Hartford Watchman

THE WATCHMAN
HARTFORD, SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1837.

A WORD OF EXPLANATION TO OUR PATRONS.

The extent of time generally allowed for advance pay for papers, so far as we have the means of knowing, is six months. In many cases the limit is three months. The terms of our paper are two dollars in advance—this every subscriber understands. And these terms are very low for the size and quality of the paper, and the style of the work, to say nothing of the matter. Now it may be thought by many of our subscribers, that it will make little if any difference with us whether we receive pay in six months or at the end of the year, and on this account we feel constrained to offer a word of explanation. It should be known, if it is not already, that printers and paper makers must be paid promptly, or their services cannot be had. Our bills, according to contract, must be settled up with cash payments at the end of every six months. This being the case, every one will see that we must have payment from our patrons, or we must resort to loans on interest.— Now, for us to put the paper to our subscribers at about the cost to us, and then pay interest on money which we advance for them, is, we are persuaded, what they will neither expect, nor ask us to do.

On the other hand, the benefit which our subscribers derive from this delay, is very inconsiderable. There is no doubt that a subscriber enjoys his paper, when he pays for it at the beginning of the year, enough better to pay him for the use of the money, if no other consideration existed. If we had no interest in the matter at all, and if the money would do us just as much good at the end of the year as at the end of six months, still we would advise all our friends to pay for their paper at the beginning of the year—to make a point of it; and we feel assured that the approbation of conscience, and the pleasure of punctuality, would more than compensate. We feel inclined to be accommodating to the utmost of our power, but when this matter is understood-when the inconvenience of delay to us is so great, and the benefit to our friends so small,it seems that to continue this practice would be extra-benevolent--it would be loving our neighbor better than ourselves. And we are fully persuaded that, when the matter is properly understood, our subscribers will not ask us to do this thing. We have no idea that one of our patrons will ask us to make sacrifices in this case which we cannot sustain. Under this persuasion the terms affixed to our paper at the beginning of the year, viz: two dollars in six months, or two dollars fifty cents after that period, were proposed. These terms are nothing more than equity in the case demands, and therefore we wish to have it understood, are terms to which we must strictly adhere. And now, as six months are drawing to a close, we wish kindly to remind our readers of the fact; and to suggest to them that the meeting of the legislature in this city will, for a few weeks to come, afford facilities for transmitting payment, which we hope and trust will not be neglected.