Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-09-04
SOME POSTCARDS
ARE SCANDALOUS
CITIZEN DECLARES A FEW ARE
TOO SHAMEFUL FOR MAILING.
SHOULD BE PROHIBITED
Sugse stive Ones Are On Sale And
They Exert Baneful influence
Remedy Lies in Law-What Is
Uncle Sam Doing About 1t Any
way2

Indecent, suggestive postcards are
coming to emulate in way the low
five cent theaters and penny arcades
which are tiourishing throughout the
land, said a citizen yesterday. 1t is
surprising that out OF the number of
so-called souvenir postcards how many
are OF the indeeorous variety. To
the most pure minded they cannot
help but be indelieate and cast bane.
tul influence because of their impro-
priety. just why the government al
lows them to pass through the mails
is more than | can understand. They
are so obscene and filthy that it ap-
pears to me the postal laws would
take the matter up and stop them.
The postal laws as a general thing
are strict but this thing of allowing
such post cards to 60 through the
mail as one comes into daily contact
with is proof of a conclusive loop.
hole in those laws.
Go through some OF the stores
carrying them and look for yourself
at the array OF postcards. Aad the
ones with i'll refined minds are in the
height of their glory to stand and
pick over them, and in dehling glee
exhibit the pleasure derived from It.
In some cases young girls stand be-
hind the counters where the postcards
are placed. | do not wonder that they
bush when they are trying to wait on
certain customers figuring on buying
some cards or bent on a curious de-
sire to see how shameful some of the
cards are.
Undoubtedly there is an immense
profit derived from the sale of the
cards by the manufacturers ana a
goodly profit is also Melted by those
retailing them. Souvenir cards are
extremely popular and have been since
they came into vogue and promise to
hold their position. Nice cards, show
ing various scenes of nature, Girdseye
views of cities, and the like are pleas
ant keepsakes, and no possible objec-
ton can be raised to them, but many
manufactures go as far as they dare
in Issuing cards and turn ous some
that one would not want to see his
mother or sister receive. And the
trouble is that either cannot help re-
ceiving them if they are mailed In
this place like in other cites the mum.
Der of cards received and sent out is
really enormous and any postofice
clerk will tell you this"
Yet, despite this roast, most Madi.
son stores carry only nice cards. Few
are of the improper sort Actresses
scantily attiPed are sometimes seen,
but most female figures are gracefully
garbed. In at least one store cards
costing as high as % cents may DE
had. On those are embossed and De.
Jewelled women, with sparkling thar,
as, really beautiful effect being OBJ.
tanned by means of colored glass. One
may also buy wooden postcards. They
cost 10 cents. Some show the face OF
lion. whose glass eyes are adame
when held up to the light. Then there
are owls on the same model, and
dogs which may be elongated at will
to resemble a ridiculous dachshund.
1t is great craze, but the vile
cards come in by mail rather than go
out. At least that is a reporter's nh.
servation. A few places may keep
the shady kind. but, the dealers who
dare, have the off-color variety hid.
den away and bring the tabooed ones
out only upon special inquiry. In Ger.
tain hotel Hobbies at Chicago there Is
no shame in the display brazenly
offered.
One Offender Caught.
Philadelphia. Pa. Aug. Charged
by United States postal inspectors
with the wholesale selling of objec
tionable post cards, Gustave p. Lang
of this city. who traded under the
name of the p. c. Novelty company,
was arrested and held in bail for
trial. The postal authorities say Lang
is a wholesaler and has agents in
many cities. II is said that he has
other employees who are known as
road agents" and whose business it
Is to go tie the smaller towns and
take orders which are filled direct
from this city,