The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1911-03-23
Advertising to Reach Voters.
Wilmington Starr

The strenuous direct municipal
primary election in Chicago on Tues
day, in which both parties voted for
their choice for mayor, reminds Us
that advertising by candidates in
order to get the attention of voters,
is not altogether new, even in North
Carolina.
During the primaries and canvass
ing contests prior to nominating
conventions in North Carolina, the
candidates in recent years have more
than ever resorted to advertising as
the best means of reaching the voters
and challenging public attention.
Time has been when some candidates
or their friends would take up valua-
BILE newspaper space, free OF charge,
to proclaim the availability, the
qualifications and deserts OF aspi-
rants for office, but they erode free
horse to death" Most OF the news
papers, thereupon, decided to quit
being imposed upon and established
a rule that all articles in behalf OF
candidates must be paid for, and SO
it is that during election years the
Golfers OF Tar Heel newspaperdom
are more or less swelled. Neverthe-
less, there are quite a number of
newspapers which still submit, more
or less willingly, but often against
the grain, to being imposed upon by
long communications for the benefit
OF some fellows political fortunes.
However, it is getting to be pretty
well recognized now that it is moth
ing but right to pay for the space
which such communication consume,
because space is worth money to
newspaper publishers and neither
should they be expected to pay
money out OF their own pockets for
composition of a class of matter
which in no way concerns them, fire.
quently doesn't even interest the
public, and which crowds out valua-
BILE news features OF paper. News
paper publishers have decided to
make publication of such articles a
business matter, because it is bust
ness for the candidates and is worth
something to them, while articles ad-
vocating their claims are not worth
a cent to a newspaper. Some years
back We have seen candidates or their
friends get mad as old Tucker be-
cause they were not permitted to
wade in and fill space for nothing,
while the mere suggestion of Il
charge for such matter would arouse
great Indignation. AS q matter of
course, it was unfair to the newspa-
pers for their space is to be taken
up by several opposing candidates,
and so newspaper people now wisely
charge for all political publicity and
feed all candidates out Of the same
spoon.
AS such matter is now paid for,
naturally it assumes the character OF
advertising, for really that is what
it is. 1t is publicity aimed to bring
about certain results and that kind
of publicity is advertising. 1t has
thus come about that candidates do
a big amount of advertising during
campaigns and they have found it
the best and most economical way
to reach voters, as it is the most di-
rect and most appealing of all the
known methods for attracting pub
lie attention and gaining favor. 1t
has not altogether put hand-sha king
out Of business, but it has largely
taken the place of public speaking,
though it has both those old meth
DDS skinned to a finish. There is
another thing about it, and that is
that it demonstrates the effective
ness of advertising and it brings
about full recognition and apprecia-
ton of the different methods of news
paper publicity-the best Of all the
known means OF advertising.