The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-09-17

Shop.
Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Observer
The Editor and Publisher of New
York, calls attention to the fact, OBJ
servable in different parts OF the
country, that" candidates for public
office are using the advertising col
umns OF the newspapers TO advance
their interest to an extent hitherto
unknown" The newspapers, per-
haps none as much as those OF North
Carolina. are greatly imposed upon
by political parties. In every cam
paign they are expected to. and do,
publish, for the benefit of "the party
and without compensation. volumes
of communication and contributed
arguments, and if one of them w0b-
bles in any degree it is dragged up
by the ear and slapped for the mis-
demeanor. In city papers the politi-
cal matter, other than news. is paid
for, as it should be, and we are glad
to see in the South an awakening on
the subject. The second primary in
South Carolina is to be held to-mor-
row and for several days past the
Columbia State has been carrying
columns and half pages of paid mat
ter in statements and cOmmunica-
tions from the candidates and their
friends. To n newspaper man who
has been doing this kind of work all
his life for nothing, they look good.
Bringing the matter still nearer home,
the Monroe Enquirer some weeks
ago had II striking article on this
subject. We wish there were space
for all OF it but this is its gist:
"About four years ago the pub
fishers of this paper had n meeting
the two of us being unanimously
present. At that meeting it WAS re-
solved.and unanimously y carried that
hencefOrth and forever all cOmmuni-
cations Of a political nature to this
paper must be paid for at the same
rates the men who submitted arti-
cles about dry goods, groceries, land,
strayed stock, produce from the farm
and other things paid for what they
were writing about. That rule has
met the universal appreciation OF
ourselves. We like that rule, good
folks, and will be liking it next time
you hear from us. If a man
wants to send some written political
matter through the mails he pays
for the paper and. ink used and does
not think of asking the book store
man to give them to him. If he goes
out on a tour among the dear peO-
pie on a political mission and wants
new suit of clothes in which to ap-
pear to advantage, the dry goods
man charges him for those same
'duds' Just as lie would charge YOU,
us are any other sinner. If II politi-
cal speaker goes out among the peo-
pie he pays for the conveyance which
takes him. = = The newspaper
man does not have paper and ink
and clothing to sell, but he does have
newspaper space. That is his stock
in trade. All this shop talk,
gentlemen, is to show you that weas
newspaper publishers are giving you
political views of correspondents just
as we give you advertisements ofany
other nature, simply carrying the
other fellows message at so much
per- And furthermore and more
over, we are no more responsible for
what the man says about politics
than we are about what the man who
buys space over in the business To-
cal column says about how much
milk his COW will give"
This is undoubtedlv v the correct
view of the matter; the business-like
and dignified manner of dealing with
it.