Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-01-22
~ Mr. N. Q. x
FAIL TO susslnszE THE COUNTRY
EDITOR.

the country press on my side.
wanted to get more kind words into
the columns OF the small newspapers |
and country weeklies because real
lied then, as | do now, the power Of |
the country press and the great |
value it possesses to present a claim |
for preference before the people OF |
the community.
outlined plan to whip the coun.
try newspapers into line and arrange |
for them to carry my advertising mat.
ter as well as to persuade them to
give me free reading notices and ed.
itorials, telling what great help and
comfort the mail order houses we're
to the people Of the country.
1t was nothing more nor less than
bribery. | believed that | could get
the editors of the country newspa-
pers to be false to their home inter
ests and foster ours, for a price
| had the money to pay them and !
thought lots Of dollars could do the
work easily and readily.
worked months over that cam.
paign. prepared an electrotyped
advertisement in which I advised
the use of the mail order medium and
urged the readers Of each newspaper
to send into the big cities for the cat
alogue. | prepared sheets Of press
notices" and editorials. with elab-
crate and plain instructions for their
use. was going to convert the PEG
pie of the whole country to mall order
buying.
expected to spend thousands Of
dollars during the course Of the next
few years, hut it would be worth II,
II obtained the results. was after
the peoples dollars.
A strong form letter was prepared
as the first step. this letter to be sent
out to the editors Of the country news
papers. From advertising agencies
and from various other sources
compiled list of something like 49,
300 newspapers. all Of which were pub
lished in small towns. was already
ixed with the big daily newspapers.
The only touble was couldn't some
how or another FIX II with the coun-
try newspaper.
The letter read something like this:
To the Editor:
Dear sir-You are publishing a newspa-
per for business reasons not for your
health.
You find It difficuit to obtain adequate
! support from the merchants In your town
they do not appreciate the value Of your
/
| We know that you are printing a live
/ newspaper in your community and that
you are entitled to more support than you
| are receiving
The postal laws, under which you enjoy
| the privileges OF second class postage for
mailing your newspaper. require you to
accept all legitimate advertising offered
| at your rates.
Enclosed please find contract for ad-
| vertising 10 the amount of............ dol
lars. Please sign II and return TO us and
we will forward electrotypes of adver-
tisements TO be run together with In
| Jtructions.
In giving you this business 1t is bui
natural that we shall expect you 20 run
each week. the reading notices and edi-
torials sent herewith.
Very truly yours.
BLANK ADVERTISING AGENCY.
Yes. 1t was great scheme. | ex
pected to swamp the country with
sugared editorials and splendid no
tees about the mail order business
/ cheerfulIy anticipated that would
put the country merchants out OF bust
ness. | even went SO far az to fig
ure out a plan for taking advantage
of the conditions of business depres
sion that would inevitably follow sucl
sweeping fall In values and consid
cred the organization Of some sort D
land trust to buy up the riches
farms and most desirable town prop
erty In the communities where the pol
icy would work out the quickest.
was becoming mnlti-millionaire with
out delay.
But experienced the most aston
Ishing disappointment OF my life. Tn,
plan. SO well considered, so carefully
planned. SO eraftily laid out was al
absolute fizzie.
Why? It was the peTversity Of tn
newspaper editor He would not b
bought, he would not be bribed. b
would not be cajoled or threatened.
In reading the preceding letter 20
have noted the bunk and the jolly
ing, followed by the appeal to hi
business instincts and then the cover
threat about the postal laws. Yes. tn
plan was well laid.
But who can delve into the soul Q
the man who win spend his days an
nights In running . country newsps
per in a community that will not Civ
adequate support? Who can fathoI
the motives of q man who husties q
the time to boost bis home town. b.
who has diflcuIty st times In collec
ing the subscriptions 20 bis paDer an
who fails to obtain more than n grudl
ing pittnnce In advertising from d
J merchants IN his townf
conld not understand T. I b
Iieyed that every newspaper edite
would be ovsrjoyed TO reesive re-
! money to the amount of many dOIlal
each. week. merely for prlntiug n
\ advertising copy and, Of course. Il
> few paragraphs In the way Of Fea
ing notices and editorials, which
though he would like 70 have vii
which TO I'll NJ his paper
And the answers Whew! What
STORM
One would imagine from the q
ewers I received in response to n
Il courteous invitation to take mons
j from the mail order houses that q
n country editors were wealthy and 5