The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-11-17
THEY HAVE NOISY CLASH
ANTHONY COMSTOCK AND EMMA
GOLDMAN HAVE WAR OF
WORDS AT NEW YORK.
School Teacher Subjected to Nerve
Racking System of Persecution
Suffragettes Take Active Part n the
Political Campaign-Thomas A. Edi-
son Stirs Tn u Hornets Nest.

GOntlcHI Oamphlgn- iHOHidS n. Eui'
son Stirs Up u Hornets Nest.
New York, Nov. ID Saint Anthony
Comstock, the great apostle of puri-
ty," of whom it is said his abhor-
renee of things obscene is so great
that he will not even tolerate the
nakedness of truth, had spirited en-
counter with Emma Goldman, the
notorious anarchist, free-thinker, free
lover, and free-everything else, the
properly colored version of his fight
was what Emma Goldman had been
waiting for. She was armed with a
long list of questions which she had
against vice and obscenity.
Mr. Comstock had delivered an adj
dress before a large audience at the
Labor Temple on Fourteenth street
and Second avenue and had given a
other day. 1t was sorry spectacle
of the contest with flying colors.
After he had finished his address,
and it cannot be truthfully said that
the chairman of the meeting announc-
ed that questions were in order. That
either of the combatants came out
prepared in anticipation of this occa-
sion and she opened her interrogatory
without further ceremony. Her ques-
lions were, to say the least extreme
ly pointed and in some cases even
venomous and Mr.. Comstock evident
ly did not like their tenor or purport.
He became irritated and plainly
showed it. Some other friends of En-
ma Goldman wished to ask questions
and when the chairman refus-
ed to recognize them, there
were loud protests and consid-
cradle commotion. Mr.. Comstock was
so eXasperated that he threatened to
arrest one of the most persistent
questioners for disorderly conduct, but
the chairman finally restored order
and the tempestuous meeting came to
an end.
For several months one of the teach
ers at one of the local high schools
has been the victim of relentless
persecution which drove him to the
brink of nervous prostration and
compelled him to go into hiding. The
persecution began with an anonymous
little note, neatly written that came
TO him one morning by mail and SIM
ply read. you are an ass" The next
morning there were three more notes,
each mailed in a different city, and
each reading merely: Eyes, you are. y
Daily thereafter notes or postal cards
came to him, all anonymous and all
suggesting or insinuating the same
thing, so plainly expressed in the
first note. Sometimes a collection of
mules and donkeys, cut from agricul-
tural publications was sent to him,
at other times he received picture
postals ornamented with donkey
heads.
Again, on his birthday, he received
"a telegram, containing but the single
word "Donk." Another time a tele-
gram contained the question, "How
are your ears?" This relentless per-
secution soon began to show in his
temper. 1t made him fretful and IT.
ritable and seriously affected his ner-
Vous condition.
About week ago the climax was
reached He received letter from
farmer upstate, informing him that
some anonymous correspondent had
bought young donkey from him and
had requested him to send it to Mr.. -,
who is no other than the victim Of
this persecution. The letter contain
ed the information that the animal had
been shipped. That was the last
straw. The young teacher pulled up
stakes in great haste and moved to
some other part of the city without
leaving his address.
Fer the first time in the history OF
this city women-or rather Suffra~
gettes, took an active part in the CAM
paign which preceded this weeks
election The suffragette orators.
who took part in the recent campaign.
have come to the conclusion that cam
paigning, at least in New York city,
IS by no means an unmitigated joy.
Four of these suffragettes, who were
making an 'oratorical assault upon the
twenty-fifth assembly district a short
time before the election, had a rath-
er exciting time.
The continents of the district were