South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-25

night. for the coming year. taking the
stand that il is for honest advertising.
we also would congratulate the league
upon the wisdom shown in its reor-
ganization: upon the personnel Of It's
officers and board Of governors-the
men who viii have charge of It's
forthcoming wOrk,-tO make It's CAM
paign for honest advertising effective
Speaking from the newspaper stand
point and especially from the-edi-
torial end OF the newspaper, truth I'm
advertising is quite as desirable as
truth in the news columns, or any
where Else. Many an editor has grown
weary. through the years, o. listening
10 advertisers constantly complaining
about inadequate truth in the news
columns.-freauently when 1t was not
a case Of inadequate truth but or
too much truth.-while in their own
advertising they were lying like
Cretans II the Ad-ser league will
bit even this up a little, we will be for
it. no. only in the advertising depart
ment. but in the editorial department
as well-teeth, tongue and toe-nafl.
This from the new symposium sub
mitted by the league, would seem TO
indicate that it means business:
Article ". Sec. 4-The name Of
any member Of the league who
makes. publishes. disseminates,
circulates or places before the
public or causes directly or indl-
rectly 10 be made, published, dis
seminated, circulated, or placed
before the public any advertise
ment Of any sort which contains
representation or statement which
is untrue or deceptive or mislead-
ing. may be brought before the
board of governors; and, If the
member is found guilty of any OF
the above offences. his member
ship in the league may be for
feited.
Which is rather far-reaching for any
one who values his membership in the
/ league. We trust it will not serve to
break up the league altogether. which.
but for the improvement that has been
made in recent years, would look like
a quite unqualified certainty. To
the credit of advertising men, recent
szation that TO make advertising eff
fective the public must be brought to
believe in the truthfulness of it, and
great strides have been made toward
deserving that public confidence.
And as the confidence grows, ad-
| vertisers realizing the superior effect
Of it, naturally feel tn, necessity of
protecting il 1t is "a confidence that
should not be allowed TO be imposed
/ upon BY a few advertising shysters
I who care nothing for truth, but are
! huu1bugs without reserve. \ man
should be permitted to believe what
he reads in the advertising columns of
1 the newspaper. the magazine. the pro-
: gram, or on the bill boards, ct cetera,
and actually encouraged 10 believe It.
IL is tke confidence, for example, that
the public has in the truth published
by the newspapers as news. that makes
its reputation. 1t should be the same
with the published statements of the
merchant, the manufacturer.-even
the advertising office seeker.-and il
is.
You can fool all OF the people some
OF the time. and some of the people
all OF the time. but you can't fool all
of the people all of the time" said
Abraham Lincoln in one of his de-
bates with stephen A. Douglas. and
time has proven the correctness of it.
Putnam T. Barnum also said, The
II American people like to be hum
i plugged" which has been proven true,
but it is an adage that depends con-
stantly upon a new grist of fools-the
. newborn Of the everyday. Men and
women object To being stung twice by
the same bee i'm the same place. and
successful business i'm these latter
days. depends not only upon the get
ting of new customers. but upon being
able TO hold them. Ii is here that
honest advertising counts. 1t begets
! confidence and the future is secure
"a Cooperating with the Associated Adj
vertising Clubs of the World. the local
Ad-Sell league. merely promises 10
give what has become a nationwide
movement. a local application. 1t is
in the right direction. Self-reform is
the best sort OF reform in the world
and nothing is more conducive of il
than the contempt of ones own fel-
l,uvs