' s ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁Boston ▁Public ▁Library ▁kept ▁books ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁de emed ▁ob jection able ▁in ▁a ▁locked ▁room , ▁publish ers ▁and ▁books ellers ▁held ▁back ▁publications ▁for ▁fear ▁of ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁influence ▁with ▁pro sec utors ▁and ▁jud ges , ▁and ▁plays ▁were ▁performed ▁in ▁a ▁bow d ler ized ▁" B oston ▁Version ". ▁ ▁The ▁society ' s ▁activities ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁popular ization ▁of ▁the ▁phrase ▁" B anned ▁in ▁Boston ", ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁target ▁of ▁par ody ▁and ▁a ▁market ing ▁s log an . ▁ ▁Found ing ▁and ▁naming ▁The ▁New ▁England ▁Society ▁for ▁the ▁Supp ression ▁of ▁Vice ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁by ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁Boston ▁residents ▁following ▁a ▁speech ▁given ▁by ▁Anthony ▁Com stock . ▁ ▁Com stock ▁had ▁founded ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Society ▁for ▁the ▁Supp ression ▁of ▁Vice ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁as ▁a ▁vehicle ▁for ▁a ▁cr us ade ▁against ▁numerous ▁perce ived ▁ill s ▁of ▁society , ▁and ▁sought ▁to ▁establish ▁chap ters ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁in ▁other ▁cities . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁England ▁Society ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁such ▁chapter . ▁ ▁The ▁meeting , ▁attended ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 0 ▁men ▁( w omen ▁were ▁denied ▁adm itt ance ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁subject ▁matter ), ▁elected ▁a ▁committee ▁of ▁eight ▁men ▁to ▁run ▁the ▁organization . ▁ ▁Its