The Detroit times., 1911-02-11
WAGES WAR ON
IMMORAL ADS.
G. W. Arnold Before Legislature in
Behalf Of Clean and Less Danger
GUS Newspapers.

! LANSING, Feb. IA twenty-five
year fight against unclean advertising
which has resulted In the passage OF
laws In four states prohibiting the
| publication of advertisements OF an
immoral nature has been carried into
Michigan during the last 15 months,
and IL the hopes OF C. w. Arnold, OF
Minneapolis. the man who Is waging
| the war, are realized, this session OF
! the legislature will mark the passing
| of the indecent ads In this state.
Arnold is no will-o'-the-wisp reform
er. He doesn't hesitate to call certain
classes OF quack doctors and ciairvoy-
ants murderers for the part they play
| in running young men and women, and
| IL wasn't long after his arrival In
Lansing, week ago, that bills were
| introduced in both branches OF the
| legislature making II unlawful for any
newspaper or periodical To publish
advertisements setting forth the
claims Of physicians who make spe-
cialty of preying upon the young, get
| ting their money generally under
| false pretenses.
II am quite certain that the Mich
igan legislature will pass the law"
said Arnold before leaving Lansing,
yesterday. Since / began my cam
paign In Michigan, little more than
| q year ago, $4,000 letters have been
sent to the citizens OF this state ex-
posing this class OF fakirs. have
made speeches in the smaller towns
where the influence Of newspapers
anxious to carry out their fat adver-
tising contracts with the physicians
was not too powerful. I tried to make
ARRANGEMENTS to speak in Detroit and
Lansing. but my efforts were unsuc-
| cessful." Sf u "a
| Arnold has succeeded In having
passed In Minnesota. Wisconsin, North
] Dakota, and oSuth Dakota, laws simi-
! lar to the bills introduced In the
! Michigan legislature. His work has
not beet without obstacles, however.
! for in Minneapolis somebody Jumped
a quantity OF arsenic into an oyster
stew he ate, and In Iowa, he was ar
rested few times on charges OF Grim
! inal libel preferred by offended physi-
clans whom he publicly branded as
robbers, and other choice terms. At
present Arnold's presence is not de.
sired i'm Iowa, and the reformer him.
self has given up the idea OF driving
| bis enemies out OF the state.
/ 'Tm always suspicious Of these peo-
ple." he remarked, "and for that rea-
SON I am always prepared to furnish
$4,000 bond. In Waterloo. Iowa, l
was tricked into going to certain
place. presumably to deliver lecture,
I, and found myself in the hands or q
/ A.
| fore the prosecuting attorney, and
was confronted by bejewleed physi-
clan whom exposed. They could
make out no case against me, but
since then have been strictly barred,
SC far as the lecture platform Is con-
Cerned.
So persistent has Arnold been in his
efforts to keep the offending advertis-
ing matter out Of the mails, that Post
master General Hitchcock has detail
ed two inspectors to aid him In OBJ
] tanning evidence. The evidence which
Arnold declares he upearthed while
engaged in the task OF prosecuting
medical fakes and clairvoyants, and
others who purport to earn living
| by manicuring and conducting private
maternity homes, tends to prove that
| this class Of advertisers has taken
powerful part In the domestic white
clave traffic
Arnold cites the case OF a Mime
sofa girl as an example OF the 'pur-
pose of some OF the clairvoyant adver-
tisements. According to the clean ad-
vertising campaigner, the girl an
swered personal in one OF the large
papers of the state, thinking that she
would receive In return free for
ture told" Arnold met her mother
soon afterwards. The distracted par
ent showed him letter which she
! had intercepted. IL was from the
"clairvoyant," who advised the girl
that the village In which she lived
was too small for girl Of her attain
ments. 1t requested her to com. 'c
an address in Minneapolis, where -
would be provided with cogenial en-
ployment." Inveugation proved that
the Minneapolis address was dis
reputable rooming house. The advet-
tisements of women claiming to do
massage and manicure work have
been investigated with the same re-
suits, Arnold alleges.
| One young man in Minneapolis, the
son OF a prominent family, consulted
firm OF advertising physicians, &C.
cording to Arnold, because he feared
TO lay his case before his family physi.
clan.
| They bled this young fellow out OF
about 5000" said Arnold. "and when
he finally realized that he was being
swindled he came to me. We fought
for several months before part OF the
money was returned. and during the
fight rearned that the physicians had
threatened him with exposure. and re-
sorted TO other blackmailing methods
TO force him TO keep up payments.
In an insane asylum In Minnesota
there are "a young men. ranging In
age from rs TO 80 years. All have
been driven 10 distraction by the lies
told them by these blackmailing ply.
sicians. Most OF the young men were
Il