Note 15 — Chapter VI
Reading edition
It is gratifying, however, to find that many editors of newspapers repudiate the iniquitous system, perceiving that their readers might justly look upon them as participators in the fraud.
One of the puffing, professional licensed hawkers entered the office of the Reading newspaper, and with the authoritative air of an Alexander, desired that his announcement should appear in the front column, and the usual laudatory paragraph in another part of the paper. He was informed that his advertisement could be inserted, but that the proprietors had determined never to admit such insidious clap-trap notices, which, while they injured the resident tradesman, and were looked upon as the bona fide opinions of the editor, generally referred to matters of which he could not honestly express a favourable opinion. The pedlar stood aghast! “What,” said he, “not put in a paragraph? Why, I’d sooner pay for a good paragraph than care about the advertisement at all.”
His professional visit was of unusually short duration, finding it impossible to bribe the press to trumpet forth his praise.