ONE hardly knows what to make of the McLaughlin dictum. If nothing else, it might serve to explain something about the underlying philosophy of law enforcement.

CALIFORNIA BOOKMEN STRIKE BACK AT CENSORSHIP LAWS

PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY for 8/16 features an article by Wm. S. Chleboun of the San Francisco Emporium's Book Dept., describing how booksellers throughout the state recently defended our right to read by forestalling the passage of a number of 1965 bills aimed at greatly increasing all forms of censorship. The booksellers were "convinced that certain legislators were promoting these bills in the full knowledge that their efforts would bear no fruit, but would please the electorate back home," and they based their programme on the understanding that "there is one ingredient absolutely necessary for a successful anti-censorship drive, and that is intelligent information." In a many-pronged operation in which the ACLU figured significantly, the booksellers brought together and disseminated the pertinent legal and historical information with which to combat the allegations of the need for stronger legislation in this area. They noted, among other things, that "no sound reason or need for changing, weakening, or loosening the present obscenity laws had been shown," and that "the language in the present statute requiring that allegedly obscene material must be proved totally devoid of social importance is the sole protection for artistic, literary, scientific, moral and religious works. The California and U.S. Supreme Couurts have so ruled." Having fought and won its own battles in this area, ONE con-

gratulates California's booksellers for their successful counterattack against oppressive legislation.

RELAPSE IN ILLINOIS

An Illinois lawyer and correspondent has just sent on a copy of the Illinois Legislature House Bill #1905, recently passed, which provides that in the event of a conviction for a "crime against nature'' the driver's license shall be suspended for a period of one year, and for the second such offense, for fifteen years. The same penalties apply to convictions for rape, sex offenses involving minors, and soliciting in the streets. It must, ONE thinks, involve extreme legislative skill to achieve such irrelevance between punishment and offense; and our correspondent remarks that "It is rather odd that Illinois, which had such progressive legislation in this area, should now pass this Bill. As far as I know, this is the only state that has this penalty."

SMUT "GOING GREAT"

Information from N. Y. TIMES reaching ONE via PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY for 9/20 is that paperback smut is "booming." "Lesbianism has succeeded nymphomania as the most popular subject for smutty novels," dead-pans the TIMES, "but male homosexuality is coming up fast. Books about sadomasochism and fetishism, generally involving secluded castles, bullwhips, tight leather suits and spike-heel boots have also become popular." One New York bookseller reportedly told the TIMES, "If these creeps want to buy those books, I can't stop them. I don't even think about it. I just sell." In ONE's opinion, censors need no longer be overly concerned about literary pornography. Every extreme has already been exploited,

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