The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-16
Though Tardy, These Newspapers
Join With The Times in Excluding
the Unclean Advertisements of
Local Specialist
Detroit Now Takes on New Distinc-
ton as "A City of Clean
Newspapers. +"

"Sa'iOi' wen. mere II 10.
On July first Detroit two oldest
newspapers. Free Press and News,
disinfected. Sprinkled cloride OF
lime. SO to speak upon those corners
OF their business pages where the Il
CURE MEN" proclamations have APP
peared ia brazen blackness Tor time
immemofial.
The whole smear" or private med
ical impostors have been dumped from
the pages OF these newspapers for all
time. H. is quite clean up. NJ cause
Tor rejoicing in homes that have been
dehled by filthy phraseology and In
advertising circles that are clean ana
legitimate but that have suffered
through contact with poisonous pub
lefty
This belated move on the part OF
the Free Press and News-creditaDle
even III tardy-means a clean press for
clean city. IL is victory for decent
Journalism and an achievement in the
direction OF better public morality and
higher living in Detroit.
This important development in the
advertising policy OF Detroits Oldest
ana most widely-known newspapers
is the elimination OF years OF agita-
ton here and elsewhere IL is also IN
keeping with the ethical awakening
In business throughout the land. In
nearly every large city one or more
leading newspapers have taken this
stand. Detroit is the first. we believe,
10 have all OF it's dailies committed To
this program Of advertising decency.
The Times led OFF I'm this reform
nearly nine years ago. 1t abated It's
rigid exclusion policy somewhat when
the law compelled these advertisers
to keep the more Objectionable terms
out OF the copy. But under this mod.
itied censorship abuses crept in-and
all the time there was the glaring H..
legitimacy OF these charlatans meth
ods-and on January LIST. 1907, this
paper presented To its readers this
renewed resolution
Beginning today rhe Times will cut
out all Objectionable advertising from
Its columns. In accordance with its
Christmas day announcement.
This relates not only to private medi-
cal advertisements but TO all paid mat
-teF-tlfat savers Of quaekefy or hunbug
or imposition upon our subscribers
This is not an innovation on the part
OF The Times. but a return To its orig
inal policy; or rather more rigid en-
forcement OF that policy under which
plea OF the advertisers. "All the other
Detroit newspapers take our copy:
why shouldn't The TtmcsP
The Times, realizing that II stands
In relationship OF especial closeness
and trustfulness with its large family
OF readers. proposes to be law unto
itself In this matter.
Our aim shall be TO consider the wei
fare OF the public quite as zcalously
in what We print In our advertising
columns as In our editorial columns.
There has been important exposures
of late on this subject in connection
| with the pure food legislation In con
close their eyes to the gross wrongs
practiced upon their readers through
dishonest or unwholesome advertise
ments appearing In their columns
| The Times repeats that II will not
knowingly admit To It's columns any
fake or objectlonably worded adver-
II will do it's best to discriminate be-
tween proprietary remedies OF proved
| 10 be Injurious or illegitimate We
know that many advertised medicines
are as deserving OF confidence as doc.
We ask the readers cooperation In
this with the assurance that every
complaint will be investigated
The Times has already done much to
protect it's readers from the unworthy
Investment propositions offered in this
| field.
But II considers those who take this
paper and believe In IL have a much
greater right to protection from fraud
uIent advertisements. especially OF
| preparations held out as cures to the
| afflicted.
speculative hazards IN every scheme
that depends upon advertising for the
| sale OF its stock They put In money
to make more money.
| fering from physical ills are often In
duced through dishonest advertise
ments to part with their meaRer earn
ings only to suffer disappointment
| In recognition OF its duty TO these
| readers and from desire TO give legi /.
| timate advertisers the entire beneht OF
| honest business messages addressed to
| our large family OF readers, The Times
| announces Its strict adherence 10 us
original advertising policy
The fake adj and the private medical
ad must go'
The battle has gone forward glorl-
ously since this declaration Through
these columns, through vigorous cor
respondence and pamphleteering. and
through unequivocal verbal appeals
by representatives OF The Times be-
fore public bodies In this and other
cities, the just cause has been waged
The magazines and trade press OF the
country have quoted The Times liber
ally on this advanced doctrine ana
thereby extended the good work.
Local weeklies and medical jour
nails have taken hold and helped, Hun
dredS or COHmenudlOIy WOIuS lioiA
advertisers. advertising agencies am
managers, preachers and educators
hare been reprinted in these columns
The Detroit Adcraft club gave officia
sanction TO the crusade And-prob
ably more convincing than all else IN
it's impression upon offending publish
ers--has been the awarding of many
much-coveted lines Of business TO The
Times mainly upon its clean advertis
ing policy.
The extent to which the demand
for clean advertising has taken hole
of the buyers OF newspaper space has
been shown by the amount OF earnes
attention given to the reform by tn,
various commercial bodies that have
held their national conventions in thi:
city this summer. Especially in the
deliberations OF the wholesale gro
GERS, the plano dealers and the rca
estate men OF America did this topic
inspire -liveliest discussion,
In calling upon its contemporaries
TO be without spot OF blemish them
selves before admonishing others L
depart from evil WAYS, The Times
confesses To some fefghborly severity
In It's Establishments. The recent re
production IN miniature or pages o
the Free Press and News disfigureC
by columns Of this abominable private