The state herald., 1891-09-25
AFTER THE FRAUDS.
SUBSTITUTION" RECEIVES
POWERFUL CHECK.
Tho People Beginning to SEQ Into
tho Dodgo--L. ID. Morse Of Bates
Advertising Agency Talks to
New York Press Reporter

The New York papers have opened
fire on the substitute frauds rec ntly
referred TO in these columns. From
the Press of recent date we clip the
following:
An agitation in which the public is
deeply concerned has recently risen
among tho owners and manufacturers
OF patent medicines and other proprie-
tary articles. This agitation Is
directed against the practice lndulged
| n '.substitute preparation for the
proprietary article for which custo-
mer calls with the intention of buying.
There are many standard articles
soaps, emulsions, pills, sarssa parillas,
/ oils, extracts, syrups, etc, which have
! atsained TO large sale and widespread
reputation by their real merits and the
liberal advertising af their proprietors.
This reputation would seem to be the
legitimate property Of tho owner of
any article in question, and so long as
the soap, oil, syrup or whatever 1t Is
justifies the reputation, no nah has n
right in honesty to undermine or
divert the rewards of such character
from its proper goals.
Yet, it Is alleged, such undermi ming
such dishonesty, is practiced every
day, to the injury of established busi-
ness and to the detriment and damage Of
the public. For instance. u man calls
nj drug store and asks for sc me stated
preparation that he had heard highly
| recommended or that has been used
before in his family. AZ all events he
| wishes that particular medicine, and
anyone would suppose he had right
fto have his desire gratifcd.
Oftentimes, however, he will be told,
II am all out of that now, but here is
something of my own make that is just
as good, even better, and Is much
cheaper and too often the customer
relying upon the statement of the
drcggiss will take the substi-
tute. At first blush one may
think all this fair business
methods on the part of the druggist,
but when you consider that nine times
out of ten he has right in his store the
standard article originally asked for,
that he has perhaps for years been
selling 1t ana on which fair profit
Is provided by the men whose business
he thus seeks in his small way 10 de-
stroy, and that in many cases
the substitute given is absolutely
Intellectual as compared with the other,
the magnitude of the offensc against
the manufacturer who trusts him
and the public whom he is
supposed TO serve is seen at
once. 1t is perfectly right for
druggists and chemists 10 con.
| coct their own preparations and in
an honest way sell them, but IL
Is undeniably wrong for any one
to try to push his proposition to sue
cess by stealing the reputation that il
has taken others years of time and
thousands of money to build up, and
| even worse for them 10 place in peril
the health and life of their patrons.
| When the customer enters the store the
| force that guides him is the rcpitation
| OF that particular standard article, and
| If the druggist has it he should sell il
| to him.
The movement TO stop thls species
| OF deception, not 10 say swindling, is
therefore of great Importance not only
TO the men who are primarily affected,
but TO every individual in the commun-
ity, and IT. is likely that the movemen,
will take definite and effective shape
ut once aa.----
This question was very ably discussed
yesterday afternoon in the presence oi
u Fyess man by Mr.. l.. ID. Morse, man.
arer of j. II. Bates Newspaper Adver.
Using agency. who has for "a long time
ssiven thought TO the various phases OF
the question because of the work that
Bates Advertising agency mad done in
extending the regulations which are
now insidiously attacked. Mr.. Morse
referred to the able manner In which
the matter had been taken up md
formally presented by A. Frank Rich.
ardson in his address delivered In st.
Paul before the Editorial association
'Mr. Richardson put IL just right, y
said Mr.. Morse, and after some com
plimentary comment, on the Editorial
ass lciatton Mr.. Morse went on; "neo-
pie have no idea how extensively this
fraudulent dealing Is practiced And
there is more thnn nn oifcnsc TO the
moral sense Of the community in this
swindling system; there Is actual phys.
ical danger Think IA moment OF the
evolution of patent or proprietary
medicine from the tins that its form.
ula is discovered by tho chemist in his
laboratory until IL hu. won recognition
from the world as n trustworthy rem.
edy, with place In the homes OF tho
land and in the con idcncc of the pco.
pie. Tbs making Of such medicines Is
nm exact science. They have been test.
eu. and tested over and over again by
tbc experts OF the world, and they
are prepared by scientific men.
Money might boost preparation into
| prominence before the people for n
time, but no amount OF money could
keep II before the people. II must
have won on its merits. Had Il not
been able to effect what was promised
for II the first time IL would not be
bought n second Lime. With this pal
pablc truth before you, do you not
think there is danger to the
community In having such
remedies thrust aside, and
for them substituted connections
prepared possibly by the vcricst tyros
In the Pharmacist art? Customers
should demand the article they have
every reason 10 believe II the best. aud
they should insist upon getting II. II
Is time this contemplate business was
stopped, and II can be II the press Of
the country will ventilntc aud expose
II, AMI II the public win refuse to pat
ronizc druggists who try to palm OIL
the substitute nostrums. The only
rcnson the druggists hive for want.
ing TO sell these substitutes IN because
they can be made cheaper 'haa the
standard articles and sold with more
profit This is the very reason the
public would want the standard. and
does not want the other. I'm willing
the druggists and all other men should
make n much ns they can. but let
them make II honestly without injur.
lug their ncighbprs, or befooling or ca.
dnnRcring the community