Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-23

Washington. ID. c., Oct. 2o.-An-
thony, Comstock may be dead, but, IS
they sang of John Brown. his soul
goes marching on. The organization
which he founded to fight vice will
soon celebrate its fifticth anniversary
and its latest report indicates that it
is as busy as ever. In fact, its ac-
tivity may be even more effective and
more far-reaching than it was in the
days when Comstock was the nemesis
of producers of purient plays and pub
fishers of literature Of the same char
acter.
1t is not generally known that the
New York Society for the Suppress
sion of Vice does not confine its work
to the city and state which give it it's
name. Most Of the publicity it has
received has been in connection with
it's efforts to suppress plays staged
or books published in New York City.
However, the society's report shows
that it has participated in inyestiga-
tons and prosecutions in several cities
in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois,
| Missouri and Wisconsin, and that it CO
! operated with a somewhat similar or
ganization in Paris.
In the course of its work the society
| has been instrumental in procuring the
/ arrest of more than 1900 persons, of
whom more than $500 were convicted
or pleaded guilty. Sentences aggre-
eating 646 years imprisonment have
| been imposed upon the guilty and
| fines assessed against them amounting
to more than a quarter of a million
dollars.
In connection with these cases there
have been confiscated 127 ,904 pounds
Of book and sheet stock, 1921, 6s3 OBJ
scene pictures and postcards, 2l-S16
pnoto negatives and films, 3O,S43
plates for printing books, 432,459 ar
! ticles of immoral use and 3,7l9,Go4
| circulars. catalogues, ct cetera. Last
wear there were also taken on search
warrant 1869 magazines and as evi-
dence two reels of obscene motion pic
ture films.
LII addition to all this the officers
Of the society also point with pride
to the part it has taken in the Better
Public Shows Movement in New York
City and in bringing abou the enact
ment Of the law establishing the New
York State Motion Picture commission
Films now shown in the state must
he licensed by the commission and
license may be refused on the grounds
Of indecency, tendency to lncite &c
crime and for other causes.
Morgan One of the Founders
+. Pierpont Morgan, the elder, was
associsted with Anthony Comstock ai
one Of the founders of the society, ant
other prominent men included IN tns
lisT of incorporators were William u
Dodge. .Ir.. Morris *. JeSsup ant
Robert E. McBurney. It's list of con
]trinbtors for 1921 totaled some oO'
Individuals and organizations.
The society was legalized by an &C
of the legislature of the state of New
York passed May 16, 1873, and it
object, as stated in the law. is tn
enforcement of the laws for the sup
nregsion of the trade in and slrcula
ton Of obscene literature and illus
trations, advertisements and articles o
indecent and immoral use, as II IS Q
NAV be forbidden by the laws or tn
ito ~ Now York or of the Unitet
| States. -,
The law further provided that tn
nolice force of the city OF New lorb
rs well as of other places where poilc
organizations exist, shall, as occaslol
} may require, aid this corporation, 1t
t members or agents, in the enforce
mept of all laws which now exist 0
which may hereafter be enacted TO
the suppression of the acts n OF
!. lenses specified IN section . or the ac'
Thus it is apparent that the societ
is an extraordinary organization wit
; altogether unusual functions an
mowers. Law enforcement is general
, regarded as something to be entruste
, solely to public officials duly create
and commissioned by the body tha
] enacts the laws. Such officials ar
uaid by the government, federal, stat
nr municipal, as the case may be. thei
! responsibility is fixed and their az