Page:The Great American Fraud (Adams).djvu/62

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

which prostitute their news and editorial departments to their greed. Here are two samples, one from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the other from a temperance weekly:

CURES CATARRH AND ASTHMA.

FOREIGN SPECIALISTS GIVE REASON FOR

MARVELOUS SUCCESS OF NEW

REMEDY, ASCATCO.

"Vienna, September 9. - The astonishing success of the Ascatco treatment for catarrh, asthma and bronchitis is wholly attributed to its marvelous action on the mucous membranes, and having no distributing influence on other organs of the body.

"It is claimed by European savants, from whom this remedy emanated, that five hundred drops will cure permanently even the most obstinate cases. The dose is small and pleasant to take, being only seven drops twice daily. The Austrian dispensary, 32 West Twenty-fifth Street, New York, N.Y., will send a trial treatment of Ascatco free by mail to all sufferers who have not tested the wonderful curative powers of the specific."

THE AMERICAN ISSUE, AN ADVOCATE OF

CHRISTIAN PATRIOTISM.

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ANTI-SALOON

LEAGUE, COLUMBUS, OHIO.

"Paul said: 'Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.' Vitæ-Ore has been before the American people for three decades and is still growing in popularity.

"They have proven and hold fast to it. Read about it on last page. You can test and prove it without a penny risk."

Green Goods "Cable News."

The "Ascatco" advertisement, which the Plain-Dealer prints as a cablegram, without any distinguishing mark to designate it as an advertisement, of course, emanates from the office of the nostrum, and is a fraud, as the Plain-Dealer well knew when it accepted payment, and became partner to the swindle by deceiving its readers. The Vitæ-Ore "editorial" appears by virtue of a full-page advertisement of this extraordinary fake in the same issue.

Whether, because church-going people are more trusting, and therefore more easily befooled than others, or from some more obscure reason, many of the religious papers fairly reek with patent-medicine fakes. Take, for instance, the Christian Endeavor World, which is the undenominational organ of a large, powerful and useful organization, unselfishly working toward the betterment of society. A subscriber who recently complained of certain advertisements received the following reply from the business manager of the publication:

"Dear Sir: - Your letter of the 4th comes to me for reply. Appreciating the good spirit in which you write, let me assure you that, to the best of our knowledge and belief, we are not publishing any fraudulent or unworthy medicine advertising. We decline every year thousands of dollars' worth of patent-medicine advertising that we think is either fraudulent or misleading. You would be surprised, very likely, if you could know of the people of high intelligence and good character who are benefited by these