Omaha daily bee., 1885-04-18
THE SUPPRESSION OF WOE.

stock and the Society for the Suppression
of Vice-a copy Of the proposed amend
ments to the New York penal code and
code Of criminal procedure, with reference
to the suppression of vile and obscene
literature and pictures. The object OF
the amendments Is to curtall the powers
Of Comstock and bis society by allowing
any publisher to leave 1t to the judgment
of the district attorney and grand jury
whether any article or publication comes
within the meaning of the law. This Is
to be determined by a vote of the grand
jury, who shall decide whether an indict.
ment shall be found. If the jury shall
decide not, then a certificate to that Of
feet shall be given to the publisher or Pc
toner, who "theresfter shall be free from
molestation or arrest on account of pos
aesslng, publishing, manufacturing or
selling duplicates of such book, print, work
of art, photograph orartlcle." One of the
provisions in the proposed amendatory
act Is that "a conviction cannot be had
upon the testimony of an accomplish un-
less he be corroborated by such other evil
dencs as tends to connect the defendant
with the commission of the offense
charged, and any person acting as agent,
informer or spy for any society or asso.
citation, or for any individual who Is not
a prosecuting officer under the laws Of
this state shall be held to be an accom-
police"
The amendments, with the exception
of that which refers to accomplices, seem
to be upon their face fair enough, but
nevertheless we question the proprlety Of
their passage by the New York legisla-
ture. Whatever may be said of Anthony
Comstock and his methods, there ia no
denying the fact that he has done in
calculable good by his efforts to suppress
indecent publications, advertisements
and pictures. He has undoubtedly saved
thousands upon Thousands of young per-
ons from corruption. crime and ruin, and
he deserves the thanks of the respecta-
BILE people In every community In this
country. 1t Is true that In his zeal he
sometimes makes a mistake, but he Is re-
sponsible for those mistakes, and they are
80 few in number that they are hardly
worthy of consideration. The trouble Is
that the publishers Of flash and criminal
literature, who are making immense for
tunes out of their nastinegs, are begin
ing to fear that MI. Comstock will sue
coed In compelling them to either step
within the bounds of decency and res
probability or abandon their nefarious
business. 1t is from the publishers of
such vile sheets as the PNice',NeWs and
the Police Gazette that this anti. Comstock
movement evidently emanates. They have
dlscreetly put their case In the hands of
men who lay claim responsibility, and
who by virtue of that claim are enabled
to gain some recognition OF the hands of
the legislature. Its Is unnecessary to ad-
vance any argument In behalf of the
Society for the Suppression of Vice Its
aims and objects are for the public good,
and it should be encouraged In Its work
in every possible way. 1t opponents
maintain that at oonsists practically of a
set of officers who have constituted them.
selves q board of censorship In art and
literature, for the purpose of regulating
the morals of the people In accordance
with their own IDEAS" If indecent pict.
ures come within the limits of art, and II
the vile stuff that appears In flash papers
and immoral publications can be called
literature, then indeed the societyis a board
of censorship in ''art and literature" and
the public ought to be thankful that
there is such a board but, otherwise, the
society is not q board of censorship. In
cldentally, we would ask If 1t Is not bet
ter to have such a society endeavor to reg
ulate the morals of the people according
to Its elevated Ideas, than 1t is to hav,
the morals regulated according to tn
ideas of the publishers of debasing papers
books and pictures? That 1t Is an ire
sponsible board in that 1t LIS not com
PEELED to give any accoun ting to the pub
lie or Its officials in reference to Its pro
ceedings, is an equally absurd argument
The result of its work is pretty generall
known to the public, and the public 1
satisfied with 1t. Nearly all the othe
! arguments produced against the working
. Of the society are no better than those W
! have referred TO. We say again this
! with all Its mistakes the Society for til
4 Suppression of Vice Is accomplishing
great good, aud any attempt to ourtail II
u powers should be carefully investigated
We venture to assert that In nearl
o every instance where any oppositlo
to the society Is manifested the prln
-. mover will be found In the background
. either as a publisher of vile 'art and II
s~rature," or as q party who Is otherwil
+. interested. If there is any place In tn
. country that needs such a man
Anthony Comstock and his society, 1t
New York city, and 1t Is to be hoped tn,