The Dispatch News

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The only goods a bank has to sell is its capital and its deposits--money. We have never heard of a bank giving them away. Have you?

The only goods a newspaper has to sell is its advertising space. Yet in every community there are people who entertain the idea that the newspaper man is in the business either for fun or glory, and is just dying to give away his merchandise.

The newspaper boosts every business man's game, 365 days in the year, yet when he asks to have his game boosted by patronizing a special community edition, he is often looked upon as a beggar and the contract is signed as a matter of charity. All special editions attract attention but many merchants do not appreciate the fact that advertising the community advertises him. The ad solicitor is a party, according to the opinion of some merchants, to a graft. Some, however, are always willing to see the light.

Nevertheless and notwithstanding the newspaper is the most loyal member of the community family. The paper is the backbone of every educational, religious, civic, industrial movement promulgated.

And then comes the question of news. The biggest factor in conducting a newspaper is to get the news. It is the newspaper. Without it it would become uninteresting and commonplace. It would then become a circular. Newspapers must have news to be newspapers. Advertising circular must have advertising to be called by that name, but newspapers must also have advertising to grow and prosper.

It takes news first of all to make the paper and it takes advertising to make it a success.

An editor is always in hot water as to the proper classification of news and advertising. Display advertising is easily classified but the "readers" which cost the most, are hard to distinguish. We are glad to get news but we have a set rate for advertising that will be furnished upon application.

Many people ask us to help this cause and help that cause to give this item publicity, to give that item publicity. We never refuse. We spend our time, we pay our employees, we buy our paper, ink, we run our machines, some of them costing as much as $5,000 each to accommodate these people.

We are delighted to do that if it is news. If it isn't news we respectfully beg the people to consider our side of the matter. We are glad to do all of these things and wish it were possible to run the paper as others think it should be run but we have found that the business doesn't pay under those conditions. This paper belongs to Abbeville county and has been in the county for eighty-one years. It was first called "The Banner," later the Press and Banner. Almost fifty years ago the Medium started its career. Recently this paper was merged and the paper is now "The Press and Banner and Abbeville Medium." It is better thus. We are trying to give the county the best paper in its history and beg the help and assistance of all good men and women--but we can't do it for nothing.

For this reason please consider your item--is it news or advertising? If it is advertising please offer to pay for the item. Both of us will receive a benefit.--Abbeville Press and Banner.