New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-27
~ ETIL N THE IND.

Some recent occurrences have brought anew 10
nubli. notice one OF the most unwelcome and
unsavory Of subjects. Several men have been
arrested I'm various places under charge OF using
the mails To- immoral purposes. and more ar
rests are expected soon TO follow. 1t Is mex
prpssiby shocking TO learn that so vile traffic.
In late years sterny suppressed by law. has
again become widespread. But since such Is
the case. Il debt Of gratitude and a generous
NEED OF encoura cement are due TO those who
are striving 10 crush it and 10 bring to Justice
the wrptches who have promoted H. Mr.. COM
stock has at times through excessive zeal sub
jccted himself to criticism. But there can he
no question that he has done and Is doing vast
good In preventing the diffusion OF printed ana
pictorial vice. Whether or not he has erred In
attempting 10 prescribe certain welEknown
..classics.' he makes mistake in waging re-
lentless warfare against the literary pestllence
that walketh In darkness and that Is more dead
" than any Asia,lc plague
How culpabe the present prisoners are ls YET
10 be determined For the sake Of humanity II
would be pleasant 10 believe them Innocent, ana
70 believe the dreadful crime with which they
are charged has not been and IL not being COM
mitted anywhere In this land. Unfortunately
II IL we'll known that the offence Is common.
Observant people know well that fcr' many
months there has been flood or vileness De-
yond description ir the mails and elsewhere
The knowledge Of this has come unsought IL
has been Haunted IN unwilling faces, and forced
upon those to whom 1t was most revolving. Inc
late Worlds Fair Is said TO have been the occa-
sion Of this influx OF filth. This IS easy to be-
Ueve There were on the Midway" perform
ances, some Of them repeated in this city. as
disgustngly foul as anything seen since the
destruction Of Pompe 1t is not unjust to s'is-
pect any one capable Of importing such living
laprosy Of bringing also the loathsome wares OF
Brussels. Amsterdam and Paris "editeurs"
Tue boldness with which this pernlciOus stuff
Is offered TO the public may be seen by refer
ence to certain periodicals published In this city
These are not periodicals that decent people are
in the habit OF reading unless for the purpose
Of ferretipg out such devtry as that which Mr..
Comstock has detected. But they are conspic-
uousy displayed on almost every newsstand,
and unquestionably have wide circulation.
Perhaps many people who are not really vicious,
but merely thoughtless buy them now and then,
allured by iashy pictures and sensational head
lines In these prints all manner or indecencles
ard immoraliies are openly advertised IN the
painest Of terms. Indeed. the very wording OF the
advertisements IS often so obscene that 1t might
we'll bring the papers that print them under the
ban OF the law Perhaps these advertisements
do not mean all they say, and the vacuous or
foul minded answerers Of them get not what
they expect In that case they are frauds. Per-
haps they do mean all they say, and their
patrons expectations are fulfilled. In that case
they are criminal and Infamous beyond descrip-
tion In either case-apd there IL no Other-they
are an offence to decency. blot upon civiliza-
ton They should be suppressed, and SO should
the papers that print them; and the men who
insert them, and who publish the papers. and
every one responsible for the infamous trade
they represent. should be punished TO the fullest
possible extent Of human justice.