Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-07-16
HONESTY ESSENTIAL
FOR ADVERTISING
Expert Says Dishonesty Is Due
Largely to Inefficiency-
Urges High Ideals.
BY e. st. ELMO LEWIS.

have two ways of looking at the
question of honesty in advertising
One is to adopt it as matter Of course
because it's an efficiency principal; be-
cause it's the only thing to be done;i
because It Is the only satisfactory way
to conduct business; because it's the
only right thing to be done, and any
thing that's right can be done and
should be done.
It's undoubtedly fact that the
propaganda relative to honesty has
done good. It has been good thing!
It was needed; but we have expended
our entire energy on Making Sunday;
the biggest day In the week, and We
have not touched lot CT people VINO
would have been touched II 1t had
been approached from q business
standpoint as we'll as from an ethical
standpoint What are we going to do
with the other six days Of the week!
Man says, Yes, I'n going to be hon
est, but what are you going to do to
take up the slack; how are you going
to help me handle the truth 30 that
peonle will believe it, be interested
and convinced?"
InefHeIency the Cause.
believe that much dishonesty anC
oyer-statement in advertising is entire
ly due to ineffi cheney. A man says
that a woman's hat is worth $1S, but
he will sell it for SO, because he fg-
ures that everybody knows the price
of hats, but very few know the value,
and it is not too cynical to say that
the vast majority of people know the
value of them. That's fundamental
fact in human nature. When the re-
taller advertises the S18 hat for So,
he plays upon that weakness in human
nature, but how are you going to make
the truth about that SO hat effective!
There is way, but when you put
into his heart a realization Of the i'm
morality Of talking about So hat be-
ing worth SIS when it's really worth
only Sc. or SIS, or 81, or, maybe, $3.50,
and you don't give him any method
of raising his efficiency, pretty soon
his cash drawer tells him such a
story that he says, 'I don't care hang
whether it's immoral or what 1t ls
People like to be humbugged and I've
got to hui..bug them If I'm going to
be in business"
What are you going to do under the
o;rou-, c onnecp
Now, very good friend of mine,
when talked this way to him IN let
ter the other day, Immediately jumped
to the conclusion that | was arguing
for immortality in business. | am not.
| am arguing for the purpose OF max
ing morality efficient and there is just
one thing that some Of our moral
speakers haven't made people under
stand, and that is, merely good people
are not necessarily successful people,
that mere goodness and morality Will
not put dollars in mans pocket.
Will Eliminate Fake.
don't believe, you know, that all
the world is made up Of crooks. >
don't believe that all the crooks are In
the advertising business. believe that
there are men of very high ideals in
tie advertising business. believe
there will continue to be, and as ad-
ye-tising becomes more fact.founded,
becomes more scientific, experience
becomes more valuable, and knowt
edge more fashionable, | believe that
we will eliminate very great deal OF
the fake out of advertising, just as the
fake was eliminated out of the intro
duction of facts into chamistry, the
fake was eliminated out of astroiogy
when the facts of astronomy became
Mt thinQ