The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-26
a NE W LITERATURE.


There is practice which prevails now
in connection with the insertion of adver-
tlsements In the newspapers, which APP
pears to us very reprehensible. 1t began
with the secular papers; we notice it now
in the best of our religious exchanges.
We allude to the publication of adver-
tisements as reading matter, and among
the selected matter of our newspapers.
The advertisement is so disguised, and so
headed, that it is difficult to distinguish
it from the other selections in the paper,
and plain people often never do discover
that it is an advertisement. The object
of the advertiser is to deceive them on
this point, or, if it is not, they are misled
by the position of the article in the news
paper.
We happen to have before us two of
our most respectable and esteemed ex-
changes-the Christian at Work and the
Interior. In the former we have an
article of six columns (arranged like or
binary reading matter), and headed "a
Great Discovery" with number of at
tractive sub-headings. We commenced
reading this, but growing suspicious look
ed at the close of the article, and found
the following:
Starkey & Palen, at Nos. 1,109 and Ill Girard
Street, Philadelphia, with it's handsomely fur.
nished offices and reception rooms, and extern
sive laboratory, would be a surprise to those
who have known nothing of the rapid growth
of the new treatment and the extent of its ad.
ministration.
Picking up the Interior (Which, like
the Christian at Work, we always ready
we were attracted by an article of col
umn and half headed " Presentiments"
=" An Investigation of those Dark Fore
bodings which Make Powerful Men
Weak" Then in brackets it was cred
tied to the well-known paper The Gold
en- Rule" We read along about the
wonderful experience of Bishop Haven,
Hon. Clarkson N. Potter, ard others, and
presently we reached this:
The means used to accomplish this end has
been Warmers Safe Kidney and Liver Cure.
manufactured in Rochester, N. Y, a remedy
that has won its way into the confidence of the
public solely upon the remarkable merits it pos
sesses.
Here we paused-knowing that we
were sold again.
Now, we respectfully submit that this
sort of thing in the religious press is ex-
ceedingly unbecoming, and there is not
the slightest apology for it in the secular
press.
We have been offered this sort Of ad-
vertising, and have always refused it.
1t is, of course. very profitable. All of
us SC metimes admit advertisements that
are Objectionable; it is often difficult to
judge; but surely there can be no ques-
Uion about this case.
This practice once established, none of
us will be able to tell what we are read
ing. Any article we read in a newspa-
per may have been inserted-not to give
instruction, but for money. The adver-
tiser can easily do this thing SO ingenious
ly that no one can tell when he is read
ing an advertisement. There is but one
principle in all this matter: no money
ought to be received for the publication
of any matter in a newspaper which is
not in the advertising columns, or plainly
designated to be an advertisement.
Since writing the foregoing we notice
a similar article in the Presbyterian Jour-
nal of Philadelphia-another bulwark of
the Presbyterian Church. This article
is headed "Well Founded Alarm, and
is on the interesting subject Of the ROYAL
BAKING POWDER.