The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-18

Are you in favor of having representa-
! tives of various classes of citizens go 10
court to pass on the pictures?"
Certainly, that is a very good idea"
But the general public might object to
such proceedings ON the ground that it
would unjustly influence the court. Only
evidence is admissible unless those who
pass Judgment on the pictures are quali-
fled as experts. They cannot give testi-
mony or evidence, merely opinions" said
the reporter
But such case does not require ex-
perts Experts are those who have made
special study and had special expert
enee in cases. But here is a case where
an ordinary person may easily answer
such question, as this for instance: Is
that picture decent or indecent? We
would swear such Witnesses
DR.. Cornelius Brett, d. D., of the Ber-
gen Reformed Church, said:-
Il am heartily in favor of any move
ment that tends to suppress that which
is immoral and degrading. l have seen
some posters that l took exception to be-
cause they drew lowly crowd to a place
where moral corrupting influences were
offered. I have not noticed anything OBJ
You see the trouble with these pictures
is that they are degrading to the mature
mind, not in themselves but in what they
suggest. Then they have bad effect on
the youthful mind Those who are too
young to go to the theatre are Influenced.
The community is entitled to clean bill
boards and to clean shows, too"
Would you be willing to go to court
and pass judgment upon the decency of
the pictures in question:"
No. Ny place is not in court. The
courts are to judge all questions brought
before them. court is not a place 10
make laws but a place to enforce them or
to infiict penalties. L shall do all 1 can
but am not an expert on the question
of the decency of pictures to advertise
plays and don't think myp lace in in a
court. If the laws are not now sufficient
to prevent the display of such pictures
then an appeal should be made to the
next Legislature. I should certainly join
in such an appeal. No one should be al
lowed to corrupt the morals of the COM
munity for gain.''
The Rev. DR.. Herr of the First Presby-
terrain Church said:-'I am in hearty SYM
pathy with any movement that would
tend to elevate the morals of the COM
munity. The playhouse offending in this
instance does that by the pictures shown
and by the plays, as 1 understand them. .
Would you go to court if requested?"
well, hardly. couldn't spare the time
and I would not care to. I don't think
it would be the proper place for me.
could give no evidence, merely an opin-
ion, and that, of course, should have no
weight. 1 am not an expert on such
matters"
The other side of the question as put by
Harry Rose, saloon keeper of Gregory
street and Cooper place, where posters ad-
vcrtising all kinds of plays are shown, was
as follows:-
This crusade, as 1t Is termed, is rather
weak effort to give a semblance of ac-
tivity in certain quarters, it seems to me-
There is nothing so very degrading in
those pictures that I can see We look
upon works of art and think nothing
wrong even when the subjects are nude
To the pure all is pure. Why they do
exactly the same on the stage as in that
picture he added, as he pointed
to one of the pictures objected to. If the
pictures are wrong and should be sup
pressed why is not the play stopped?
Those pictures have been exhibited all
over the country for six years. They
were never objected to anywhere else and
I don't understand this move. There were
a great many pictures here before that
were much worse.
Take for instance the picture of the
king of the Opium Ring where the
Chinaman is gloating over the PROSTATE
figure of his feminine victim, who is un-
conscious from the effect of the opium
he gave her.
Then there was the picture of the
| Norman Wife," in which a bed contain
| ing dozen slumberng women, with
their shoes and pair of mems boots
| underneath it, were shown. There
was chance to purify if purifying was
| needed
The following letters tell their own
| story
Chiefs Office, Police Department,
Jersey City. n. j., April IS, 1901.
| James Luby, Esq, Managing Editor of
THE News":-
| Dear sir--We have arrested an advertis-
| ing agent for putting up in store windows
and other such public places in this city
| Autographs representing scene of gaiety
| and revelry that is thought to be indecent
and tenQlng 10 QeDaucn the morals OF the
youth of our city. 1 have subponaed sew
| eral men in private life and would ask
| you to be present in the First Police
Court, Police Headquarters, at 10 O'Clock
/ tomorrow morning.
The representative of the District Attor-
| ney's Office tells me that it is necessary
| to get ideas from citizens on this SUBJ
| ject. Should you desire to give your
views on this matter you will be detained
only a little while.
| Respectfully yours,
BENZ. MURPHY,
Chief of Police.
THE JERSEY CITY NEWS,
Jersey City, April 13, 1901.