Year: 1871

nall In the colin OF the democratic party.


ssDcaGhcadism'' and tho Public Press.


We are glad to notice that the remarks of
the HERALD in regard to 'deadheadism," pub
lished just prior to the meeting of the late
Editorial Convention in Ohio. have called
forth cordial response from among respect
able journals in various parts Of the country.
Among the most prominent of these we are
pleased to recognize so enterprlsing and vigor-
GUS contemporary as The Cincinnati CONNER
ciat, sheet that may be regarded as among
the most dignifed and Independent in the
West. Referring to the members of the late
Editorial Convention, and the manner in which
they INDUCED their gormandizing propensities
upon the ''deadhesd" principle, the CONNER
cto1 pertinently asks:-


What Is there In the printing and publishing OF
newspaper that should enttlc the proprietors or
editors to privileges not extended TO men engaged
about the business that would prevent them from
applying TO II the same principles tnat applied
Dy those who conduct other manufactures Can
anybody tellY The press VIII never take that posi-
ton OF independence TO which 1t Is entitled till the
cash pay for what is done by 1t rs well as cash pay
for what Is done for 1t. The whole system Of free
passing anu Tree malllng, pulng uOtic-
ing, should be done away absolutely.


This language has the true ring. II is
pity we do not hear its reverberations through
the columns Of the press more frequently. We
agree with the Commercial that it is time the
day of deadheadism or -freeticketlsm for
anywhere or for anything were done away
with, just as the system Of free puffery or free
advertising for anything or anybody should be
forever abolished. And there are substantial
reasons why this change should take place in
the management Of newspapers. There was a
time when newspapers were printed more for
the amusement of the editor than for the profit
or for the edification Of the people. Politi-
CLANS. too, were wont to start newspapers and
prevail on some tramp of journeyman
printer to do the mechanical part Of the work
for beggarly compensation. Some authors,
too, with the excusabe ambition of airing
their lucubrations, have started papers,
which, after Pickering fitful life, have
died out. Even In tho present day it
would take quarry of bluestone to
furnish tombs for the newspaper bant-
lings that are yearly buried in early graves.
But it is not to journals of this ephemeral
character that we are impelled to speak. 1t
Is to the great daily newspaper press Of the
country-those that have to pay enormously
for what they consume in every issue-that
we appeal for cooperation in uprooting and
wiping out this abominable practice of dead
headisrn. In recent years new and vast bur-
dens Of expenditure have been imposed upon
the daily press that did not exist formerly.
To illustrate this point we propose to look
back to an early period in the history Of tue
daily press Of New York.


In 1880, at the time Of the formation of
what was called the Trades Union, which
occasioned strikes among all workingmen in
this city, and which had the effect of advanc-
ing some of the leaders of the movement to
high political offices, such as Ely Moore to
Congress and others to smaller places, the
printers came in for share Of the advanced
rates Of wages. At that time morning paper
compositors were receiving ten dollars week
for their labor, and their wages were increased
to twelve dollars week by the strike. The
Mercantile Advertiser had six compositors at
the time, foreman, one pressman and a
roller-soy. The entire expenses of that paper
at the time of the strike for the advanced rates
were eighty-six dollars week, including
the presswork; and after the proprietors paid
the advanced rates their expenses were less
than ninety dollars week, as they dismissed
one of their compostors and made five do the
work. The NEW YORK HERALD now employs
over one hundred compostors and over fifty
pressmen, and our expenses for composition
and presswork alone are over four thousand
realize the difference between the expenses o.
one of the old sblanket sheets" and live
newspaper of the present day.


There is another important addition to the
expenses Of publishing . newspaper al
this day which was not dreamed Of
thirty or forty years since. We refer
to the magnetic telegraph. The com.
paratively new invention Of the telegraph
annually absorbs one or more millions ol
dollars from Che. press Of the ceuntry-tht
telegraph expenses of the Associated Press
alone being nearly million annually. Thu
CaOle expenses VI tue NEW Iolsk hERALD alone
during the war In Europe reached nearly tw,
hundred thousand dollars in gold, exclusive
of course, of the very heavy outlay in main
tanning an extensive and able corps Of CORE
spondents at every point of interest Tt
these tclegraphic charges must be added
the weighty expenses attending the intro
ducton OF modern improvements in print
ing and stereotyping, the increase by nearly
hundred per cent of compensation pait
to practical printers over the rate Of thirty
five years ago, the enhanced price of white
paper and printing ink, the employment 0
a small army " editors, reporters, CORES
pondents and special writer's, where a few