large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_05_belloc_64kb_0
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_05_belloc_64kb
English
7264
As with patent medicines so with any other matter whatsoever that was advertised. However bad, shoddy, harmful, or even treasonable the matter might be, the proprietor was always at the choice of publishing matter which did not affect _him_, and saving his fortune, or refusing it and jeopardizing his fortune. He chose the former course. AS WITH PATENT MEDICINES SO WITH ANY OTHER MATTER WHATSOEVER THAT WAS ADVERTISED HOWEVER BAD SHODDY HARMFUL OR EVEN TREASONABLE THE MATTER MIGHT BE THE PROPRIETOR WAS ALWAYS AT THE CHOICE OF PUBLISHING MATTER WHICH DID NOT AFFECT HIM AND SAVING HIS FORTUNE OR REFUSING IT AND JEOPARDIZING HIS FORTUNE HE CHOSE THE FORMER COURSE
his advertisers as his paymasters. To that extent, therefore, his power of giving true news and of printing sound opinion was limited, even though his own inclinations should lean towards such news and such opinion. An individual newspaper owner might, for instance, have the greatest possible dislike for the trade in patent medicines. He might object to the swindling of the poor which is the soul of that trade. He might himself have suffered acute physical pain through the imprudent absorption of one of those quack drugs. But he certainly could not print an article against them, nor even an article describing how they were made, without losing a great part of his income, directly; and, perhaps, indirectly, the whole of it, from the annoyance caused to other advertisers, who would note his independence and fear friction in their own case. He would prefer to retain his income, persuade his readers to buy poison, and remain free (personally) from touching the stuff he recommended for pay. COMPELLED THEN TO RESPECT HIS ADVERTISERS AS HIS PAYMASTERS TO THAT EXTENT THEREFORE HIS POWER OF GIVING TRUE NEWS AND OF PRINTING SOUND OPINION WAS LIMITED EVEN THOUGH HIS OWN INCLINATIONS SHOULD LEAN TOWARDS SUCH NEWS AND SUCH OPINION AN INDIVIDUAL NEWSPAPER OWNER MIGHT FOR INSTANCE HAVE THE GREATEST POSSIBLE DISLIKE FOR THE TRADE IN PATENT MEDICINES HE MIGHT OBJECT TO THE SWINDLING OF THE POOR WHICH IS THE SOUL OF THAT TRADE HE MIGHT HIMSELF HAVE SUFFERED ACUTE PHYSICAL PAIN THROUGH THE IMPRUDENT ABSORPTION OF ONE OF THOSE QUACK DRUGS BUT HE CERTAINLY COULD NOT PRINT AN ARTICLE AGAINST HIM NOR EVEN AN ARTICLE DESCRIBING HOW THEY WERE MADE WITHOUT LOSING A GREAT PART OF HIS INCOME DIRECTLY AND PERHAPS INDIRECTLY THE WHOLE OF IT FROM THE ANNOYANCE CAUSED TO OTHER ADVERTISERS WHO WOULD NOTE HIS INDEPENDENCE AND FEAR FRICTION IN THEIR OWN CASE HE WOULD PREFER TO RETAIN HIS INCOME PERSUADE HIS READERS TO BUY POISON AND REMAIN FREE PERSONALLY FROM TOUCHING THE STUFF HE RECOMMENDED FOR PAY
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