St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-13
"Ihe Midway Plaisanee."
"Ah!n
Mr. Co,nstock Gets Emphatic,

AAfs e1tHsSEcCA sEGtS HStRpsb6tECe
1t was ar exclamation of mingled dis
appointment. diSpieaSure and regretful
recollection. Mr. COmstock laid his pen
down carefully and mused while.
Il don't know whether Ills Or not
he muTmured.
But you undoubtedly saw a great
deal there?" suggested the reported.
There was one eloquent sweeping
side glance of those vice. penetrating
blue eyes, and then they were closed
while Anthony ComStock rocked rap
idly back and forth in his Dig chair.
Yes" he exclaimed, dreamily. ~
did see great deal. / saw enough. A
great plenty. / saw what astounded
me ana made my blood boil with In
dignation at that burning insult to
American w0men-to our mothers,
wives and daughters. Yes, SIT, /
couldn't find words to express my in
dignatlOn and establishment and lOath-
ing for what l saw in the Midway
Plaisance."
fully registered In the blue eyes, as
Anthony Comstock cast another OF those
eloquent side chances upon the reporter
He was thoroughly aroused.
"Will you describe for the Recorder
the Midway Plasan where it is, of
what it consists, and what they do
THEREOF asked the reporter.
mo, no, and an involuntary Shudder
shook the rotund form of the wee
scOurger. mo, / won't give it adver-
Using. won't let people know where
il is, OF what they do there. can't talk
yet. In fact, believe that the fair COM
miSsiOners have visited the place and
abolished the Objectionable features
even before this. Why, it was awful
awful"
AS he said ''awfnli awful!" be seized
his head with both hands and closed his
eyes as if 10 shut out distractiDg Wis
ION.
Never did see such sights IN all my
twenty-One years. career az a public
man." he exclaimed. ''It is the most
outrageous insult to Womanhood, the
most shameless exhibition Of iepravitY,
the worst violation of all decency and
virtue and responsibility and innocence
that l ever heard Of.
A Disgrace 10 the Nation.
"Shame. shame!' and Anthony Com
stock lifted both hands above his head,
as il 10 appeal to powers more potent
than human. ut is disgrace to our
nation, disgrace to Chicago, an irrep-
arabic blemish upon that magnificent
falr--tOr it is magnificent, and | was
greatly impressed with its marvellous
beauties and educational capabilities.
After seeing what / saw, nc man with q
conscience, no one with any love for
the young and the innocent, 10 one who
desires that our children shall grow Mp
pure and undefiled-our children who
are To make The bone and sinew of the
coming generation and its civilization
no one who desires to protect our moth
ers and wives from contamination. cal
rest while that vile sink of SenSuality is
in existence"
ITO think Of it-those young girls
who were supposed to represent the
essence Of what is entertaining to some
of those other Southern cOuntrIes-it is
shocking! shocking"
lie shut his eyes and pushed the
vision back with both hands out
stretched.
what satire upon civilization
There were those girls going through
maneuVerS which would have put the
savages from the FIJI islands to shame.
| Oh, il was crime against our woman
hood, against pure w0mahO0d the world
oVer!'
"Do the managers of the fair counte.
nance it?" asked the reporter.
w. uHO 'ISiC "
plain myself. They cannot keep an
eye upon everything, the field is sc
large. They sign contracts with these
people, and do not know what is going
on within these side shows. Whenever
any one with an official badge enters
these places the vile parts are striker
out OF the performances. l am conf
dent that all OF this horrible bestiality
has been allowed to go or solely because
the directors were ignorant Of its exist
ence. When l told President Higin
botham of it he was thunderstruck
Mr.. Massey, one of the directors, was
| overcome with Indignation. He said
that he would sooner see his family anC
children III hell than allow them to
=, enter one of those places. That is why
l believe that the vile features have
been suppressed before this"
"HOw many of these side shows are
| there in the Midway Plaisance?''
ION, there are multitude-fifty
perhaps"
ibid you visit them all?''
"Yes, but / found only three which