The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-24
DRAMATIC CENSORSHIP And TnsArHcAL MONOPOLY u
ENGLAND .N

TO THE kpfrDR of THE HERALD. N73
Your recent articles dramatic cousorstipm England
suggest some Thoughts that subisct and IL
sister sbnss. theairicainonopos. censorship Of the
drama hold 10 asindcfcasibc as censorship Of TIE
press would be. The too in which that oensor-
ship exercised IL ~ bad tie principle sscf q
absurd that thu should have shs power
strike oa any part no p ased Of nee play whic nc n
prevented from touching line OF old onof Thus the
u,osl indicate plays Of Beaumont. and Fletcher nov
he performed by a, and the censor has no power TO
isiions the British s,sse simply, air. ~ you sug-
gess. ,hc good taste and good feeling OF tho pubc and
sa sy 1sga' y oe 'e "hen sn ase s "'s
Parry performed before tho assembled mobiles and great
sentry Of that oouniryand Ia thai ., that lime
els AVIATION had reached the highest point could attain
license fcurd necessary. Why Bec1use the spirit
OF dccoram and thai refinement whlch y insepara
bile from deccney forbade toe performance % iregsons
Immoral compositions aud issued ts inviolabe in
functions against tho Infringement Of propricty.
The dramas laws the dramas patrons give
And now In Europe well ths country that code
may he safely intrussed with stage censorship.
But let me examine tho matter little more closely.
a. they are called Sow ST. the reason why these moe
theatres were placed nnde such restraints az almost To
whh hey lad s.sn CONDUCTED v in tho sssn q csa.s
tho Second u MOI for tho purpose OF encouraging
literature, but to suppress ndeceney And DO ,hes.
Of the Ssnor theatres Of London and truth obgcs
state that the audiences and The performances
we've OF most respectable characters What the
object OF giving the monopoly TO the patent thestrest
Was Il 20 rarpe the dignity OF the national DRAMA Has
II answered thai endS 30 far from 10 cause Of
general complaint that the drama bagan decline from
the ne The monopoly was given, aad new u In sd-
mitted fact that the poverty Of tho drara greater than
~ known In any other department Of literature Whers
the sublime trarcdss the chaste and brilliant come
dies which thu patent ~ monopoly attended 10 fosterv
such pcrformancesy Have yea preferred thom 20 c1ues-
rian spcctaclss, wild beast exhibuna acroca,s lre.
eaters and sword swallowersin word, have you pay
the drama better situate than was when su re
ccivcd u from Ben johnson and shakipcrer 10Y
have not then you are mot ent Sed 70 monupooyt
lnsien1 or tho sterling dramatic performance Nncn ~
English people have right 10 expect they nave noa
mas and cosmoramas aud horses and lions, ahh es.
plants and boa consrictors-bt save 10 Two nnuscs -
London, and Of thesc m zen abused minof'
| Shakspcre Is hoard Of -. -
Are We IN New York In better posi'on, ~ M, go,
true that here sometimes bod things are ~
minors but ths large ,hessres 90 ssemp',a
from Tho chsrgc, Are ,ne, ~ x.tnoH, ' bsIas
shccsea sv ,be revolving sights 70 be seen
thcres II 4 ;mpossbis, In fAct 70 take any uio1cS
woman 70 one Of the theatres 81 present without fess
thai aometh,g may occur 20 shock her cdesty There
arm scenes 10 DO witnessed there that with oil their
boantv sud ma b witnessed 10 the theatres IN Psrs
ar Naniaa or .nv OF the great European capitals stu
Wa want no oausorship here the snrshp OF pnh
4 lie or.n;on. and once the excitement Of the nude
4 nov.,lisa over that opinion viii exercise lts sway
i N.ahar IN Europe nor In America should dramatic
shrsorship exist BY which previous appreciation BY .
leeusSs should be rendered requisite. and certainly ny
psrtlculax theatres should enjoy monopoly d The dead
slvs rishi " yeprsssp, regular tragedy aud 1onsiy,