work of the impression cylinders make no mention of damaged copies
thrown aside, of sample copies, files, exchanges, copies kept against
possible future need, copies unsold, copies nominally sold but sooner
or later returned and finally sold to the junk shop, and all that sort
of thing. One prints a large extra issue on a certain day for some
business corporation which has its own purpose to serve by publication
of an article in its own interest, whereby many thousands of copies
are added to that day's normal output, and he makes the exceptional
number for that day serve as the exponent of his circulation until
good fortune brings him a similar and possibly larger order, and his
circulation is reported as "still increasing." Another struck a
"high-water mark" of "190,500" the day after Mr. Cleveland was
elected, and that has been the implied measure of circulation for the
last six years. Another, during a heated political campaign, or a
great financial crisis, or some other dominant factor in public
interest, makes a large and genuine temporary increase, but the
highest mark gained does enforced duty in the eyes of the marines
until another flood tide sweeps him to a greater transient height.
These are types of the competitions of the circulation liar. At this
very hour there are four daily newspapers each of which has the
largest circulation in the United States. Of the nearly 18,000
American publications only 103 furnish detailed, open, and entirely
trustworthy statements of circulation.

As to the general public this is no great matter, but to the vast
number of business men who buy the real or fancied publicity afforded
by newspaper advertising it is of exceeding importance. That the large
buyers of advertising space are not more and oftener swindled is
because they understand the circulation extravaganza and buy space
according to their understanding. The time is coming, and it should