Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-03-29
Recorder Pstiti,ned

the editor that. when the present
contract with saloon-keepers shall!
have expired, no more such adyer.
tisements be placed in said paper. :"
To this petition about 90 or lOO
names were affixed, and among them
many Of tho best people OF the Doe
Hill and Mcdowell communities.
This proceeding is both charac
teristic and significant, and, in JUS
tice to Highland, as we'll as our
selves, will candidly admit that it
does not come as a surprise.
Naturally, the first thing in or
der is for the Recorder man to rise
up, not in defense, not necessarily
to apologize, or to resent the ac'
ton, but to explain.
Iu one clause of the petition the
subscribers do us an injustice, but
it is because they are ignorant OF
newspaper ways We refer to the
words "when the present contract
with oon.keepers." No whiskey
man was known in this transac-
ton. One Of our regular advertis-
ing agencies wrote US for prices on
certain space. We quoted and re-
ceived a much better figure than
our few home advertisers are will
ing to pay, and this liquor ad was
sent us by the agency, to run for
IL weeks.
1t is a hard matter for any OF US
to do just the right thing every
time. We didn't like the ad. be-
cause the Recorder has always been
an advocate Of temperance, though
not posing as an organ OF that par
ty, and, if we reasoned at all. it was
something after this fashion: 1t
will, perhaps, be the only one OF
the kind the agency will send us;
twelve weeks will see its end; near
ly every secular newspaper that
comes to Highland is running from
one to dosen; it seems that we
haze to look away from the county
for advertising support; we did not
seek it; if breach or compromise
Of principle is involved, it is rot
serious, etc.
The above is not said with view
to iustifying ourselves In the eyes
Of the good temperance people OF
Highland-and they all belong totbe
band-but to show what argument
presents itfelf to prove the legltl-
macy Of all business transactions
that touch our pockets, and espec-
tally when those pockets stand in
need of the touch.
We want to do tight, and We
don't believe that the Recorder,
which We are trying to make a
paper for the home, should carry
this class of advertising We don't
expect to do it. we don't have to
do it, bpt what az idea it would be
If the business men Of Highland
the husbands of all our good wo
men and the fathers Of the little
ones-would keep temptation out
of our way by just filling up our
adysrtising space! If you never
thought of it before, look through
our columns and see how few OF
the business men are doing syste-
matte and regular advertising.
They owe the Recorder this sup
port; they owe it to their business
and their customers.
|
But we said the petition was sig
niicant. It is more. 1t is graft.
fylng. 1t shows q moral senti'
ment peculiar to Highland, and Of
which we are proud; it proves thai
people read all the advertisements
It is evidence of the fact that the
Recorder is recognized as the home
paper-that it has friends--warn
friends-vho are Jealous OF its rep
utatiop and do not propose to al
low it to 20 to the everlastin' bow
} vows without a protest. The &C.
ton betokens friendship, kindness
and good. will, and we'd rather &C
cept it in this light and waive al
effort at mitigation or proof tina