The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-27
Try Reason First.

The following letter from a mother
in Hyde Park, duly signed, was re-
ceived by us on Tuesday:
Editor of The Tribune.
Sir:-l desire In the sacred name Of wo-
manhood to thank you and your most
excellent paper for your part in helping
to drive out of existence such a licen-
tious, polluted and infamous thing In
black and white as the Scrantonian. Be
lieve me, in your efforts you have back
of you the rrayers of decent womanhood.
The character of no woman is safe so
long as the merchants of this city main
tain such a vile publication. Let me
give one instance of its infamy. a
week or so ago three or four eminently
respectable young men and their pure
and innocent sisters went to Lake Ariel
to spend Saturday evening and Sunday.
II was a private party of brothers and
sisters-yet sacred as was blood rela-
tionship the snake came up, and the
characters of these brothers and sisters
were held up in the filthy Scrantonian
of Sunday last to public ridicule. When
brothers and sisters are not safe from
the blackmailnig tactics of this devtl-like
sheet how can others expect to escape?
But there's a powerful influence at
work for the good of the city. In ore
organization to which l belong there
are 40 women who have pledged them
selves sacredly to patronize no store
that helps to keep the Infamous reptile
alive. I know hundreds of other women
who have made similar pledges. If the
decent women of the city-the mothers
and daughters who have regard for NOR
alty and self-preservation-w only
do as we are doing, withdraw their pat
ronage from the business men who sup
port this destroyer of home and flreside,
its pestiferous career would soon end.
In comment we wish to suggest that
before applying the boycott, which is
dstasteful weapon at best, these
ladies appoint representatives to wait
on the offending merchants and put
before them the reasons why, out of
respect to the mothers and daughters
among their patrons, they ought not to
contribute in any way to the mainten-
ance of the infectious, home -polluting
Scrantonian. Some of the merchants.
we are confident, have not looked at the
matter in this light. They have given
no thought to their moral responsible
ity as advertisers ir publication
which Systematically outrages every
| principle of decency and in it's evil ef-
| fects upon the community is worse
| than a pestience or a famine. They
| have simply aimed to distribute their
| business announcements without stop
| ping to inquire whether in so doing
| they are helping to support a public
| nuisance. AS honorable men of good
| impulses, with families of their own
| to protect. they ought to be readily
| susceptible TO arguments from the
| standpoint of the home offered in good
! faith by protesting patrons, whom they
cannot accuse of having any axe to
| grind or grudges to vent. Frank talk
| of this kind between merchant and
| patron, would undoubtedly do practical
| good. 1t is the fair way to take hold
of this thing; and only when it shall
have proved unavailing would we ad-
wise the women of Scranton to con-
slider more drastic measures.
Yet in counseling moderation along
this line we recede not one iota from
the position that the dirty and dis
| gusting Sunday organ of blackmail
| and vice must be unconditionally
| cleaned out of this community. 1t is
| standing affront to decency and a
mocking challenge to civilization. If
the common sense Of our business men
and the intelligence of our reading
community be insufficient to take this
vile thing by the throat and choke out
it's villainOus existence by stopping all
business dealings with 1t, either as ad-
vertisers or as subscribers, then the
help of the law must be invoked and
its insolent sponsors, their hands drip
ping with the rottennoss in which
they traffic, must, for the public safety,
be disnfected and quarantined.