Arizona republican., 1904-11-28
PHoENIX. ARIZONA, NOV. 28, 1904.
The Douglas nethOd of Campaigning.

William L. Douglas, the governor elect of Massachusetts, is one of the most successful business men in the world He attribute his business sue cess to advertising His shoes are sold all over the planet. When he was nominated for governor by the demo- crats his nomination was regarded as a joke by the republicans. Their can didate. Governor Bates. was popular executive. and the republicans had a majority of nearly hundred thousand. But MT. Douglas set out to win the governorship in the same manner as he had won business success. He re- sorted to a lavish use of printers ink. He bought space in all the papers of general circulation in the state, and made a direct appeal to the voters through the advertising columns. He was elected by 35,OOO majority.
 His remarkable success has resulted in a general discussion of the ethics which should govern a newspaper in the matter of selling it's advertising space. Should a republican paper. for example. sell space to the democrats during a campaign? or course, no re- putable paper will sell its editorial columns and influence, but the verdict is practically unanimous in support of the contention that it is just as proper to sell advertising space to the poi- ucal enemy" as it is to the friendly business man. In discussing this ques- tion writer in the New York Herald says:
 do not believe there is a newspaper in the state which would refuse to make a contract with the manage ment of either political party for given amount of space to be used dur ing a campaign. The proposition would be looked upon as a business transaction. The only imaginable con- ditiOn to be imposed by the publisher would be that the matter should be Of a proper character. Beyond that they could not object, since their advertis- ing columns are for sale Surely a newspaper could not afford to limit the sale of it's columns to one political or ganization, for it would come at once under a kind of suspicion that would entail heavy loss in support and good will. So that it may be expected that in the campaign to be hereafter man aged the newspapers will play a larger part than ever in determining the re- suit, while it will remain to be proved that as the usefulness of the newspa- rla fr1p ba spellbinder decreases.
 And on the remarks in the Herald the Hartford Courant, the most infIu- ential and high class paper in Connec- ticut, makes these sensible comments:
 There is a good deal in this view of things. It is all of a piece with the growth of the newspaper industry. At one time each paper was an organ and printed only what was in harmony with the tune 1t was expected to be all the time playing. Now a newspaper is an independent enterprise. A part of its business is to set before the public advertisements urging the advantages of this thing and that. Candidate Doug las, who has appealed not in vain in behalf of his shoes, turned to and made similar appeals for himself. It was dis tinet advertisement. There was no pretense of editorial quality to it. It was unobjectionable in its nature, though no doubt distasteful to Cover nor Bates. The newspapers printed it for so much a line.
 We quite agree with Colonel "Trum- bull" that this was entirely within the province of a newspaper. Who is to object? If it is the management of the other side. then let that management match these arguments with others at the same price in behalf of the other fellow. That is simple and it is fair play.
 We have an idea that this sort of advertising will spread. It reaches the very people who are desired: it inspires each side to make the best possible pre- sentation of its case; and it carries the cases right and left to all who can read The only objection is that the newspapers get paid for the space That's pretty hard, especially as they are expected to give so much for noth- ing. But they will be able to endure the new condition"
 It is to be expected that the growth of this idea will lead to the wedding out of many papers of the gutter snipe variety-the party organs which have no circulation, which elle out a miserable existence between campaigns and really exist for the purpose of pull ing the legs of candidates and politi- cal committees of their party. It is likely that within a few years we shall find a general adoption of the Doug