The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-09
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.

Forty-scventh Anniversary Meeting Yes
terday ut Association Hail-Thc Ques-
ton of Suppressing Obscene Literature
Important Action Decided Upon.
The forty-seventh anniversary meeting of the
American Tract Society was held yesterday at AS
ISOLATION Hall. In the morning, at nine O'Clock,
number OF gentlemen assembled and at once pro-
ceeded-after prayer had been offered and a dozen
or more OF letters had been read from friends who
had found it impossible to attend-to receive the
reports OF the various committees, OF which the
following is a summary
The work of the society has vigorously
for the year past under great disadvantages arising from
the N mt and Of the tract
the whole building, and the manufacturing operations
ns IF nGsd s a o % h s
aa % BY 1nn n
as cnstodians Of building occupying central and
Tie following are the ne@ publications of the society
p, Pr bsT,SWs as cqmpena Of Sacred Geography and
G5 M nason a o y 81 r
RS' aid BY f Marx ad ssPns
books ss Of BrastisaI Christianity by Drs Crosby cuyer
series q ,hirtytxo popular a,rasd on
ages wei assted ten new and choice GHaaf
in ss er ~ sgh new volumes five tracts and Two pack
DAusgntss History Of HE Reiormaso,, J in Spanish
MS'As 'Gf sssifn
illustrated Bible Dictionary;f three volumes in
Benga language West Africa and Others In Zulu, Creek
Tract House during the is which forty
The society is issuing regularly, six pcrodcas
nra'ta enraa Weekly and The Deshe' Vovrae1d
During the year, publications for circulation among the
s IL ss 1sns aye Ecsn
The following is The financial report : Re
s e. & j" IS %a%s n %sh sssnss
boo ,e S rar % ans
cal, s s. 81 s9oriear age.se and deposi
pr for q ffs a ear na d. ali ose
sSaH sa = Balance trsssnry saw s- : ''A'
denis rom 10 colleges and theological cnarics abere
PrSxnsss adsresssd ssss ' Tssieu, meet,
@ I' found az Pra
tesian families who hahitally neglected attending
families deus Of ali reoSs bSS Sa1 EXCEPT the
Bible and 9o9 Protestant families without the word OF
During The 3 years since missionary colporagc was in
g @ lSme TO .a as eySss %aIns
granted; s5o, religions meetings held or addresacd
Ioss5ds7 family visits made 5s3SOls families conyersed
estani FAMILIES naoaay nereens eyangelSal preach.
families Sest 81 p the o Rhe a @ s ny
OF all religious books, except the Bible.
DR.. BURLINGTON, in response TO a special invita-
tion though evidently with reluctance, said
y
THY of baG books captured by the officers OF the
law. He was profoundly impressed with the awful
ness of this trade, which for thirty years had been
carried on without let hindrance save the black
| mail paid TO the detectives. In some instances
! quite large sums had thus been paid, and the
ecutors OF the law had become silent partners in
this hideous business. OF the terrible character OF
the literature thus circulated no description could
be too 1t carried The classical scholar back
to the worst days of Tibcrius, and in word IL was
so pad that the area o support TO the efforts that
were now being made for It's suppression. not only
over the whole area of the Christian Church. or OF
those who have an ethical sense. but the whole
area OF all who desired TO preserve the purity and
honor, ay the very life OF our community. TO him
the most astonishing fact about this matter was
this, that just rs We had Christian sunday school
literature, so by the same horrible inversion of good
that made the kingdom OF Satan the opposite OF the
kingdom OF God. this abominabe traffic had de-
partment Tor the circulation or impure literature
among the young. The object oi these works
seemed to be TO train up children OF
from nine to twelve years of age that when
they passed the crisis of their maturity they
should be prepared 10 plunge themselves into the
depths OF the most awful Pagan RIGHTEOUSNESS. He
could not command words TO do justice TO his deep
sense OF the horror OF this business which seemed
10 be perfectly organized on vast scale, requiring
large capital, and with branches in Boston, Phila-
delpba, New Haven and all the cities OF the land
where our youth OF either sex were gathered to-
gethcr. Efforts OF the most determined character
were now being made TO suppress this giant evil.
The laws Of the state about this matter would soon
be remOdelled so as to make IT q perfect in
strument. This discovery OF the extent Of
the evil had however, ne thought, opened
out a new field of usefulness TO the Tract
Society. IL seemed to him as important TO
suppress vile literature as TO circulate books OF "a
high and useful character. He moved therefore,
that under the direction OF the secretaries, bu-
reau be formed the object of which should be the
execution of the laws against obscene literature
and all its appliances and that they be requested TO
receive funds which are now being raised in this
community for that purpose
same purport. and alluded to the published state
ment thai manufacturing establishment devoted
entirely the construction of vile implements,
when stopped by the law, was found to be under
the superintendence of woman, and nearly all the
operatives in the factory we're girls.
DR.. BCDDrNGToN, after little more desultory dis
cussion, continued To say that our children OF the
tcnderest age subjected to evil influences, the
extent OF which We had conception. A friend
OF his bad surprised his little son, less than nine
years of age, reading OF those vile publications,
and mad said that he would infinitely have preferred
mat some brutal ruhan had beaten him and stamped
upon MN rather than that he should have placed
such poison In his hands. He, himself, was pro-
iounuiy impressed both with the awfnlness OF this
thing and the diinculty OF successfully contending
agslhstlt They knew how unfortunate had been
some OF the Efforts made in this direction In the
pas,. Inc burnt enid dreaded the fire. aud II was
4 wen, therefore, TO be wary In action.
IL having been suggested that the Young Mems
! Christian Association had already taken this mat
Ter In hand, and that 1t would be somewhat I'M
gracious therefore, for the society to usurp control
| OF TINS healthy movement, Dr. Buddinpton with
drew ms motion, and another wns suhstitutad re.
curing the secretaries OF the society to confer with