Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-07
A STRAW IN THE WIND.

nounces in bold face type that 1t will
cease tc carry liquor advertising. 1t
gives it's reasons thus:
The Record Herald has decided to
eliminate liquor advertising from its
columns. 1t will fulfill its existing con-
! tracts to print this class of advertising
and having done that it will accept no
more.
(! In making this announcement the
Record Herald desires to be rightly
understood. The manufacture and sale
of liquor are sanctioned ny law and
the advertising is legitimate advertis-
ing. However, printing this class OF
advertising involves social questions
! that call for emphasis and increased
consideration.
| The Record Herald goes into many
! thousands Of homes. In virtually all OF
these homes there is an abiding sense
of the need of protection against the
abuses OF the liquor traffic, especially
! for the young. In a constantly in
creasing degree there IS abstention
from the use of liquor for the sake of
the young, There is the haunting fear
that from the first indulgence the
young and uniformed character may
unconsciously drift into an uncon-
trolled and destructive habit of excess.
Liquor advertising does not dis
criminate between use and abuse. 1t
commends without reserve what the
best social sense of the day more and
more 6isapproves as dangerous.
The Record Herald does not deny
the view that pure alcoholic liquors
have their wise and proper use in in
Il xytl ,,o1 v1e,$, h,,A A.
the responsibility for the advocacy of
such use should rest with the family
physician rather than the family news
paper, and declines henceforth to share
this responsibility.
1t is a gratifying announcement, not
only to the so-called temperance work
ers, but to all persons who have at
heart the best good of the conmun-
; ity. 1t is not a new thing for news
papers to deny liquor advertising place
for many years ago the Times Repub.
lican led in Iowa by refusing such ad-
vertising and has been followed by
most newspapers published in this
state, but it is somewhat OF an inno-
walton as concerns great metropolitan
journals like the Record Herald
There's a reason. The Iowa news
paper gets quicker and clearer un-
derstanding Of these things than tbs
metropolitan paper. The Iowa daily is
close to the home. It's editors and
management have a personal knowl-
edge and connection with their COM
munities that are lacking in the larger
offices. The relation between the home
and the newspaper is an intimate one
in Iowa with it's smaller cities. A
sense of personal responsibility obtains
in the offices of the smaller daily all
ways. Publishing newspaper is not
entirely commercial proposition.
They are our own people, those who
read after us day by day and who
trust us to defend their homes and
: their sarctity. And so the movement
which will soon shut liquor advertise
ments from all newspapers of class
. ana better repute started naturally
[ with the smaller dailies and in Iowa
Moreover there is a question as To
, the legitimacy Of booze advertising in
newspapers that enter homes. We are
I going beyond the mere legal definition
5 of legitimacy nowadays to question the
: moral legitimacy Of such ADVERTISING
! as we are going beyond mere legality
: of business transactions to question
e the morality and consc!entiousness OF
commercial deals that may be within
. the statutes and still occupy definite
r or debatable ground beyond the mora
y boundaries Of this age and day.. The
sense of responsibility grows both in.
e side and outside newspaper offices. We
are denying the propriety Of the lawyer
e whose employment is to set with lega
e callipers the precise limit Of safety be.
9 tween the operations Of those who en-
9 ploy him and the penitentiary and de
nying the legitimacy of the adviser ant
the operator. So we are taking yer!
decidedly into consideration the effec
Of one life upon another, Of the pres
emit upon the future, Of the individua
whether newspaper or citizen upol
community welfare. And we are refus
ing to do or commend or even tolerat
much that was considered morally lie
climate yesterday and moro that Is lie
gally legitimate today.
The Record Herald has done we'll. ]
is but q step from refusing TO adver
tise liquor as a beverage to denyin
the right of the dram shop to exist lie
gally and 80 far legittmately. Hon
soon will the Record-Herah arrive Q
this logical conclusion?
It grows. Tho sense OF civl
rightness grows Ind Dungeons. A grea
new epoch begins. We are maxim
history 50 fest tha4 We tau to recog