Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-23
washington =. q oct. 20.-An-

washington, ~. ", OCL. IV.-AN-
thony Comstock may be dead, but, as
they sang Of John Brown. his soul
goes marching on. The organization
which he founded to fight vice Will
soon celebrate Its fiftieth anniversary
and its latest report indicates that 1t
te as busy as ever In fact, its activ-
tty may be even more defective and
more f~ar-reaching than 1t was in the
days when Constock was the nemesis
Of producers of purient plays and
publishers OF literature Of the same
character.x
New York Society for the Suppression
Of Vice does not confine its work TO
the city and state which give it its
name. Most Of the publicity it has
tits efforts to suppress plays staged
or books published In New York city.
However, the society's report shows
that 1t has participated in investiga-
tons and prosecutions in several cit
les in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois.
Missouri, and Wisconsin, and that 1t
co-operated with a somewhat similar
Organization in Paris. 10.
In the course of its work the So
ciety has been instrumental in pro-
curing the arrest Of more than 1900
persons of whom more than $500
were convicted or pleaded guilty.
Sentences ~aggrssating e4e years Inn
prisonment have been imposed upon
the guilty and fines assessed against
them amounting to more than a quar-
ter Of a milf on dollars.
IN connection with these cases there
have been c~onfiscated 127,904 pounds
OF book and sheet stock, 3,231,6S 3
obscene pictures and postcards, 21,-
SIS photo negatives and films, 30s843
plates for. printing books, 432,459 ar
ticles Of immoral use and S,719. 057
circulars. catalogues, ct cetera. Last
year there were also taken on search
warrant 1850 magazines and as evil
dence 2 reels. Of obscene motion pic
ture films.
In addition to all this the Officers
OF the society also point with pride
to. the part it3has taken in the Better
Public Shows Movement in New York
city and in bringing about the enact
ment of the law esta biishing the New
York State Motion Picture commis-
sion: Films now shown in the state
must be licensed by the commission
and q license may be refused on the
grounds d indecency. tendency to in
cite to crime and for other causes.
Morgan One Of the Founders.
]. Pierpont Morgan, the elder, was
associated with Anthony Comstock as
one OF the founders of the society,
and other prominent men included In
the list Of in~corporators were William
E. Dodge, Jr., Morris X. Jessup and
Robert B., McBurney. It's list OF con-
tributors for 1891 totaled Ssome three
hundred ipdtvidnals and ofsaniza-
lions.
Tho society was legalized BY an act
Of the legislature Of the state-of, New
York PASSED May ~, .i873. and ats OBJ
|ject, as stated IN the law, u the en-
forcement OF. the laws for the sup
pression OF the trade in anu circu1a@
ton OF obscene literature and Mus
of indecent andlmmornl use. as 1t Ii
or may be Sf0rbidden by the laws of
the state Of New York,pr Of the Unit
ed States.
The law further provided that the
police forced OF the city OF New York,
AZ we'll as Of other places where 20
lice 6reani3ations exist, shall, az occa-
sion may require, aid this corporation,
ATS members or agents. In the enforce
mont ~ all laws which rowsexist or
which may hereafter be enacted tor
the s~uppIsssion Of the acts ana Spf-
|fenses specified ihSssctioits q Of the Att..
lis an extraordinary organization with
[aItogether unusual functions and
powers. Law enforcement ts gener-
ally regarded ~ something to be en-
trusted solely to pubic OFFICIALS duly
created ana coI1rnissloned BY the body
that enactS the laWs. Such officfaia
ARE paid by3ths government, federal.
Fhtate or municipal, az the case may
be, their respohsibhity ~ fixed ana