The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-02-13
WAGES war ON
IMMORAL ADS.
G. W. Arnold Before Legislature in
Behalf Of Clean and Less Danger
Gus Newspapers.


LANSING, Feb. liza 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 is months,
and IL the hopes OF G. 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 quacks doctors and clairvoy-
ants murderers for the part they play
in running young men and women, and
II wasn't long after his arrival In
Lansing, week ago, that bills were
introduced In both branches OF the
legislature making IL unlawful for any
newspaper or periodical To publish
setting forth the
claims OF physicians who make a 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 l 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
a. z..f hAtr faf nd
Using contracts with the physicians
was not too powerful. / tried to make
arrangements to speak In Detroit and
Lansing, but my efforts were unsuc'
cessful."
Arnold has succeeded In having
passed In Minnesota, Wisconsin, North
Dakota, and South Dakota, laws SINH
lar TO the bills introduced In the
legislature. His work has
not been without obstacles, however
for In Minneapolis somebody dumped
a. quantity OF arsenic into an oyster
stew he ate, and In Iowa, he was ar.
rested a 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 In Iowa, and the reformer him
self has given up the idea OF driving
bis enemies out OF the state.
"I'm always suspicious OF these peo-
ple," he remarked, "and for that rea-
sen / am always prepared TO furnish
A $4,000 bond. In Waterloo. Iowa,
was tricked into going to certain
place. presumably TO deliver q lecture,
and found myself In the hands OF q
private detective. | was taken be-
fore the prosecuting attorney, and
was confronted by a bejeweled physi.
clan whom exposed. They could
make out no case against me, but
since then have been strictly barred
so far as the lecture platform Is con
oerned.
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 unearthed while
engaged I'm 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 q
powerful part In the domestic white
slave traffic.
Arnold cites the case OF Mime.
sofa girl as On example OF the pur'
pose or some of the clairvoyant adver'
According to the clean ad.
vertising campaigner, the girl an
swered a 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 a letter which she
had intercepted. 1t was from the
"clairvoyant," who advised the girl
that the village in which she lived
was too small for girl OF her attain
ments. Ii requested her to come tc
would be provided with congenial EN-
would be provided with cogenial EN-
Investigation proved that
the Minneapolis address was a dis
reputable rooming house. The adver
tisements OF women claiming to dc
massage and manicure work have
been Investigated with the same re
suits, Arnold alleges.
One young man in Minneapolis, the
son Of prominent family, consulted
a firm OF advertising physicians, &C
cording to Arnold, because he feared
10 lay his case before his family physi
clan.
They bled this young fellow out oil
about $780," said Arnold, land when
he finally realized that he was beinl
swindled he came to me. We fought
for several months before part OF the