Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1907-02-19
Hon J. E. Mercer, Editor,
Fitzgerald, Ga.

ReferrlnR TO tue luuuA Vi newspapers niA
ready in Fitzgerald and ia prospective, also the
matter of advertising, allow me to suggest that
if all advertised proportionately there would be
no more goods sold in the aggregate. (the great
majority buy all they can pay for now. Some
of them more) There would simply be more
general distribution of business at the expense
of those who do most of the advertising now.
Competition would be greater and prices lower,
to the consumers gain. Ye newspaper men
would also be further enriched by the new or
der of things. If no one advertised then 1t
would be survival of the fttest, those who gave
the best and most goods for the least money
and we're the most conscientious in their deal
ings, would succeed in the long run while the
others would go to the wall.
Nor is the editor or job printer entitled to
any more sympathy or consideration than those
in other legitimate lines. No sentimental lnfiu-
ences should be his portion more than others.
It's free field for who list, and as in all other
occupations if he can't make success OF it be
too must make way for others and go at somt"
thing else. In his case especially is 1t survival
of the fttest There you are, survival or the
fittest, properly defined and treated IN all its
bearings as think you capable of. would take
up several columns of your editorial page, all OF
which would be seen to be duties and require
ments deyoving upon and exacted of the com"
petent and successful newspaper men, not many
of whom, in private, really fill the bill.
Our friend has fallen into a very common
error.
His logic is so illogical that it hardly war
rants reply
He might with the same force say that the
education of one man neccessitates the educa-
ton of others.
Newspaper advertising is itself great edu'
cational factor; without it the world Of trade
would be tremendously Handicapped The daily
improvements in every line of manufactured
products would be lost to the world indeed the
incentive to improve given line would be lost
for the improba billy of it's ever getting before
the public during the life of the inventor would
discourage any improvements. The best adj
vertisers, we have are the banks. Thro them
ad the public is educated to the great advanta-
ges of depositng their cash in the banks aud
using checks to pay bills. The advantages OF
the system are not confined to the individual
patron, but the business world is enabled to do
a vastly increased business on given capital.
But our friend evidently had 10 mind stores
aud the mercantile business only. He would
have every farmer or machenic-eve ny man
who buys to know the line carried IN every store
and the price, all of which would require him 10
keep busy investigating. He would hardly have
time to earn the money with which to buy.
IF no one advertised' it would be surVl-
val of the foolish. The buyer could spend his
time pleasantly finding those who give the best
and most goods for the least money. ms tead
OF paying 1Oc on the cost of his purchase for the
cost of the advertisements, he could spend a day
or two finding out by visiting the places and
pricing-with the promise to come back if he
did not fad them cheaper. Then the merchants
could put the money they pay for advertising
into extra help to show goods and make bids.
There are merchants who succeed without
advertising, but the same merchant would
make the same success in shorter time or
make greater success if he knew how 20 at
tract the attention of the reading public to his
business.
The Citizen is with The Fitzgerald Enter
prise and other good papers in the movement
for protection against the methods of the for
eigu advertiser, in any way that does not re-
strict our liberty in attending to our own bus
mess. The last movement of this kind result.
ed in the establishment of an advertising agen-
cy at Atlanta, with power to talk over the
whole foreign advertising patronage of a paper,
and say what the price should be. It wanted 10
bind us up in snch contract and fix Our price
at half what we getting. We saw what a
farce it was, threw the proposition into our
waste basket, and were almost insulted by tt e
agency for our lack of appreciation. "-Macon