The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-08-29
THE ADV. COLUMNS
RELATION THEY BEAR TO PUB.
Usher AND PUBLIC.
IDEALISM is IMPRACTICABLE
editor Wells Declares He Never Yet
Refused an Advertisement That
Was Decent and Aoeompa.
MED by the Cash.
by W. C. Edwards, Editor Record and
Chronicle, Denton.

Paper read at Texas Press associa-
tons twenty ninth annual meeting. Min
eral Wells. Tex)
Mr.. President, Ladies' and Gentle.
men: | never refused an advertise
ment In my life that was decent and
accompanied by the cash. That is
probably the reason this subject was
assigned to me. Indeed. we feel that
It might have been much more profit
ably given elsewhere, for while to me
Il is n subject as bare OF possibilities
as the top of Jim Lowry's head, to
some of our brethren who decline to
accept certain kinds OF business It
might be as fruitful of ideas as the
gulf was supposed to be fnll OF anti
Bailey editors after the recent un.
pleasantness
The truth is, after studying the sub
feet up one side and down the other
without finding n great deal to hang
my words on, thought OF scheme to
secure some other and superior assist.
ance. Two OF the others present.
Messrs Daley and Hardy. were as.
signed to discuss the paper; and, in an
attempt to secure some OF their thun-
der to lead off with. wrote them,
very shrewdly as thought, to know II
there we're any particular points they
would like to have brought out. Both
gentlemen refused to rise to the bait.
One stated he had no ideas and by i'm.
plication that he had none to lend.
The other simply didn't state. | am
haN \
will learn something about this sub.
Iect from the discussers who are to
follow and that you will pardon this
effort as simply prelude to the genu.
lnely good Ideas which they will UNI
doubtedly present. II will be some
solace, anyway, TO know that, present.
ing few ideas. the best feature about
this paper will be its brevity.
No Preaching Of Ideaiism.
might get up here and try to pic
ture an ideal newspaper run by an
ideal newspaper man, in which only
ideal business firms and ideal bust.
nesses were mentioned. Likewise an
Ideal newspaper, in which only ideal
news items were published. Or an
ideal world in which only ideal events
we're permitted to happen. But take
It that we are here to deal with con.
crete facts instead of pretty theories,
and this paper will be along the lines
on which we have been publishing a
newspaper with fair success.
Speaking seriously, this subject is
not one which appeals to many coun-
try newspaper men, OF whom ] am
one. Some of the larger periodicals,
especially the magazines, affect
very close scrutiny over their adver.
Using columns. Some Of them decry
patent medicine ads, but publish
grating mining announcements. Some
decline whisky and beer ads, but free
ly accept the most nauseating OF the
patent medicine displays Some that
decline whisky, beer and patent medl.
cine ads most decorously are absolute.
ly Indecent in publishing the revolving
details OF the latest popular" crime
Some accept beer ads, but turn down
whisky. Some proudly point to their
declination OF the advertising of all
patent medicine ads, but publish
must be either harmless at worst or
beneficial at best or they could not
have attained their success, but &C.
cept advertisements of cigars. cigar.
cites and tobacco. And yet one will
md persons who urge that cigars and
tobacco and cigarettes are almost as
vile as whisky and far worse than
beer
Inconsistencies.
There is some inconsistency In the
practices of most of them. With some
u Is mere affectation because others
have led the way, popularized the idea
and been successful. With others II is
matter Of advertising themselves as
holier-than.thou" in a way that will
appeal to certain people. But, at the
same time, there are, know, some
which conscientiously refuse to accept
certain classes of advertising as
matter OF conscience and of principle,
and no man can have any criticism of
these. Again, there are some which
refuse not only to accept certain
classes OF advertising, but, also, any
Kind they are not perfectly sure about
with the several exemplifications of
'' 'NN"' hbNtNtlt inc acceptance ue-
Ponds as much upon the character
reputation and responsibility Of the
advertiser himself as upon that which
ne advertises. Having an announce
ment in such publications as these
they are few and not necessary to
name here-is like having good
rating in the commercial agencies. For
II means that the responsibility Of the
advertiser has been investigated and
his claims looked into He must be
willing and able to fulfill his advertis
ing promises before his advertising is
accepted. And, II he fails to make
good, the publisher will reimburse his
subscribers for any loss incurred. One
publisher recently paid out 81 500 to
MS readers who had lost money
through one of his advertisers.
This would be an ideal way were we
able TO follow IT, But for us smaller
newspaper men, II is altogether i'm
practicable II not wholly impossible
tor mat Is an extent TO which none of
US could go Another thing which is
apt TO lower somewhat our ideals of