UNCHASTITY 219 



many years. Circulated by secret agencies, these books 

 have found their way into the most secluded districts. 

 Nearly every large school contains one of these emis- 

 saries of evil men and their satanic master. Some idea 

 of the enormity and extent of this evil may be gained 

 from the following quotations from a published letter 

 of Mr, Anthony Comstock, who has been for some time 

 employed by the Young Men's Christian Association 

 in suppressing the traffic by arresting the publishers 

 and destroying their goods: 



''I have succeeded in unearthing this hydra-headed 

 monster in part, as you will see by the following state- 

 ment, which, in many respects, might be truthfully in- 

 creased in quantity. These I have seized and de- 

 stroyed : 



''Obscene photographs, stereoscopic, and other pic- 

 tures, more than one hundred and eighty-two thousand ; 

 obscene books and pamphlets, more than five tons; 

 obscene letter-press in sheets, more than two tons; 

 sheets of impure songs, catalogues, handbills, etc., more 

 than twenty-one thousand; obscene microscopic watch 

 and knife charms and finger rings, more than five thou- 

 sand ; obscene negative plates for printing photographs 

 and stereoscopic views, about six hundred and twenty- 

 five; obscene engraved steel and copper plates, three 

 hundred and fifty; obscene lithographic stones de- 

 stroyed, twenty; obscene wood-cut engravings, more 

 than five hundred; stereotype plates for printing ob- 

 scene books, more than five tons; obscene transparent 

 playing-cards, nearly six thousand; obscene and im- 

 moral rubber articles, over thirty thousand ; lead molds 

 for manufacturing rubber goods, twelve sets, or more 

 than seven hundred pounds; newspapers seized, about 

 four thousand six hundred; letters from all parts of 



