The age-herald., 1902-02-12
Washington Day bYDay

all the misguided persons who seek py means of printed or typewriter circulars circular letters and the like, to advertise whatever they have to sell, lease or oth- erwise dispose of, or to publish thelr plans, schemes or ideas, could see the wastebaskets of members of Congress any morning of the week, such "adVer- tisersi might get a useful and profitable hint as to the utter uselessness of such rubbish.
 It is astonishing that there are persons In this late day so ill-informed as to take it for granted that men of consequence in private or public life will read or even glance at circulars or any other ef- fort at advertising outside of newspapers; and it is positively amazing that there are few men of high position in finance and trade who attempt to influence legis- lation by means of stuff that is all print ed, even to their respective signatures and sent open through the mails; though in some instances the circulars are sent in sealed envelopes with letter postage and marked personal, if thereby to fool congressman into reading the stuff.
 A case in point is that of one of the oldest and most noted banking and stock gambling firms in Wall Street which sends out a weekly letter in an unsealed envelope with a one-cent stamp and the word personal printed in black ink boldly across the upper left hand corner One would imagine that such firm might become aware that the cost to it of the whole thing is a dead loss.
 Schemes for improving rivers and har- bors, ambitious plans for government buildings, gigantic undertakings in irriga- tion, forest preservation, Alaskan rail- ways, beet sugar production, and so on, are vainly exploited in circulars to sena- tors and representatives It is very doubtful if any member of either house of Congress ever reads a line of these circulars, or indeed ever sees them; for the secretaries charged with the duty of handling the mail of Congressmen know better than to place circulars before the members whose interests they serve, for it is showing very poor respect for any man to "circularige" him merely what a vulgar vulgarism is that A congressman receives thousands of letters in the course of year and every letter must be read and properly answered. Through these letters and through the newspapers a congressman finds out everything needful for him to know in the ordinary dis charge of his public duties, and broadly speaking, there Is nothing in any circu- lar worth reading except that occasional ly purposes that need to be defeated are thereby made known.
 Everybody nowadays whose trade or influence Is of value reads the newspa- pers, and that which is for sale, barter or giving away cannot be of any gen. eral value or interest if it is not worth advertising in the newspapers. excepting, of course, certain specific professional services. No business succeeds without legitimate newspaper advertising.
 Here in Washington no man is too great or too busy to read the newspapers-and all men in the public service, from the President to the lowest grade policeman, or department laborer are hard worked. No busy man anywhere will read cir
 
 conceded in all cities that women read the advertisements in their home news papers before going out to shop. Yet a few folk will "circularize," you know It is a pity they can't see that great Ameri- can necessity, the wastebasket; for wherever that basket is found whether in a Congressmans workroom in Wash in Or fa residence in Birmingham, or any where else, its principal service is to receive circulars
 Now is the time to advertise.
 In this relation there may be repeated a most admirable Alabama story that used to be told by the veteran Lee Mo Kee of Montgomery, gifted and lovea- ble man who is known in all daily news paper offices of that state
 The Hon. Dick English, long since dead, was for many years the owner and editor of the Selma Times, which he made one of the most profitable newspapers ever published in the state, although he print ed no editorials and but two three paragraphs of local news day He paid for and printed without any head lines whatever the Associated Press re- port of that period, and had two locals" kept standing. regarding the movements of dear old Capt. John Quilts Alabama river steamboat Mary" These locals read. as circumstances dictated:
 "The high-headed Mary went up the river yesterday
 "The high-headed Mary went down the river yesterday"
 @Capn Dick" as all Selmians called the kind hearted editor, who was an able as well as popular man, was all-business when in his office. His sense of hearing was greatly impaired, and whenever he failed to distinguish the words of a visi- tor he would assume that the visitor de- sired to dicuss advertising rates.
 Good morning, Cap'n Dick" the cheer full and smiling visitor would greet the cheerful editor.
 "Heh?' would be the response.
 Good morning,"
 "Heh-heh?'
 Good morning.'-this time in a howl
 "Twenty cents a line-twenty cents a Iine--durn your fool hide--Whaw. whawl whawr'
 And then there was fun, which gener- ally ended by the visitor paying twenty