Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-04-05
9sCOLLECTING SUBSCRIPTIONS
Esg 49,


/ send the paper back marked refused
| | wonder if he will transfer his pat
ronaga to the other fellow" We don't
| sue him-not often-for then we would
Jose him, sure, and our competitor
would gain one We don't hand the
bill to an attorney-not until all other
| expedients are exhausted-for that
would be an impeachment of his hon
esty-the subscribers, not the law
yer's. What do We do? Oh. We let
him drag along. Rather than drop him
and sacrifice all he owes, we carry
him from year to year. Perhaps he
will pay sometime. If he doesn't, per-
| haps he will die, and then we can file
our claim against his estate and come
| in for a share of what the lawyers do
not absorb.
The picture is overdrawn, you say?
Pessimistic AID peevish and faultfind-
/ ing? 1t Is not It's verification can be
found in all, but in many of the
country newspaper Offices. not only in
Wisconsin, but everywhere, today
Reckless business methods-bad sys
tem--frenzied finance run wild-you
say. 1t is, indeed. And that is one
of the reasons why country editors
as a class are put in the category of
poor business men by the rest of the
world.
A few years ago a professor in an
academy that then flourished in my
town-an honorable, Christian gentle
man-was called to another field.
CHANGED to meet him as he was walk
ing to the station to take his final
leave Here said he, handing me
the cash for a years subscription,
"send me your paper" 1t came about
that he changed his place of residence
three or four times during the succeed
ing five or six years. With every move
came one of those azure tinted official
cards from the postmaster: "Pursu-
ant to instructions for the postmaster
general I beg leave to inform you"
do | need to repea. it?-"tha, your
CapeT addressed ID so and so is not
taken out but remains dead in this of
fee. You will Please discontinue the
SAME. FkGdSOHt {ASIIDN6u w hdiG-
mazoo or winnipeg Did I discon-
tinue the same?' Well, hardly. Would
you? I pursued that luckless professor
with my paper relentlessly. | camped
upon his trail. I tracked him as per
sistently and mercilessly as hound
on the scent of a jackrabbit. Finally
| ran my quarry to cover and sent him
a dun-arrearage four years. In re-
ply came a genteel letter. mildly pro-
testing that the obligation was scarce
ly binding. as he originally subscribed
for only one year | parted this thrust
with the usual flank movement that
inasmuch as he had taken the paper
from the postofFice an presumably
read it he was at least morally obli-
gated to settle. closing with plaintive
appeal to his honor as gentleman,
etc, etc The most of you are familiar
with the formula.
Wei, he sent along the cash-alsO
letter. AS | preserved the epistle, in
ten ling some time to have it framed
and hung up in front of my desk. | re-
produce it here:
MY Dear Mr.. Crosse: Yours re-
ceived. | confess that fail to see the
logic of your contention. 1t is true
that l have had the benefit of your pa
per for several years-only one "a
which | paid for Why did you con
tinue it beyond the time contracted
for? Is such a proceeding in accord
ance with newspaper ethics. or is it
just a little invention of your own?
Your newspaper has followed me from
place to place and it is true that /
have taken it regularly from the post
office. Probably that is where l blum
dared While I feel that l hove the
right to deny the obligation-as it
does not exist, either morally or legal
ly-I send herewith remittance TO
cover all arrearages. You newspaper
men have strange and unusual busi-
ness ways. If ever l become a jour
nalist-which. by the way, is an ambi-
ton | long have cherished may, pos
sibly, subscribe to the ethics of the
profession and force my scintillations
of wisdom upon an ever patient pub
lie, but doubt it, My best regards
to yourself and family Please send
receipt in full to date, and. Mr.. Crosse,
won't you PLEASE discontinue the
paper to my address. Yours, very
truly. etc"
Now, honestly. don't you think the
professor is right? | do.
If an evil exists we must look for the