The Detroit times., 1916-09-26
How About 1t, Mr.. Upstate
Publisher; Are You a Part
Of BOOze's Lying Campaign?
I'VE PRESIDENT SAYS

THE PRESIDENT SAYS
an against a statewide prohibition unit
believe IN q smaller local option unit.
believe In home rule.
shall vote for home rule.
The foregoing is presented to you as
. sample of the trickily-worded, trickily
displayed, dishonest advertising that is
being placed in the newspapers of the
state by the Michigan Home Rule
league-the organization which The
Times has said should call itself the
Home RUIN" league.
It IL submitted in proof Of two things
That this newspaper was right in its
Characterization of the advertising Of
the league and its refusal to accept it,
despite the protests of its manager;
That the booze interests in Michigan
are fearful of November, to the point of
desperation.
The president of the United States
says none of the things the league has
printed in bold type in its advertising.
The president of the Home Rule
league says them, as the reader ascer-
tains after he has read far down. in the
smaller type.
The trick in the ad. makes it lie to
The people of Michigan and Islander
upon the president of the United States.
It Is common knowledge on the part
OF every newspaper publisher in Michi-
gan who keeps himself in touch with
VrSaaf ic oyosy,u nv, ~, he c+o+o 49, - -
vision for statewide prohibition was
not included by the last constitutional
convention, because it was the concen-
sus of opinion that the state was not
ready for the sweeping unit and a state
wide prohibition plank would have de-
feated the many other progressive
things embodied in the new constitution.
Wellington r. Burt, of Saginaw, was
one of those who saw that it would be
fatal to what had been gained in the
new draft of fundamental law, if pro-
hibition clause were put into it.
The league sent to the newspapers
that have consented to print its decep-
tive, misleading and vicious advertise
ments, extracts from speech made by
Mr.. Burt that are easily possible of in
depreciation to mean that the prominent
Saganawian is opposed to dry state.
The Times has published the letter
Of Mr.. Burt to an editor who sold his
columns, explaining his utterances.
along the lines already set forth, in
which letter Mr.. Burt declares, quite To
the contrary of the booze adj, that he is
heart and soul in the fight for dry
Michigan, and on the affirmative side
The Port Huron Times-Herald accepts
the advertising of the Home Rule
league, but in an editorial, in the same
issue in which one of the leagues ads
appears. sounds this warning:
n the Michigan Home Rule League, which q
doing considerable publicity work in the news
papers Of this state in favor OF a smaller loca
option unit and against statewide prohibition
really expects 20 get results " should make
radical change in Its advertising In n few words
n should be honest II should not attempt u
deceive the public. And unless IL does change
II will not only be barred from the decent news
papers OF the state. but Il will help defeat the
very purpose for which II is intended
In todays issue OF this newspaper another Of
the Home Rule League advertisements appears
We have examined the COPY II IL headed PRO
hibition History In Michigan" On the surface II
appears 10 be a statement made by some one
who In az present an Ann Arbor professor. II
negiects to state that Professor Thompson has
been dead several years. II is misleading. just
~ other advertisements sent out by the Home
Rule League appear 20 have been designed 20
deceive the public.
The Home Rule League IL urging Tho passage
Of n smaller option unit amendment. 20 which
by the way, we are opposed But we will not
close our columns To them for this reason.
On the other hand. their advertising must not
be misleading or Il will be barred from this
newspaper.
The Port Huron newspaper eventually
win have 30 eliminate the booze adver.
tisinx. because the advertising campaign