"les Miserables" Barred Out

Philadelphia, Oct. 12.- "Les Miserables," Victor Hugo's masterpiece oL fiction and sociology, ha9 been barrerl out oí the girls' high school of this city on the ground that it is impure. An animated discussion preceded the decisión of the committee of the board of education. William D. Rorer, principal ol the school, presented to the committee a list of text booksrequired by it. Chairman Morton looked over the titles and when he spied "Les Miserables" in Frenen he instantly objected, declaring that he regarded the werk as decidedly improper to put in the hands of high school girls. Richardson JL. Wright, a member of the committee, had read the work and regarded it as "perfectly shocking in its relation to the Frenen side of life. It is wholly improper," he added, "to put in the hands of pupiU even if they are French students." Mrs. Mary Mumforö, the only wuman member of the committee, was the only defender of Hugo's immortal work, but her solitary protest was speedily overruled. She said it had doubtless been recommended as being typical of the highest classical French literature. Chairman Morton thus expressed his views: "My objection is to the tone of the book. It deals, as any one who has read it knows, with the grisettes of France. That in itself is condemnatory. I think that we who have charge of the public schools have a sacred trust and we cannot be too cautious in setting before the young girls and boys that which detracts from their ideáis of virtue and purity. ' Their parents hotd us responsible and we owe a duty to th' m and to the girls. If the book is in a library, that is a different thing, for the child's parents aré süpposed to keep an eye over what she reads; bui to require .jpupils to read a taint.ed o;ok is wrong. I would object to any classic, even some of Shakespeare's works, if they are immoral."