The Opelousas courier., 1904-05-28
Tit for Tat.

The Ruston Leader touches up
a certain class of people in that
town (we've got macy of the
same kind in Opelousas) who are
ever ready to cali upon the local
paper for favors-public and pri-
vate-for which they pay moth
ing, and in many instances hever
contributed IL dollars worth of
advertising to help suppoEt the
paper, yet are quick to criticize
its shortcomings-real or imagin-
cry, and when they haye a dSl-
lars worth of printinebo do will
not hesitate to send t4f to a job
Office that never cor fbutes five
cents in money or ,laSIor towards
furthering any public enterprise.
If we had a hundred job printing
Offices in Opelousas, and every
one working to its full capacity,
they could not take the place of
one newspaper, though their rev.
enue might be sufficient to SUPP
port a dozen good papers. 1t has
become a habit with many to call
on the newspaper for free adver-
tising on any and every occasion,
and the sa ameo parties will go
straightway to a job office and
pay full price for what job print
ing they may require, in further
ance of the same object, oblivious
of the fact that the newspaper is
expected to "whoop it up through
it's columns pro bono pubEco
should at least be allowed a
chance to do what job printing
is to be done at IL living price.
"We are always pleased to serve
and favor our friends and patrons
and delight in placing our facili-
ties at their disposal, but it, re-
quires great magnanimity and
Christian virtue to cheerfully re-
spond in the same degree to those
who are Indifferent to our welfare
and success, and are disposed to
bestow their patronage and favor
elsewhere, whenever they have
the opportunity to serve us OF
advance our interest without dis
advantage or inconvenience to
themselves. These reflections,
inspired by the fact that people
often come to us for favors in
the way of publishing personal
notices and other matters of
private nature, which pertains tc
them alone, and should properly
come under the head of business
and then when they have work in
our line to do, or when they car
direct business that would greatly
assist US, with no loss to them
hasten to seek other shops, ane
frequently put themselves to trou
BILE and inconvenience to turn j
away from us, when we could anc
would have done it as we'll and a
perhaps cheaper hac
we had the chance to compete fol
it. These people-and they ar
not a few or far between-have
what is termed in common par
lance, gall but which could b
more appropriately called nerve,
and while we often close our eye
to the situation, and in the good
ness of our heart befriend them
still, in doing so, we are not jus
to ourselves or duly conslderat
: of our business interests, whlcI
, should teach us to offer every
: thing to our friends but nothin
: to the opposition.
{ "But this world is filled with il
: gratitude and selfshness, whic
years ago caused Bobbie Burns t
> wall and point the maxim ths
a 'the ingratitude of man to ma
made countless millions mourn
Q and we suppose, in common wit
f the rest of Adams race, we shoul
g bear our share of this most VI
+ holy of human traits. But whi
j. we are not going to be little
O soul and small of conscienc
/ nevertheless, we are going to
f as little of this hereafter as po
/ sible, and while we are going.
b continue to leave the latch strir
o on the outside for our friend
and bid them enter and commaI
n our pleasure, to the other fellc
y we are going to politely say: 'Ft
l. low your favors. 2"
,e
# We have received two very US
le full pamphlets treating of the ca
L r L Il