The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-03-27

10 rely on the discretion Of his assistant, he will
now, as he has in the past, profess to believe all
our statements unfounded. The general foreign
public does not Of course read tie native papers /;
If 1t did. and undersiandingly, a storm Of iDdig-
nation would have arisen ere this the result of
which would have been a better style Of news
payer for the neglected Hawaiians.
Several months since, the public in the Eastern
States Of America became aroused to the fact that
q large traffic vas Icing carried on in the cities
in immoral literature. Meetings were held and
societies formed TO consider the question Of the
remedy for the terrible and growing evil. At
PIE OF these held in Brooklyn, there were present
teachers, clergymen, lawyers, merchants and
others Of known standing. The RsraLds report
Of the meeting says:
Rev. DR.. Buddington. who has fall knowledge Of
the action Of the society, made an address, pointing
out the enornity Of the evil and urging united and
energetic action 20 rid society Of the foul pest. Mr..
Whitehead, who presided, made some remarks and
introduced Mr.. Anthony Comstock. the society's chief
detective, who gave the meeting the statistics Of the
indecent trade, 50 far as his efforts had succeeded in
bringing them - light.
II Mr.. Comstock spoke Of hundreds Of varieties Of
vile publications and tons Of stereotype plates SEIZED
by the society. On one occasion six and q half tons
were defGced by acids, and books Of three hundred
varieties destroyed. In one place six hundred and
twenty-five varieties Of stereotype plates were secured.
One factory had been broken up near the place
where the meeting was being held, and another near
Greenwood Cemetery, where the work was done by
young children. Large fortunes have been accumu-
lated in this foul traffic. Since the first Of January
last. nineteen tons Of vile matter have been seized.
This is not guess, but actual weight. Four tons
were taken from q single store in Nassau street
Account books had been seized in which were the
names Of ~forty-fve hundred dealers, in different
cities, all implicated. A single printer, as appeared
from invoices, had sold obscene books TO the extent of
S25, 900 within four years. There had been arrested
las persons, with 100 convictions, and there were II
now held for trial. The speaker presented for exam
inaiion samples Of the vile merchandise, including
plates, prints and mechanical devices abhorrent to
every moral sense.
Rev. Mr.. Lyman offered the following resolutions,
which were unanimously adopted, as expressing the
sense Of this meeting. representing Christian churches
in Brooklyn, called to consider facts in relation to
the traffic in obscene literature. and the efforts now
being made 10 suppress this traffic
Resolved, That from the facts represented there is
grave reason to fear that the Christian public is by
no means awake to the imminent and deadly peril to
which the community is now exposed from this
traffic; that the traffic itself is far more extensive,
systematic and infamous than is commonly supposed
secretly undermining the morals Of the young, even
in yirtuous and well-regulated schools; that therefore
greater vigilance from parents, teachers, Christian
pastors and guardians is in this respect imperatively
demanded; that this traffic is a prominent cause OF
social corruption in the community, and that every
citizen and Christian should aid in the effort to warn
the public Of the magnitude of this evil.
RESOLVED, Inasmuch as warfare upon this traffic is
best carried on through an organized society, that we
earnestly commend the efforts now being made under
the auspices of the New York Society for the Sup
preston Of Vice, and especially through the agency
Of Mr.. Anthony Comstock, one of the officers Of the
society, and special agent Of the United States Post
Office Department, to the confidence and cordial sup
port Of the Christian public. We believe the methods
pursued by Mr.. Comstock to be legitimate and hon.
orable. We believe the results which have thus far
been effected to have been important and gratifying
We encourage the society to the most vigorous prose
cution in the future Of the work which it has thus
undertaken.
Resolved, Acknowledging the necessity that every
such effort should be under the sanction and protec-
ton of the law, and gladly recognizing the whole
some striDgency Of existing regulations upon thi:
matter, We protest against any repeal of legal prOvi
visions now in force adverse to this traffic.