St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-13
"The Midway Plaisance. F"
"AhNn


Mr. Co,nstoc!k Gets Emphatic.
1t was ar exclamation of mingled dis
appointment, diSpltasure and regFetful
recollection. Mr. COmStock laid his pen
down carefully and mGsed while.
II don't know whether tits or not, u
he muYmured.
But you undoubtedly saw a great
deal therc?" 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 women-tO our mothers,
wives and daughters. Yes, SIT, l
couldn't find words to express my in
dignatlOn and establishment and loath-
ing for what | saw in the Midway
Plaisance."
All three shades of feeling were faith
fully registered in the blue eyes, as
Anthony C0mstOck cast another of those
eloquent side chances upon the reporter.
He was thoroughly aroused.
"Will you describe for the Recorder
lhS runway 4 &c IL ID, vi
what it consists, and what they do
there?' asked the reporter.
mo, no, )" and an involuntary shuIder
shook the round form OF the wee
scOurger. mo, ! won't give it adver-
Using. ! WON'T let people know where
IL is, Or what they tt0 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
aWfulp'
AS he said "awfnl! awful!" be seized
his head with both hands and closed his
eyes as if 20 shut out distractiDg Wis
ION.
Never did see such sights IN all my
twenty-One years career as a public
man." he exclaimed. "It IS the most
outrageous insult to WomanhoOd, the
most shameless exhibition OF drprayity,
the worst violation Of all decency and
virtue and responsibility and innocence
that ever heard Of.
a Disgrace 40 EIae 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
fair--tOr it is magnificent, and | was
greatly impressed with its marvellous
beauties and educational capabilities.
After seeing what saw, no man with q
! conscience, no ono with any love for
| the young and the innocent. no one who
| desires that our children shall grow mp
| pure and undefled-Our children who
are To make The bone and sinew OF the
| coming generation and It's civilization
10 one who desires TO protect our moth
ers and wives from contamination. caIi
rest while that vile sink Of sensuality is
| in existence"
80 thiHko Of it-those young girls
who were supposed to represent the
essence of what is entertaining to some
| of those other Southern countrleS-it is
shocking! shOckingt'
lie shut his eyes and pushed the
vision back with both bands out
| stretched.
what q satire upon civilization
! There were those girls going through
maneuVeTS which would have put the
savages from the FIJI islands to shame
| Oh, il was Il crime against our woman
hood, against pure WOnahO0d the world
Overt"
"DO the managers of the fair cOunte.
nance it?' asked the reporter.
| mo; and here is where ] want to eX-
plain myself. They cannot keep al
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 ain conf
| dent that all OF this horrible bestialitS
has been allowed to 20 or solely because
the directors were ignorant Of its exist
ence. When / told President Higin
bOtham of it he was thunderstruck
| Mr.. Massey, one of the directors, wa.
| overcome with indignation. He SaiC
that he would sooner see his family anC
children III hell than allow them to
, enter one of those places. That is why
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"
Did you visit them all?''
Eyes, but / found only three whicl