New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
VHJTuAN,s "LEAVES or GRASS"

TIE BOOK SOLD FREELY IN THIS CITY.
Some interest was excited recently by the fact
that the Massachusetts authorizes had lnt9rierea
with the dissemination of Walt MnltmaTs Leaves
of Grass on the ground that it was an immoral
work and obscene literature. On tho latter
ground its transmissIOn through the mails
,yas sfopped and the publishers, James X. Osgood
r. were threatened with legal
proceedings and penalties If its publication ana
sale were continued. Observing that placards were
posted at of the bookstores OF thls city an
nouncing the book for sale, TRIBUNE reporter mao
toe curiosity to enter and make inquiries OF some Oh
the booksellers concerning the extent OF the safes
of the book. Taking up copy winch bore all tne
evidences OF the Workmanship OF the
g Modern Athens the tide page was found to
pha, aud some of the " leaves HAD been plucAeu
out , e IL. hooI. :;
Boston affected ITS sale and If So howf' asked the
reporter OF a salesman in Aassau-st. bookstore
Yes think the proceedings nave rather heiped
the sale of the work, as some peOple a"a NJ has
for ANYTHING that Is considered improper we nave
had some calls Tor the work and have put lew
copies in stock ; and yet we are religious house,
aud would hardly look for sucn "A call as USUAL
thing. Are yOd gong TO REVIEW INC ooYA H. l.
The reporter remarked that he would rather DC
excused and SAID he only wished to chronicle the
fact, about the demand ana supply:
Dropping in.0 store IN ChamOers-sty the re-
porter asked tue same questions les StId an
suulovc there was a rush for the book just after
the BOSTON people stopped II, during the little eX-
element il caused, bat the supply was not equal to
The demand Now the call for II has fallen back to
:; IN excess of the demand. The
O-gooas only had about 300 copies Oh hand wien
the massachusetts, authorities intericged, ana they
shipped tine plates and BOOKS aJ once 10 MI hhtt
man vino ives IN NcW-Jcr,Cy, anu hc apparently
mad. arrau BENEFITS with tue Ihllaucpnla nIhi ~
rcpublish MS book They simply put IN a tue
maze with their own name. and sent out tne DOCK
- :. tho same that the OsgOOds pub
lsLed. Ii bothered them some WIEN the DOCK VAS
excluded from tue mails, but the Postm'ster-Ceh-
erals decision that it could properly pass throuSh
fine mails has knocked the proceedings or the
Massachusetts authorities higher IMAM a klte'
iudge that the publishers sOd tnoir irst tuOl0h
Really a, tnry wrote Us that they were out Tor the
nresenf; when we sent order. IEerc Is some
calI for the book from dealers to MI orders, but
do not think the sales now are large. guess inc
Philadelphia nrm are trying TO push 1t III ille nope
of max ing money out OF Al. Inc BOOK never Was
wei advertised, and OF course that makes diner
cnce A book that Is advertised Wei Is sure 10
The reporter next called on Mr. Comstock, agent
of the Society Tor the suppression OF wee, VINO was
found giving directions To one Ot ms aids lof the
entrappmg OF some eyn-d0er " men nc i'd hIIloheu
the reporter stated hls GRAND.
Il understand" SAID Mr. Comstock IN reply
that some Philadelphia publishers intend 10 nrhS
ont the book. But If they DO and the - strcL-
Attorney there does lis duty IL VIII quickly ue
stopped for the PonIsy wanna law is just as stlct
as That of Massachusetts. have not heaId
of the book appearing in New YORK, ana untl
it does l do not care to state wnat
intend dong. That statement ABOUT the book be-
ing declared Dy the Posimaster-Gencral as nj mat
ter to 20 through the mails is utterly false, ana was
merely invented to push tue book nave p9eh 10
thai te matter was never before the United States
postal authorities at. all All the foundation
there Is 10 the story Is this: \ 4r.
Cheney. or CLANCY a free-lover,' ectured III Bos-
ton recently, aud quoted page from the book He
demanded That it be Incorporated rs part OF MS zee
lure which was published Ill pamphlet i0rul Dut
the publishers refused, and then Lie had 1t printed
ON SINGLE leaves and tired To have 1t sent
out as a supplement 10 paper which he published
These leaflets were refused Transmission III the
,pIft obscene
sion and the case was referred TO The Oslndster-
General Tor decision. lie decided that ths evidence
afforded by the leaflets NOT sufficient Tor nm To
decIae whether il was Il violation OF the law, DuC
the book itself has not been before him Tor an
opinion. Ii find it on sale III Nc6-IOrl, shall
certainly take steps to suppress It,"