q number Of race papers, 6nd SOME OF
them st Ill carrying the Rdvs rtisement.
If the publishers of race papers wer
better organized and more united they
could obtain larger amount OF adver
tising and could get better pay for
it. They are too ealOus OF eacn other,
however, to do any business along this
line. Every fellow is for himself. II he
gets q contract through brother edit
or, he wants his pay IN adv ance, and
wants two prices fer it. The same edit
or Will print all kinds of fake ADVERTISE
ments for white concerns and he never
gets q penny for 1t. The writer Of this
column undertook to syndicate some
advertising more than two years ago
and in order TO test the value Of certain
papers as advertisrDg mediums, be
made short contracts. There was 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 illssratiOn. The members oi
the Press gang took up tie matter in
good spirit, with few exceptions, ana
most OF them as a result OF ths deal
have secured regular business from tht
firm. Some OF the papers, more than
the number Of digits, have received as
much as five hundred dollars year IL
advance on contracts which came Ou
of this deal.
II the managers Of the National Afro
American Press Association would give
some attention to the business OF tbei
newspapers and less to politics and fl
eaelism' much more good would be &C
complished. The average Negro pres
convent on is run by set OF politician
ministerial and otherwise, who ar'
seeking office or DOtOriely and little,
anx. real business is done at these meet