The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-08-05
LAURENs. s. c., Aug. 5, 1908.
Getting Up In Years.

S|partauDufg opartan, lO""uco ohio
newspaper. 1t has been published each
week since, about $50 weeks in all.
The thirteenth year of the present
ownership is also completed. So far as
the ownership is concered, the thir.
teenth has been it's luckiest year.
The friends of THE ADVERTISER
number at least u full regiment and a
few companies extra. They will be
glad to know that the general health OF
the paper is good. Apparently, the pa
per has more dollar n year friends, by
that we mean those actually worth a
dollar a year, than it has had before.
Others are enlisting every day.
During the life Of THE ADVERTISER
the town Of Laureus has quadrupled in
population. This has not meant q
quadrupling in newspaper income. I'm
til 1894 the revenues from legal and Of
fetal advertising were four or five
times what they are now. Twice as
much "hustling" is required now to
make a living and a fair profit as was
required in those days. The time has
come when the people insist upon hay-
Ing an 'all home print" newspaper.
The expenses of publishing the paper
are decidedly greater than they were
earlier because the people demand a
better paper.
Nevertheless, The ADVERTISER has
no reason to complain. 1t is of keen
uotiGonttD 10 tln D,,pan shat thn M
per seems to have the confidence OF SO
many worthy people aud an especial
pleasure to the editor that the time has
long since passed that any reader takes
offence because the papers editorial
views are not his views. We do not eX-
should agree with us bat we think it is
n good sign thai the people seem glad
to have q paper with independent opin-
ions and are willing to support it.
AS we have said time and again, a
great newspaper cannot be printed for
a dollar the year. She most that the
publisher can do is to give the reader
the best value possible for the dollar.
The aim of THE ADVERTISER is each
week to present the important news
c~onciseiy, and ia the editorials to give
the people something to thiok about.
Tho editorial is q success II it catches
the readers Interest and makes him
think. Whether or not it convirces
him is of little or no immediate impor-
tance.
TIE ADVERTISER will probably be
improved to q degree this winter, if
the collections from the subscribers
justify 1t. The pap,r conuot be made
twice rs good unless about twice as
much income be received. A newspa-
per man cannot make a iirst-c'ass arti-
Gle and sell it at the price Of shoddy.
We believe that The ADVERTISER VIII
be in a better condition on the first of
January than it is now and if so the
subscribers will get u somewhat better
paper in 1904.
A Newspaper Matter.
TIE ADVERTISER has lately received
o letter from an ASSOCIATION in this
State which proposes to hold a fair.
The letter requests THE ADVERTISER
to "boom" this fair and encloses a lot
of "copy" by way Of suggestion. The
fair has for its aim the encouragement
of industry in and the general develop.
ment OF South Carolina. For some rea-
son, free tickets to this fair are prom
ised the editors. This association is an
old concern aod has had bountitul free
advertising for ab3u, half a century.
The free tickets arc presumably in
tended to pay for the advertising.
TIE ADVERTISER will not go out Of
it's way to '.bcom" this fair.
Fair associations should pay for their
advertising like individuals. A few
persons and corporations In the fair
towns get most Of the direct profit.
The Charleston Gala Week Association
recognizes this and sends money for
blooming" each year to the county pa
pers. The papers are thus made to feel
that they are not being imposed upon
and properly, exert themselves 10 ex-
plot "gala week."
LIZ a fair Is worthy of free advertising
on account of it's public benefits, there
is no reason to pay for it in free tick
cts. The editor accepting free tickets
Is merely selling advertising space at
a niggardly rate and thinking the OPP
p%ortunity to be generous. 1t may have
been q newspapers duty to "boom"
the fair here referred to In the carly
days Of the associations existence but
the time has come when 1t is able to
pay because the announcement Is made
that the association will pay for adver-
Using other than that in newspapers
1t will ''bill the state" with ''circus
posters" This chilling" will cost
money. 1t will put money in the peck.
cts of photographic concerns, bill
board owners and travelling distribu-
tors.
If this fair association desires space
In THE ADVERTISER, it must pay for
1t at least a nominal sum,-large
enough TO show that 1t does not wish
TO "beat" its way to success.
THE ADVERTISER does not not take
this position on account of the money
involved. 1t will ''boom" this fair
just S o soon as 1t is made clear that the
association does not mean TO abuse the
llberality OF the press.
VI h1Ana.vLtlA .f