Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-10

bNltiluOIe, Mus Juue AV.-JdlHSs
keclcy, OF tho Chicago Tribune"
speaking before the convention of the
Associated Advertising Clubs of
America here last night declared that
the troubles that exist between ad-
yertiser and publisher, the handicaps
that prevent harmonious dealings be-
tween the man who publishes and the
man who adyertises, are based on
what might euphoniously be called
one standard for editorial honor and
another ior business" Stripped of po-
likeness OF phraseology. the trouble
or problem, hcsaid, was really based
on lying"
THAT is the root of IT," he contin,
ued, plain and affidavit lying and
with the Ito there goes necessarily,
hand In hand, secrecy. subterfuge,
lack OF cooperation and trouble
trouble for the honest publisher and
trouble for the advertiser who can.
not distinguish between the statement
OF the honest publisher and the state
ment OF the dishonest publisher.
1t IS a strange commentary-yes.
TN astonishing commentary on the
ethics of one Of the greatest indus
tries In the world-thaf its business
integrity is AZ so low an eob thas
newspapers. before they can market
their merchandise, have 20 submit to
the third degree TO have established
which, II any OF them, are telling the
truth about what they have TO SELL
What would your tailor say, If
when you purchase suit OF clothes
you should insist on submitting to
chemical analysis the cloth OF which
the suit 10 TO DO constrpcted2 What
would a 5eweler think, a reputable
3eweler. II customer insisted on
testing with acid and file the article
that he was buying? What would any
reputable merchant say II his goods
were analysed. tested and otherwise
inspected before they were purchased
And yet, this is the situation in the
publication field today, and this st.
uation, humiliating as It is TO the hon.
est publisher. and distressing and
troublesome TO the advertiser. Is due
largely, yes, wholly, to the newspa.
pers themselves, The circulation liar
is not quite as old as Gutenberg types,
but he is not much younger. He !s
not, am glad to say, as numerous as
be was years ago, but he is just as
perniciously active as ever, and his
influence is more devastating than Al
any time past. His performances
however. are not condoned as gener
ally as they were in the days gone by
You know. and know, that for years
circulation statement was generally
regarded as entitled to the place o.
honor in any Joke book. There wert
men, the soul of honor In the editoria
conduct Of their papers. who would
not hesitate to make a sport OF verac
!ty when 1t came to circulation.
"As time rolled on, advertisers be
gan 10 insist on knowing what the,
we're buying II they paid for al
wool they did not want shoddy. As
result various schemes and method
were devised for finding out II IN
editor. the man who is supposed Z
act as leader OF public thought, guar
dian OF public morals, exposer o
crookedness, and prophet OF reform
was telling the truth, Think Of tn
AANAs Va WAS GAhAeNAAGAAs anu Mutu
think OF Il. do not blame the advel
tiser for accepting with a grain c
salt any publishers statement. and
also have a certain amount OF syn
pathy for the advertiser who resent
editorial criticism OF the veracity G
his statements when he knows tina
the profession rapping him over tn
knuckles contains in It's ranks some c
the finest long and short distance ia
siders on earth.
These men who lie about their OF
culGtion. who defraud tho advertise
are Just as guilty OF obtaining none
under false pretenses as 10 the chea
swindler who palms OF a brass waite
on farmer under tho protenslon this
Sc Is gold. One OF thess days ! ho1
10 ace this guilt made equal under N
law. II an advertiser can be pros
cuted and sent 10 jail for swindliu
the public, the publisher who d
frauds the advertiser should occur
an adjoining cell.
AT the time am preparing this a.
dress, the supreme court has not pas
ed on the constitutionslity Of the ne