Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
paper, after all, is a piece of business
property, but it does not necessarily follow
that because a concern patronizes a news-
paper institution, it owns that news-
paper, lock, stock and barrel with all the
accessories, including the editor thrown in
as a sort of a premium in the bargain. If
we watch the critical columns of our great
dailies, we will find that they are not
entirely removed from the suspicion of
influence. It is a commercial age, and
those interested in newspaper enterprises
are compelled to look out for the business
end of the paper.
A short time ago the wife of one of New
York's leading merchants wrote a book;
the work in itself would not take rank
among literary productions, yet the fact
remains, that columns of critical matter
eulogizing this work appeared in nearly all
of our great dailies, and so a work of
mediocre ability was lifted, through the
columns of the press, to a high position.
The sequel of this may be found in the
fact, that the husband of this lady dis-
tributes an enormous advertising patron-
age, and it was the most natural thing in
the world to believe that it would be
pleasing to him to see his wife's literary
efforts lauded to the skies.
Recently the proprietor of one of our
great department stores against whom
legal action was brought alleging misrep-
resentation in advertising, uttered words in
the shadow of the court-room which might
be construed as an attempt to gag the
press.
He succeeded for he is an enormous
advertiser and only one local paper con-
tained reference to the suit. Probably
the business heads of this paper thought
the business patronage greater than the
principles involved in the suit. It was
proved that the concern had in stock the
special action named in their advertise-
ment.
Still, it was news and great newspapers
of New York suppressed it at the dictation
of an advertiser who obviously thought
its publication would reflect upon his busi-
ness probity.
Now, a trade publication appeals to a
limited number. It has not the great pub-
lic to draw upon, and still we believe it a
fact, that leading trade papers in every
line,are infinitely more independent than
those papers which appeal directly to the
public. An editor of a trade publication may
be thoroughly independent, and still look
closely after the interests of his advertis-
ers. In doing this he is only following a
right course. At the same time the inde-
pendent trade editor, while catering to the
interests of the trade, does not sell himself
body and soul to the individual advertiser. have been squarely against increasing the
From a purely monetary standpoint he can receipts in the business department of the
not afford to be as independent as his broth- paper; still there are other things in life
er of the daily press, therefore his inde- to win than mere dollars, however much
pendence is all the more creditable. He is a necessity they may be.
brought closer in contact with the indus-
In following the dictates of our own con-
trial heart of the country than the writers science we may have gone at times against
of the daily press ever can be, many of his the revenues of the paper, but never
advertisers are personal friends, and still against its independence. We cannot al-
he is more independent than those to whom ways measure life with the dollar yard-
the advertiser is only a ledger entry. He stick, for there are wrongs to right, there
understands that an honest recommenda- are principles to defend.
tion of a good article, or of a reliable busi-
Here is a case in point. A Western
ness concern is only following correct concern for many years were advertisers in
principles. He is inclined to believe that The Review, in fact, every year since the
honest suggestions are of more practical establishment of the company until recent-
value to his readers than the discussions of ly. We considered that after that Western
theoretical politics and personal abuse of concern had abandoned their branch in this
prominent people. If it is admissible in city they at that time forfeited what right
the columns of the daily papers to criticise they may have previously had to use the
the productions of the great painters—to name of New York upon the fall-board of
criticise the actors upon the stage—to crit- their instruments. We did not hesitate to say
icise great literary efforts—why is it not this editorially, and we did not hesitate to
legitimate to endorse industrial works, in say that we considered that the use of the
which is concentrated much capital and name of our city upon the instruments con-
brain work? The artist wishes to sell his stituted a gross violation of the ethics of
product, the actor works for a living, the trade, so long as the company maintained
musician is hired to play, and wherein is no direct representation at this point. We
their work more dignified, more honest or claimed that serious injustice was done our
more legitimate than that of the man of in- own resident manufacturers, who maintain-
dustry in whose product is concentrated ed their establishments in this city at in-
years of toil? An editor should use the col- creased expense over country towns. We
umns of his paper for the greatest benefit claim it is the men who bear the heat and
for the greatest number of readers. If he burden of the business day, that are entitled
discovers something which he knows pos- to what prestige attaches itself to the use
sesses value for any specific purpose, why of the name of our imperial city on any
should he not state so fairly and unequivo- product, whether tooth-picks or pianos. We
cally? Why should there be wrong in com- claim that any concern having a factory lo-
mending that which is good, when we cated in a distant state, and having merely
denounce that which is wrong? It is not a selling agent in this city have no right,
necessary to go into personal puffery to re- legal or moral, to use the name of New York
commend this or that article. The Review upon their product, when the inference is
has always endeavored to be consistent in that they desire to give the impression that
their product has origin in this city. Does
its expressions and fair in its criticisms.
not
every retail purchaser of that piano
We have believed in maintaining a
thoroughly independent editorial depart- believe that the instrument is partly of
ment of a paper, a department free from New York origin? And is it not the real
personal puffery and personal abuse. A intent of the manufacturer to convey that
legitimate advertiser can at all times pur- impression? We believed it and we did
not hesitate to express our belief in
chase advertising space in The Review,
emphatic language. Whether the manu-
but the editor has never been included in
facturers were customers of ours or not,
the sale. We believe that a thoroughly
that made no difference, we believed that
independent paper—a paper which stands
they were wrong, and that they were
for the right and is fair in its criticisms,
practicing deceit in using the name of
has a future in any trade. It is not ex-
New York.
They were stealing our
pected that all readers will agree with the
thunder.
editor; we have many who do not agree
with this paper in all of its utterances, but
if a paper simply acquiesces with every- DAPIDLY approaching a population of
body in everything, it becomes a mere
a hundred million, where is the man
goody-goody, has no weight, no influence, who says we cannot easily absorb twice a
and is valueless to the advertiser, and a hundred thousand pianos annually ?
nonentity as a trade exponent. Often-
Overproduction—yes, of pessimists, but
times The Review's editorial utterances not of pianos.