Year: 1877

BUSINESSMEN AND NEWSPAPER SOLICl-
ToRs.-The Memphis appeal, one Of the
most independent and prosperous daily
journals in the South, in an article on


ephemeral and regularly established news
papers, says: -


"Papers spring up depending solely for
advertising procured by solicitation, the
advertiser frequently preferring to throw
away few dollars rather than be bored by
the opportunities of the solicitor, or made
liable to the charge of want OF enterprise
or niggardly parsimony. Money is thus ex-
pended where businessmen have no reason
to expect a return, for an advertisement in
eephemeral publication, without readers,
Is about as valuable as other handbiils scatter
ed promiscuously over the streets. The re-
suit is, the advertiser discusses hoao much
rnoney he has spent, rather than hoao be has
spent it. The advertiser throws away his
money for advertising rather than be bored,


and the fear that an adverse influence may


be exerted against his business; hence he
thinks it cheaper to buy off-otherwise the
solicitor would be kicked out. This brood
Of gadflies are worrying The, legitimate adj
vertiser to the point Of forswearing alto
gether this means OF making his business
known. It has now come to pass that the
merchant who would gladly avail himself
Of the columns OF journals of established
circulation to advertise his wares is afraid
to come before the public, for no sooner
does he find himself in print than he is be-
sieged by swarm Of these pestiferous So
licitors, who, finding his advertisement In
well-circulated paper, devoted to the
great material interests OF the city,
seize upon this chance Of turning few
dollars into their own pockets by attacking
the advertiser and keeping up the siege till
q contract is given to get rid of the impor-
tunities Of the solicitor and to forestall the
evil OF the irresponsible denunciatIon which
is insinuated. For it is well known that
the press is so free in our country that a
paper or an ephemeral publication whose
proprietors do not even own the types upon


which it is printed may denounce any and
every honest institution with impunity, and
to prevent this men often incur the expense
of useless and improbable advertising.
Patronage given to these publications is
total loss to the advertiser, and is an
injury to the legitimate newspapers ID
boring to build up the great interests
OF the country; for Enen q business
man patronizes the catch.penny papers he
is inclined to decrease his advertising with
the old-established papers Of the city. Libe-
raj advertising has come to be necessity to
the rapid building up Of paying business !;


but there is such thing as iniudicious ad-
yertising, which is o waste Of money. Du-
ring the last ten years the readers Of news
papers have increased until it is now con-
ceded that the press SIS the grand fulcrum
and lever that moves the world.' Wherever
the appeal circulates the businessmen who
advertise are as well known as they are to
our citizens, for the reader is familiar with
their agn-boards, and knows where to
find them. There is no means for in
ducing ready sales SO, cheap as we'll
directed advertising; and when the time
comes--as we believe it will at no dis
tant :day-when the advertiser can be pro-
tected against the impositions OF humbug
and dead-beat solicitors for ephemeral pub
lications which have no basis of patronage
but unblushh1g cheek, the advertising busi-
ness through legitimate avenues OF commu-
nication with the public will largely in
crease. The prudent businessman never
buys pinchbeck jewelry. offered for sale by
blatant peddlers on the street, but they are
guilty, Of a. greater, folly when they pay
money for advertising in the pinchbeck,
ephemeraF newspapers without circulation
and ushered into the world with no expec-
tation Of fying longer than to pocket the
money made by fraud upon those silly
enough TO be ,duped." ,,.,r.e-. -