Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-08-31
LIQUOR ADS. AS BRIBEs
Joliet News Declares Brewers
Use Means to Silence Editors.
EXPERIENCE OF A GREAT DAILY
Because Famous Kansas City Star
Dcfied Brewers IL Systematic BOY
cott Was Attempted That Acted
Like Roomerang-A New Era at
Humid.
Especial Correspondence

Hand.
Especial Correspondence.
Chicago Ill.--Do liquor ads gag the
great daily papers to silence on the
liquor question or bribc them into open |
antagonism to Prohibition? Thousands |
upon thousands of inches of beer and
whisky publicity next to pure reading
matter in the great newspapers of Bos-
ton, New York, Washington, Cincin-
natl. Chicago, st. Louis and San Fran
cisco-a great flood of seductive and
persuasive appeals to the appetitcs of
the people-tbat is one of the startling
developments OF the last decade.
Where is it leading? Examine the adj
vertising columns of the btterest cdi-
torial enemies of Prohibition, the
Washington Post, the New York
Tribune, the Chicago Inter Ocean, the
Omaha Bee, the Los Angeles Times,
the Portland Oregonian and score of
other violent opponents of the Prohibi-
ton movement, and count the columns
and pages devoted to beer and whisky
soliciting The result is astounding.
Hundreds and thousands of dollars are
paid out of liquor strong boxes for this
"advertising." II has invaded the
magazine field. The advertising is full
of misrepresentation and falsehoods.
4 do Of %ta
Duffy's malt whisky fraud, investiga
tion of whose ads. has already re-
vealed lies and fake testimonials of
the blacklist description, is but n sam
pie of the outrageous impositions now
being practiced upon reputable jour-
nails and their millions of intelligent
but unsuspecting. readers.
A Revolt Begun.
But there is revolt due and already
In the air. Many magazines have
served notice OH liquor and patent
medicine promoters that notice of their
poison wares will hereafter be eXclud-
ed from their columns. Munsey made
an especially emphatic statement to
that effect the other day. Now comes
the Kansas City Star with IL daring
writ of prescription for this class of
advertisers. The Stars story ought to,
stir the sand and strengthen the back
bone of every honest newspaper from
the Pine Tree State to Manila bay. In
the first place, 1t is metropolitan
paper. It's circulation exceeds 125,000
day The inside facts of its rebel
lion against the dictation of the liquor
advertisers is told in nutshell, as fol-
lows:
The Boycott.
Since the Kansas City Star declared un-
cquivocally in support OF Governor Folks
enforcement of the Sunday closing law
the allied brewery and distilery interests
have not only withdrawn every vine beer
and whisky advertisement from the COL
umns OF this paper, but they have com
PEELED the withdrawal of other classes Of
advertising, such as cigars. tobacco. min
eral waters and other beverages.
During the past year the Star has been
more vigilant and vigorous than ever be-
fore In refusing to accept or renew
tracts for objectionable medical advcr-
! tisements. get-rich-quick lures and ques-
tionabe advertising of every kind. Tho
amount OF revenue thus rejected wa.s very
large Advertising is such fertile soil that
noXious weeds are quick to claim foot
hold therein.
The Result.
/ A comparison of the advertising in tho
| Star for May of this year compared with
May of last year shows an increase in
| total advertising this year Il 142,9 $50 lines
over the same month year ago. The cir
culation increased 5000 during the same
! time
What the Joliet News Thinks.
The Star is not without wellwishers
among its contemporaries The Joliet
Qll) News in leading editorial says:
There are newspapers that claim that
the taking OF beer and whisky ADVERTISE
ments is a pure business proposition
that the advertiser buys his space and
pays for it and that there the RESPONSE
bility ends.
( The experience of the Hansas City Star
proves exactly what the News has always
claimed-thnt the acceptance of liquor
and beer advertisements is meant by the
men giving the ads. direct bid for the
keeping of the paper silent on the en-
forcement of laws
The minute the Star cspoused the plan
of Governor Folk to enforce the law tho
entire allied brewery and distilling infiu-
enccs attempted to force the Star to keep
silence by systematic boycott that was
intended to prove Il costly one.
! The News has always refused the adver-
tsements Of the brewery and distillery
interests when they wanted to advertise
their brands Of bce-' and whisky. because
/ we did not care to place ourselves under
any obligations that were even implied.
We congratulate the Kansas City Star
upon the showing 1t has made and hope
that other newspapers throughout the ma
ton will follow along the same lines.
All this is encouraging. 1t shows at
least one tremendous fact. The liquor
advertiser may be able to brbe some
newspapers, he may be able to silence
others. but he viii never succeed in
gagging The whole American press at
any one time. and in the end he will
get his deserts, full measure, pressed