The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-03

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to resist similar reduction now being made
on their wages.
The Amenities OF Independent Criti-
cism.
If newspapers quietly submitted to the pre-
tensions which theatrical managers of certain
Snowman type are ever ready to advance the
public would be treated to pretty dishes under
the name of criticism. Indeed, criticism
would completely disappear. Now, it is not at
all difficult to demonstrate that journal
which gives itself over to base puffery Of theat-
rical concerns must lose all caste in the
domain of aesthetics While single indepen-
dent journal existed the fraud upon the
public would be easy of detection, and hence
the value of praise where blame alone was due
would become small indeed. The theatre
which makes a trade of overpuffery will find,
in the end. that the public is not to
be perpetually blinded TO shortcomings
by cheaply bought laudation. The
audience which pays to see comedy
acted is an intelligent audience, and the man
deavors to persuade the public that wooden
nutmeg comedy OF hickory ham tragedy is the
real Goldsmithian or Shakespearian article will
find that solitary case of deception is more
injurious to a theatre than series of failures.
Failures come to the best regulated houses,
and, however stern may be the critical con-
domination, there is, with the honest journal
list, no prejudice against management on
that account. Plays and operas are things of
which it is impossible to forecast the success.
They must be seen and heard, with all their
stage conditions, before judgment can be
passed. When manager risks an unusually
large sum on Something that TIE public does
not care to see be must not blame the critic
who takes the same view as the public. All the
puhery in the world would not bolster a
dull piece. There are, however, classes
of plays which attract in one way or another,
for the sinfulness that is in them. They are
deliberately launched in the hope that they
will invoke the condemnation of those who
belong to what rakish Bobby Burns termed
the ''unco guild and rigidly righteous" They
granted, and when the Snowman is shifty and
unscrupulous he will often succeed. But this
success is small matter. It has given the
Snowman q stamp he must bear through his
career, or one which it will require great
deal of active repentance to rub out. When the
critic has done his duty by such showmen and
their plays he may discover, to be sure, that
there are very foul words in the showman's
vocabulary of vituperation and several mus
cular rowdies among the showman's ''gentle-
men," but these things are neither help to
theatre nor hurt to journal.
The personal question, or that relating to
criticising actors, is one which is fraught with
great many difficulties if the critic for
moment consents to swerve from the position
of being completely unbiased Those players
whose aim is to reach success by the surest
methods do not busy themselves about asking
critics for ''send off,. They rely on the
ripening of their art for q ripening of praise,
and kindly reminder of failing overlooked
is never bitterly unwelcome to such players.
A class of actors which has been developing
AOA oOAAC yCuAo poos uOOto SAAeAOAoiA Will VCAy
different feelings. These worthless start in
their profession with the modest idea that
from Roscius to Garrick and thence to the
present day no actor has ever attained the
proper idea of stage compartment They
place their ideals so high that the critic, even
with his opera glass, cannot reach them.
Small wonder is it, then, that in sound
criticism these actors cut sorry figures. If
the actor were not 80 wholly separated from
what he aims to be o hint or two might be
useful; but they would be thrown away in any
endeavor to join such player to what he
journals which should make them give free
admissions to representatives of the latter 1t
is simply cowardice on the part of the theatres
which perpetuate the system of free passes.
The journal owes to the public fair criticism
of a play which it consents to notice. The
manager who is content in his Utmost soul
with such criticism is rarely possible. If the
manager were allowed to write it himself it
would he something different, something
stronger, even if only q little. Independent
criticism is that which leaves everything out
of sight except the play as it is placed on the
stage and which honestly judges that. This is
the kind of criticism which it is the aim of the
HERALD to supply for the benefit Of the public,
and not to please or displease actors or
managers. The puerile, silly attempts of
ignorant, mountaineering managers to coerce
the press into buchu criticism can only recoil
on themselves sooner or later.
Increase OF the Public Debt.
The public debt statement shows an increase