People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1897 — THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS [ARTICLE]

THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS

A Short History of Indiana’s Great* est Newspaper. Whatever excels interests. The loftiest mountain, the longest river, the largest city. Yet keener interest attaches to the greatest achievements of men—in oratory, statesmanship or war. The sharpest contest these clays is between newspapers, demanding the greatest diversity of gifts, of knowledge and sagacity. In other fields the decision is doubtful, but in journalism the popular verdict is practically registered each day in the subscription list —a sort of Australian Ballot System. This test shows The Indianapolis News to have more bona fide readers than any other four Indiana Dailies combined. This makes good the above title head. The vvhnle State may indu’rre nride in another point scored by The News: it is conceded to have more circulation proportioned to population than any other American Daily. Whether this signifies greater enterprise in The News or a more intelligent reading people, or both is a question. No phenomenon exists without its adequate cause. The News itself gives two main reasons as follows:

(1) When The News began, twenty- ‘ eight years ago, every other paper had its political alliance, slavishly espousing one party with its principles and candidates against nil others, looking to that party in turn for support and patronage; the highest ambition was the organship of its party in State, district, county or neighborhood. The News believed that such relationship not only biased the. editorial mind, but unconsciously, if not consciously, tinted and colored the news columns, leading to the magnifying of what tended to help, and ndidtmlr.liig or suppressing what hurt the party. The News, therefore, swung’ loose from all entanglements and blazed a new way absolute independence, not neutrality, which means the opposite; criticised men or measures of either party; always took sides, wilti a choice oven between evils; distinguished between the freedom and slavery of independence; not hesitating to ally itself with either party In (urn to bring In reforms or break down abuses. While this course meant no political patronage and usually the anger of both parties at flic sumo time, it found marvelous response in the universal American instinct of independent thought, it compelled respect and opened the door for renders In the ranks of all parties. Tills meant preponderance of circulation, which, In turn, means preponderance of advertising. (2) The News was the first 2-cent paper in tho West, all others 5 cents. Against universal prophecy that It could not live at such a price, It Is now 25 per cent, larger, taking tho six week day Issues together, than any other Indiana dally, and sells at 10 cents a week delivered anywhere by carrier or mall, postpaid, against 15 cents a week, which Is charged for the next best Indiana daily. No other paper In the State, at whatever price, now pretends to furnish equal*quantity and scope of Intelligence—a volume of telegraphic news and correspondence from all quarters of the globe; a harvest of State happenings; market quotations for tho farmer and business map, averaging from seventeen lo twenty-four hours ahead of all morning papers; abstracts of Supreme, Court decisions for tho legal profession; something for everybodv-_ lT i amount to stagger credul, ity '

II is estimated that not less than 150,000 people read The News every day. It maintains for the people cheap rate “Wanted” columns for advertising, by which millions of property changes hands annually without the owners ever seeing each other. Almost all have some&ing to sell, buy. trad‘d or rent: a horse, cow, wagon, farm, mill or store, etc., etc. Express it in as few words as possible, then count every word and send as many cents as there are words to The News and sec the result. Or if preferred write out what you want and they will phrase the advertisement for you and return with the price. Address THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS, Indianapolis, Ind.