The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-04-05
NY MARIEN " PEW.

ny MARfsEN r.. PEW.
staff Correspondence 60 the seat
tie star.
NEW YORK. II there waa moth
ink elss to distinguish him. An
thony ComHtock would be a unique
American character for the reason
that for more than 30 years h. has
been In tho employ of the United
States government. without pay
from the government.
Fur exactly 3 years thlH man.
whose name Is known around the
world. las been fighting some ~ the
most lnsidioua fufmA % vice per
veFted human Ingenuity has devils
ed. ComNtock has been called a
crank. and many worse namss
Those Sha do aut knoH him look
upon him a. a sort Of freaklNh
taonstroHify He has u~afhered
theas assaults vith a smiling face
and has fought on.
Today finds him IN his office
planning a campaign against numo
poisonsr of the rninds 81 American
ehiidrca. through the manufacture
oF sale 81 uncleAn books or lndeceHt
pictures. OF afrcAting some "Eresn
goods" swindies who has useB ths
United States mails % gather in hiE
crop Of dupeH
Comstock looks more like a ven
cradle minister Of the gospel than a
dcteetivs fiut that hc - a dstee-
tive. and clever one. l. shown b.
his recoFd lie has just made his
zsU1d arrest. and during bis life
long campaign he has selEed and de-
str1yed ~ tons OF paper most 81 4
printed for sale among children
on Nhieh vas printed 90 written
matter designed 10 corrupt morals.
When this bright-eyed. kindly
faced old gentleman IL asked 70 tell
hss story he begins b. saying
When vas boy. I had two boy
school mates who we're my fast
fricnds In the course Of our days
at achool- there fell into our hands
some pamphlets which had been
sold 20 our rates by some fi~ud
who daringiy pcdaied hts unwhole-
some wares At the school house
door. nntinE from fhe reading Of
the filthy stories contained ia these
papers | Witnessed the degeneration
% M frionds.
4 was SCI 20 thinking about this
great American vice Of immoral 1T
erAtufe. which. I learned. was ram
pant in ali parts Of the country.
Nothing waA being dome to curb u.
There is an old Hebrew tuotto The
place where no man Is. be that thy
place decided that that was
written Tor me
1T coats money 10 fight an evil
none. I worked a. a dry goods
salesman for a number ~ years. bat
my Investigations into the forms OF
vice I felt should be- warning
against In March. 1879. I opened
my campaign. which has continued
uneeaaingiy from that time
caused the arrest Of seven men who
we're publishing and selling vicious
literature 10 school children.
learned that this was a perfectly
organized system. The publishers
81 is9 different books Intended 20
corrupt morals were In a sort OF
secret trust ANft VAaateafH iHNleH
Of the registration lists o. hundreds
Of schools. private and public. and
operated large mail business.
Thay alao employed scores Of agents
who. under instruction, stood At the
doors OF schools and sold their vile
matter 10 children.
There was no law that adequate
~ fitted the situation I drafted Ons
and saw Il passed In congress. IN the
face Of a strong lobby against r. II
was then suggested that I be APP
pointed a special agent Of the gov
eminent 70 enforce this new Law.
objected 10 having the position
made a political one. for I knew
that sooner or later II would fall
Into improper hands SO President
Grant appointed me- a special agent.
attached 20 tho postal department.
without pay. and the work have
since carried on has been under tho