Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1893 — Ladies Literary Society. [ARTICLE]

Ladies Literary Society.

Marshall claims to have always followedastraightforwardbnainesß course toward the Pilot and to have always treated his customers with fairness. But at the same time some of hie subscribers have been discriminated against in favor of others. It has been his custom when a subscriber wiahed to: stop The . REPUBLiCAN and Jake the Pilot to offer his sheet for a dollar a year and in certain cases to furnish it free. But at the same time he was trying to impress his readers that a paper would break up which only charged a dollar per year. Do you wish us to name some of your dollar and some of free subscribers? We would be glad to accommodate you.—Pilot

We had considered that we had closed the present controversy with the Pilot so far as we were concerned, but the above being in a partly new line, we will give it a little attention. It is not wholly new, however, for the same thing, in substance, was published some 7 or 8 months ago, although we paid it no attention at that time. Aside from its paltry, contemptible and unprofessional character, it is also an unmitigated He, in every essential particular. During the past year and a half some twenty-five or thirty persons, or forty at thejoutside, have seen fit to discontinue their subscriptions to this paper. Most of these were former Republicans who had formed other political relations. It was their undoubted privilege to stop The Republican if they vranted to, and we have no quarrel with them on that score. Such of them as called upon us personally when discontinuing their paper, were treated with entire courtesy and fairness, but not one of them was ever offered the paper at a less rate than the regular subscription price, and still less were any of them offered the paper free. Most of these ex-subscribers are living in the county and many of them in this immediate vicinity, and if we are not telling the truth in this matter it will be a very easy matter to convict us of that fact. And we are even willing to help along the investigation by giving these discontinuing subscribers’ names, so far as we can glean them from a reasonably thorough search through our back subscription sheets: They are L. L. Ponsler, Walter Ponsler, Marion Adams, J os. Adams, J. Mitchell, J ohn Goetz John Groom, Ad. Robinson, B. F. Robinson, Andrew Boston, Thos. Campbell, G. M. Cooper, Peter Hinds, W. E. Moore, Peter Foulks, Geo. Foulks, A. M. Bringle, Jesse Bringle, W. D. Bringle, Joseph

Putts, Mary Leuers, Thos. Kennedy, T. H. Grant, J. E. Lamson, J. 0. Paxton, Chas. Pullins, Margaret Galey, and possibly a few others whose names we overlooked. These are sufficient for the purpose, however, for if it has been our custom to offer discontinuing subscribers the paper for a dollar or for nothing, it will be very easy to prove it by some of the above. However, if any reputable person wants a completer list than the above they are at perfect liberty to come to our office and, by seaching through our back subs cription lists, they can find the names of every subscriber who has discontinued, for any purpose, for as many years back as they please to go. The Pilot is quite welcome to name some or all of our dollar subscribers, and also all of our free ones. The dollar list will include several non-resident clergymen, one crippled soldier, two or three washer-women, and six or seven newspaper or ex-newspaper men. It also includes A. J. McFarland, of Jordan tp., but aside from the above, no one. Mr. McFarland is or was an officer in the Pilot company, and for that reason, considered himself entitled to the customary reduction accorded to the newspaper brethren. We told him we would rather give him the paper free than reduce the price; but he would have it his own way or not at all. He was a Republican in spite of the strange company he kept, although reputed very shaky, and simply as a matter of political policy we let him continue his paper at the price he choose to offer. Many others, before and

since, have tried to get us to accept their subscriptions at a dollar a year*, because the Pilot was furnished at that price, but in no case have we accepted these offers. A few years ago, a nice old gentleman of Jordan tp., came to us and wanted five copies for five dollars, two of them being to do missionary wfork among the Democrats, and the other three for members of his family. And even the two democratic families were his near relatives if we remember the matter correctly. Our understanding was .that he was paying for the whole number, and we consented to the offer, as we often make reduced prices on papers which public spirited Republicans send to erring Democratic neighbors. The old gentleman did not understand the matter just as we did, and as it turned out two or three of his five subscribers were paying for the paper themselves, but we accepted his version of the contract and carried it but in that way, although we refused quite a number of proffered additions to his “club.” The arrangement with the old gentleman was terminated

a year or more ago, however, although we think he still pays for three copies, all in his own family, and in that case, we shall let him have them at $1.25 per year, just as we do a number of others who pay for three or more copies, and all at one time. Our free list is confined to resident clergymen, and one or two who were lately residents, to relatives and to correspondents. This is the whole truth about our subscription list, so far as the above quoted miserable lyingscreed from the Pilot is concerned. We will add, however, that notwithstanding losses of subscribers from discontinuances, deaths, removals, &c., our list of paying subscribers is larger now than it ever was before, excepting of course temporary aampaign subscribers. Wo will clso add that The Republican has a larger circulation than any reported in Ayers’ latest newspaper catalogue in the seven adjoining counties of Lake, Porter, Starke, Pulaski, White, Benton and Newton, excepting one paper in Lake county and one in Porter. Our subscription list is in a very healthy condition, we are happy to say, and we have no fears but that it will remain so, in spite of all the dirt which the dirtiest publication that ever disgraced the profession of journalism, in the whole state of Indiana, can throw at us.

Programme for March 17. Quotations from noted Statesmen. History lesson —Last year of Lincoln’s Administration.—Mrs. Moss. Paper—The President and the Draft.—Mrs. Foltz. Paper—What is the outlook for American Statesmen—Mrs. Melle Medicus. Where was the oldest club in America, and give a sketch of it—MrsGoff. Question Drawer Mrs. David Nowels. Current events, by society. Music—Mrs. Foltz. Society will meet with Mrsi Medicus. Melle Medicus, Secy.