The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-06
SCRUTINIZE THE PAPERS
DEPARTMENT. LOOKING FOR Oh
SCENE ADVERTISEMENTS.
Tho High Glass Journals of the Ceun-
try are willingly Aiding the
Authorities i'm the Campaign
Now ON.
Advertiser Bureau,
Colorado Building.

Colorado Building,
Washington. June 5.
The paterna1ism of Uncle Sam in GER.
tain affairs has recently been the cause
of no little fretfulness in quarters de.
serving consideration. The practics
of paternalism is on the assumption
that people are victims of imposition
by business firms that manufacture
cure-all medicines which they sell tc
the public by way of lavish advertise
ments in newspapers. The lines OF
business to which government makes
most objection embrace patent medi-
cines and articles that appeal quickest
to the feminine imagination. Accom-
panying testimonials. as well as the
body of the advertising matter. are
found which in the opinion of the gov
eminent observers contain things that
ought not to be allowed in any public
print.
officers of the Postoffiee Department
are now engaged in looking into the
evil and are considering how to sup
press 1t. One OF them said yesterday:
Congressman have made the mis-
take of thinking that newspapers
would be bitterly opposed to any attack
upon line of business thaht furnished
the ma large revenue through their
advertising columns. Since we have
begun our crusade upon this objec-
tionable class OF business, which has
become serious factor in our COM
mercial life, we find that the respecta-
BILE newspapers are I'm hearty co-opera-
ton with us. As matter of fact,
the higher class newspapers have for
many years been carefully excluding
the wording OF which
or the ideas suggested would be the
AhfArf n bIa IN efa nf
deeency."
THE public has not the remotest
idea" said the department man. "of
the enormous sum of money the highly
respectable newspapers of American
turn away each year because they will
not print advertisements of articles
that not only defraud but injure the
buyers. IT seems strange that, with
all our reformers. not one has come
TO the front with the slightest agita-
ton against this grave and growing
evil There are things advertised
which aggravate the evil OF drunken
ness and social evils of various vicious
forms"
First Assistant Postmaster General
Robert j. Wynne, who has been a
newspaper man of large experience, has
interested himself and the Postmaster
General IN the cause of elevating the
character of advertising which appears
In newspapers and has been convinced
that the department would have the
cooperation of the leading publishers
in the country.
The American Newspaper Publish
ers' Association took up the matter at
a recent meeting and is actively CO.
operating with the department in the
effort to suppress every swindling ad-
vertiser in the country. Department
officers assigned to that duty. carefully
scrutinize the advertising matter of all
papers. When an Objectionable adver-
tisement is found.s it is referred to the
American Newspaper Publishers Asso-
citation. The Association knows
whether the newspaper printing the
swindling advertisement Is a member
of the Association. If II is a member
Secretary William C. Bryant, of New
York, writes to the manager of the Of
Tending newspaper and notifies him
that the "ad'' must be discontinued. If
the newspaper is not a member of the
Association, the department notifies the
publisher that he is printing an illegal
advertisement and that he must dis
continue 1t at once If he still offends,
his paper Is excluded from the mails.
The department has Instructed all post
vertisement and send copies of Of
'ensive publications to the Department
for final action.
No detectives are employed in this
work of the department, dependence
resting wholly upon postmasters, the
Publishers Association and the public
generally for correction of the evil. 1t
Is recognized that many so-calIed pro-
orietary remedies or patent medicines
have merit and may be legitimately
advertised.
The department has recently begun
10 collect samples of pills and patent
bureau OF chemistry of the Department
If Agriculture for analysis. Pills
ahelled as preyentives. etc. and liquid
preparations which masquerade as
Medicines in order to get sale as IN
oxicants will, 1t is said at the depart
nent, be certainly condemned 1t is
veil known that many of these COM
pounds contain large percentage of |
Ilcohol and are sold considerably in |
he prohibition districts of the coun-
ry. Moreover, many people are will
ng to be fooled into taking intoxicants |
which 1t is pretended are medicinal |
'emedies. such as tonics and the like. |
The information that the department is |
gbluB dS lar dS II NdH 10 the IOOL OF |
he evil Is Just now causing no little |
igitation in those peculiar business cir |
les which deal In the articles indi- |
ated. Meanwhile Uncle Sans exercise |
II paternalism in the matter is re-
marked as unprecedented
But here Is the regulation which the |
department. proposes to enroee as re-
,ards Objectionable advertisement mat
err:
Every obscene, Iewd, lasciviolfs |
'ook, pamphlet picture, paper. letter.
writing, print. or other publication of
n indecent character. and every article
II thing designed or intended for the
or procuring of abortion,
nd every article or thing intended or
dapted for any indecent or immoral
se. and every written or printed card, i
etter, circular. hook, pamphlet, adver-
isemeat or notice of any kind giving L
directly or indirectly, Il