The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-25
THE sANCTITIEs OF BURLEsoUE.

THE SANCTITIES OF BURLESQUE.
From the N. Y. World.
Among the singularities of that lovely
though not particularly useful animal, the
blonde, is the tendency which she everywhere
equally manifests to plunge herself into the
hottest of hot water. 1t is but yesterday that
the virtuous indignation of a Thompson and
the righteous wrath of a Markham took
what, upon general survey of journalism in
Chicago, cannot be considered the wholly
irrational form of trouncing, or of making
an audacious attempt to trounce. Chi
cago editor. And now we hear that neither
the nominal nor the climatic mildness of the
Pacific coast has prevented the blondes from
splitting into two factions, whereof one is led
by the excellent MIR. Henderson and the other
by the mirthful Mr.. Beckett, and that between
the two fierce animosity has arisen, al
though the public sentiment of San Fran
cisco is so far superior to that of Chicago,
that it has compelled the disputants to resort
to the courts rather than the cowhide for re-
dress. 1t is not commonly decent thing to
make pun, but it must in this case be al
lowed that redress is thing of which both
parties to this controversy stand in urgent
need, and which upon public as well as pri-
vate considerations it is to be wished that
both of them may get.
Mr.. Beckett, it appears, had withdrawn
himself from the company of which he will
be remembered by New Workers as the only
member who exhibited spark of dramatic
talent or OF the power of moving mirth by
legitimate means. Whether this separation
took place because there is an irreconcilable
incompatibility of temper between brains
and burlesque, and because it is a thing
s'most tolerable and not to be endured
that person should get his living in any
measure by his wits, in association with
II. k1.4s~ III
to speak it profanely, solely by their legs,
we are not informed But it is in evil
dence that, having first forced the injured
Mr.. Henderson to submit to the
privation of his society, Mr.. Beckett
went on to inf1ict upon the Hendersonian
sensibilities the additional laceration of a
demand, followed by suit at law, for back
pay. The defence took the singular grounds,
first, that Mr.. Beckett had organized his
personal friends into a claque to be made
frantic with nightly admiration in his per-
sonal behalf, and to wake the shades of
Niblos, in season and out of season, with
clamors for Beckett" regardless of the
claims of other ''artists and, second, that
Mr.. Beckett had varied the text of his part
with what the polite call interpretations and
the vulgar ''gags." Upon this showing the
intelligent Californian jury found for the de-
fendant, and put the plaintive Beckett out of
court.
That such agencies as the claque should
be employed to guide the public taste is
doubtless grievous thing, which the Cali
fornian Jury have shown a proper spirit in
Iesenting. But is Beckett the inventor of
this direful instrun ent Are there not tradi-
tions afioat of ushers who have orders from
the box-ofice to convert themselves into
bowling dervishes at every twinkle of the
burlesque.star? Nay, have We not seen, and
oh 10 of al
splendor borne from the box-ofice to the
stage in the first act, received by the blush
ing blonde to whom popular enthusiasm had
devoted it, and returned by dark and devious
ways to the box-office, to issue forth bright
and odorous in the second act, and again in
the third, till all the air and all the audience
was sick with the passage Of this floral tri-
butte? While the David of q female blonde
burlesquer has focks and herds of erotic fol-
lowers to below in her honor, why should
the Uriah of male blonde burlesquer be
refused the one eve lamb of his personal
friends" to emit meek bleats in his behalf?
But if we can have some sympathy with
Beckett upon this score, we can have no sem
timent towards him but one of scorn and alb
horrence when we learn that he has polluted
the text of the dramatic masterpieces in which
he bore part. The sacrilegious spirit which
would defile the tomb of Shakespeare alone is
equal TO altering his plays. A kindred offense
is that of Beckett. He has laid his impious
hand upon the ark of burlesque. He has
quenched the sacred fire of Farnie. He has