The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-01-17
pers that appear in their communi-
ties.
The Merchants' Service

pers that appear in their c0mmuni-
ties.
The Merchants Service.
"You never thought of that, did
you? Well, that is one of the things
the merchants of your town do for
you, that you never notice, any more
than you notice that they pay for a
big portion of your pavements and
street lights and dozen other i'm
provements. 1t is one more reason
why you should support them instead
Of going elsewhere to do your buy
ing. THEY make it possible for you
to have newspapers at practical
price.
"Now, it is perfectly conceivable
the newspapers of your town or news
papers in general. Very likely you
feel that if you were an editor you
would do a whole lot different-and
better.
"But did you ever stop to think
what would happen if we did not have
any newspapers?
"If we did not, the average man
would be the most ignorant creature
you can imagine. He would not know
what was going on in his town or his
country or in the world. Freedom
and democracy would disappear from
the face of the earth, for of all the
forces that go to keep society free
and law-abiding publicity is the
greatest.
"A Piece in the Paper"
"No influence is as great in pre-
serving public morals. Neither con-
science nor the laws nor any other
agency has so much to do with con-
trolling the actions as the thought of
what your neighbors will think when
they hear or read that you have done
this or that.
"And when it comes to the acts of
rulers or officials the best of them
would become tyrants if it were not
for the healthy criticism and pub
licity of the newspapers.
"What is your court Of last resort
when you receive i'll treatment and
cannot get redress? What do you
say, then? Why, you say:
"T'LL PUT A PIECE in THE PA
PERI
"And it is your merchant that
makes this possible. 1t is he who
bears the burden of expense without
ever thinking of it. He pays for it
whenever he publishes an advertise
ment, and thus he fulfills very i'm
portant public duty.
"Wait moment!
II said that the n!erchants of this
town paid for the newspapers of the
community.
II made a mistake. I should have
said that SOME Of the merchants pay
for them. Those merchants who adj
vertise in the local papers do it.
"There are some who do not assist
in this very important public service,
They regard advertising from a very
small and narrow viewpoint. They
don't stop to think what a community
without newspapers would be. They
think they can get along without do
ing their bit and get your trade just
the same. They make the other mer-
chant do it, and they reap share of
the results.
A Lot of Slackers.
"Now, just pause a moment and
note who the principal advertisers in
cur local newspapers ara,
care they not just the same men
who are ALWAYS to be relied on to
help bear the burden Of any public
improvement? Think it over.
Gust at present there are good
many merchants who think they are
wise in not advertising, although usu-
ally they're those who cry most loud
ly about patronizing home industries,
and they are just those who are most
constantly saying to the newspaper
men:
essay, you ought to put an article
in your paper about'-whatever they
happen to think at the moment will
help their business or business in gen
eral.
~ have been looking over all of the
local newspapers this week, and the
conclusion I have come to is that,
though there are goodly number of
business firms in town, compare
lively few of them are bearing the
main expense of supporting the news
papers and making it possible for you
to get your paper for cents.
Turn About Fair Play.
81 don't suppose the local business
men who do not advertise have ever
thought Of themselves in the light of
'slackers.' They never stop to think
that just as without business there
wouldn't be any newspapers at a pop
ular price, so also WITHOUT NEWS
PAPERS THERE WOULD BE PRE-
CIOUS LITTLE BUSINESS.
"They never stop to think that once
in awhile the newspapers are of ines
Unable value to them, but that if the
newspapers depended upon them for
support there wouldn't be any news
papers to use when they wanted to
use them. They never think that they