The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1903-10-09
{. p. Michael Threatens Ere
mont Newsdealers.
WARNED LOCAL MERCHANTS s.
Says People Must Stop Selling Sen.
sational Yelowback Journals or he
viii Have Them Prosecuted-Fre
mont People Still Sell.
INrnm TncednY,a DnllNl

there that they would have to quit
selling yclIowbaCk novels and period.
icals like Vanity Fair and the Stan
dard. Before operating there MIR.
Michael warned all ncwsdcalcrs in
Norfolk that they must stop selling
the stun or be prosecuted, and some
of them have complied with the de
mand
The Fremont Tribune has this to
say regarding the action there:
Fremont dealers who continue to
sell yellowbaCk novels and period.
iCals like the Police Gazette and Van.
ity Fair, stand threatened with pros.
ecution by a man living at Norfolk,
who claims to represent the Interna-
tional Reform society. This individ-
ual is G. p Michael He was in the
city Saturday and took occasion to
visit every news and book store and
inform the proprietors that they must
take Objectionable publications from
of their shelves and refuse to handle
them, or suffer the alternative Of pun
ishment under an alleged state law
that he quoted.
This is the first time that any such
step has ever been taken in Fremont
and no one here seems to know any
thing about It, Michael il stranger
here and so far as is known has not
secured the cooperation of any local
organization in his campaign to cx-
pungc cheap and sensational litcra-
ture from the counters of the news
stores. The dealers look upon his
appearance here as an intrusion on
the part of rank outsider who has
no interest in Fremont. They are
considerably inCCnscd over the
threats of prosecution and unless
confronted with an ironcad section
of the statutes on the subject, will
probably so ahead as before without
any regard to the warning of the gen
tIcman from Norfolk
In justice to the dealers, IL should
be said that none of them have been
making any attempt to enlarge the
sale OF the class of literature objected
to, but as there is considerable call
for these publications they feel
obliged to carry them in stock in or
der TO satisfy the demand The cru
sadie against the nickel and dime nov
als is based ON the theory that they
are cOrrupting the boys who read
them. The dealers, however, say
that more of these stories are sold
to men and women than to boys.
Never Heard of Sappho.
When making his calls upon the
dealers, Michael did not at once state
who he was, merely saying that he
represented the international Reform
society. Finally he gave his name
and said he was from Norfolk He
said that his society was determined
to stamp ont blood and thunder" lit
Craturr, stories of crime and immoral
and sensational publications, to the
best of It's ability.
Don't you know that when you
start ont to suppress paper or
book on the ground of indecency, you
merely advertise it?" asked one of
the men who sells all kinds of liter
dlults iDpll yOu ItiiltlllDtI llt
boom 'Sappho' had when the attempts
were being made to rule it off the
stage and out of print?"
"Sappho What is that? | never
heard of it, responded the gentle
man.
You never. Well, | suppose you
have read The Story of Mary Mac
Lane
mo. have heard of it, but don't
know what sort of a book it is"
"Ferninst" Stories Of Crime"
Michael declared that his society
was attempting to stop the sale of
all blood and thunder books as
well as stories of crime, on account
of their effect on young minds. One
of the dealers told him that he had
better begin by cutting off the sale OF
all newspapers, which were largely
filled with accounts of crime, and
that if all stories containing that ell
ement We're ruled out, the supply of
literature remaining would be very
scanty.
1t is not known here whether any
similar effort has been made else
where in the state to do away with
the sale of trashy and sensational lit
crature. The dealers in Fremont are
careful, as rule, about letting these
stories and papers go out There are
four principal merchants who handle
them, who generally take into con
sideration the age and mental ca
pacity Of anyone who asks to buy
them. Instances are frequent where
young boys who have asked for them
have gone away without them,
There is not much fear on the part |
Of the dealers that the threats of
prosecution will be carried out They
are now looking up the state laws TO
see just what ground they occupy,
and II they do not find any absolute |