The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-02-01
EDITOR TELLS
Why The TIMES
BARS BOOZE ADS
Newspapers Carrying Them Do
Same Work as Bartender.
Says Schermerhorn
SAYS LIQUOR-LED PRESS
CAN'T BE INDEPENDENT
Sociology Class of Lansing
Church Hears New Doctrine
of Fourth Estate

L 4NNW ASO~sAsssS
of Fourth Estate
LANSING. Jan. 30.-James Scher-
Times, told q large audience II the
First Baptist church last night Why
The Detroit Times Went Dry" The
meeting was held under the auspices
of the Sociology class.
Mr. Schermerhorn said The Times
went dry" because IL wanted to be
consistent, TO be fair and TO be free.
Refusing all other dishonest advertis-
Ing. The Times had to close its col
umns to such fake claims as Beer u
the true spirit of Christmas "A
case OF beer will insure happy
Thanksgiving" "Budweiser spells tenn
lperance"
"Budweiser spells temperance just
about as much as divorce spells do
nestle tranquility and safe-cracking
spells kleptomania. IL beer-guzzling
spells temperance, temperance should
stay on the job" said Mr.. Schermer>
horn.
"A newspaper can't be both the
Ihandmaiden OF civilization and a part
OF the selling and distributing end of
the liquor business. II becomes rather
the bar-maid Of the brewer and dis
tiller. or the procuress for the pot
houses. seeking to secure for the des-
perate trafiic victims to replace those
lost through the Punishment of the
saloon In four-fifths of the national
area.
Advertising, to be effective. must
both create and serve desire. The In
crease In the consumption OF intoxi-
cants In the United States proves that
newspapers are doing In front of the
bar what the man in the white apron
Is doing behind the bar.
ITO profess decency and uplift ed
itorially and saturate the advertising
columns was as bad as the temper
ance apostle trying to blow the foam
from a charlotte russo.
The Times went dry, Also" said
the speaker. because It did not care
to take orders from or for the brewers
and the bosses. No politically indie
pendent newspaper can afford to serve
these masters. who are all powerful
with puny little men In politics. With
respect to both the pulpit and press are
too often citadels OF cowardice. and
for the same reason--they sell space
to public enemies or the business and
political benefciaries of public en-.
emies. While praying for good men
they support bad men, and 1t takes a
plurality of ballots--not OF prayers
to elect. Churchmen and publishers
who do not vote and publish as they
pray ought to use the revised version
OF the lament of the wicked king In
Hamlet:
my prayers go up. my ballots below:
Prayers without ballots never to heav-
en- CO."
Something like infantile paralysis
must be matter with the stamina OF
those church organizations that are
moving against the use OF Abraham
Lincoln's picture In liquor ads This
Is as heroic as the determination Of
the blase youth--warned by his physi-
clan that he was the foredoomed VIC
tim OF wine, women and song--to give
up singing. These outraged souls
want the liquor advertisers to give up
Iincoln's picture. Why? IT will new
er hurt the emancipation to print HIS
picture in liquor ads. He has done
his work and gone to glory. But the
seductive ads. themselves are injurfng
the youth whose work is yet to be
done, and sending them to the devil.
Being dry The Times IL unfetter-
ed" said Mr.. Schermerhorn, ''and free
to support the men who are as openly
and pronouncedly hostile to the ALI
ance OF booze and bossisn. Refusing
to take the copy Of the vets, the pa
per refuses to take the candidates OF
the vets. Once The Times supported
Gov. Ferris when the liquor interests
were. against him.. II supported him
once when the vets were with him
and II didn't know IT,; IL opposed him
the last time when the vets were for
him and we did know IL. Neverthe-
less, we are hoping the Schoolmaster,
who makes one think of Pestalozxi as
presented In the famous statue be-
fore the Linthescher school In Zurich.
Switzerland, may be to all the youth
OF Michigan In guidance and protec-
ton what the tall, gaunt schoolmas-
ter is symbolized to be in this tender
efigy. II Is not enough for Gov. Fer
rfs to answer the anxious question
that the old king put to the couriers
returning from the battlefield. rs the
young man Absalom safe? by saying.
The young men or Mecosta county
are safe" We want him to extend
his schoolmasterly concern to take In
the youth OF all Michigan. SO that he
can report, Yes, the young men OF
all the counties Of the state-other
peoples boys and girls--are safe"
Mr.. Schermerhorn gave the women
a part In the modern version Of Rip
Van Wrinkle. '.If your newspaper
doesn't come home sober. you must
be the fiery Gretchsns to bid IL never
darken your door again, Never mind
II the editorial Old Rip does go mp
into the Adskill mountains and drink
fof the schnapps out OF the Jolly Dogs
key. Let him sink into 20 years
slumber, while the dry movement
goes marching on. When he comes