Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1852-03-03
Meeting In the city HalI.


past O'Clock, to hear the arguments ofihe pc
ttioners ia favor Of license to the Worcester
Museum, aud those Of the remonstranis against
granting the prayer of said petition.
The MAYOR said: Ii is well known that ma
ny citizens strongly opposed 10 the existence Of
such place of amusement, and on the other hand,
many are warmly in favor of il. It's specially
to hear what reasons can be adduced for and
against licensing dramatic amusements, that the
Board have convened this meeting
Mn. DWIGHT FOSTER said he appeared as
counsel for the petitioners, and should ask that
the prayer Of the petition be read. resting his case
on the plea therein set forth
The prayer of the petition being read, some
little fencing took place between the learned coun-
sci, concerning the Onus propandi and right of
reply, finally.
Mr.. DEXTER BARKER rose and said that he
would not have obtruded any remarks which he
should make, upon the notice Of the Mayor and
Board, were it not for the hesitancy which APP
peared to prevail among those gentlemen whose
position and education rendered them far better
qualified than he was, to discuss this very impor-
tant question. He was in favor Of the petition,
and he believed he represented tlae wishes of has
fellow mechanics generally. He would respect
fully submit to his Honor The Mayor, and TO the
other gentlemen Of the Board, that place Of per-
manent amusement 10 city such as Worcester,
was essentially necessary Gentlemen who had
all the privileges ofsocial intercourse, which wealth
and leisure secured, might not feel the want of
such place, and might object to it; but to the
young men who came from the country--to the
mechanics who had made Worcester what she
was, who had so immensely increased her trade,
and had doubled her population in seven years,
no such privileges existed. In this city, good
character, without other advantages, is not suf-
6cient passport TO good society, as ii is in the
country. He did not find fault with this, he only
mentioned it as fact. But the consequence of
dtis that young men who are strangers, are thrown
upon their own resources for amusement. Ifthey
cannot obtain elevating and ennobing amuse-
ments, they will indulge ia such as they can find;
and the bowling alley and tavern will flourish, if
the Museum is suppressed. Nj Barker euogised
dramatic literature, and dramatic repi esentations
He admitted occasional vulgaritles, obscenities,
and coarse jokes, but oontended that the great
good done by the drama, was more than sufficient
ossrufEOO sEIU eyaI. ne SaIq gentlemen
might contend that there were other amusements,
but this was the kind oe amusement the working
men needed, and wanted; and he trusted the
Mayor and Board of Aldermen would see it to be
their duty TO grant the petition. Elr Barker was
loudly cheered when he sat down.
Mr.. w. R. HoePER said the petition was al
legged to be the petition of 1902 legal voters of this
city. He knew the names Of the gentlemen who
headed the petition; they were well known, re-
spectacle citizens; but he was struck with the
fact that the names of a great many in the petit
tion were totally unknown TO him. He and three
other gentlemen had examined the petition, and
compared it with the voting list of the city, and
they found of 500 names which they had checked,
that 243 were legal voters, and PSI were not He
commended, therefore, that the petition was not
what it pretended to be, and on that ground alone
should not be granted. [Cheers]
DR. MARTIN said that he had signed the pc
tition. He had done so after mature consilera-
tion He signed it because he believed that
place Of rational amusement, such as the Museum
was, was benefit to the morals and health of
the community. He thought the Mayor and AL
dermen ought to take care that all places of pub
lie amusement were moral and respectable; but
be thought none had right to dictate to HIM
xn,ha mia ~ H.. .ho
loud cheers He said his profession demanded
severe study. and his mind afterwards crayed re-
taxation. He went to the Museum, because he
there found the kind of relaxation which most
conduced to the restoration of his exhausted fac
ulties.
Mr.. WAYLAED, counsel for the remonstrants
saidhe had been requested appear and present the
views Of the remonstrants against the petition The
Ieinonstrants think they may grant that the theatre
is not necessarily of itself ev, that it may even
be made ennobIing exhibition. And they think,
also, that they may at concede that the dramas
of Shakspere, Jonson, and Addison, are among The
proudest monuments Of the hu intellect. But the
question now before your honorable board is not,
what the drama might be, nor hat amount Of genius
mas Deen nisplayeo tn dramatic literature, pnt what
is its influence upon public morals i need tell
you that the drama originated in Greece and Rome,
in order to supply to an ignorant community, who
could not read, amusement and instruction 1t was
so in England, when Shakspere's plays written;
but from that time, the drama has degenerated and
now its tendency is to demoralize. From Sir Mat
thew Hale to Charming, who assuredly could not be
a. NJ oil
good men las been against il. 1t is said that Shak