The New York herald., 1874-11-22
The Church and the Theatre.

One very important result has come RON
the prominence we have lately given to the
Sunday question-viz., very free expression
of public opinion on the subject Almost
every class of society has been heard from.
The workman who tolls all the week, who not
only feels disinclined to attend service on
Sunday morning, but to whom physical rest
at home seems to be necessity; the minister,
whose earnest endeavor is to sanctify the hur-
rying, bustling and wearing life of the masses
J by the high and holy associations which make
the one day in seven fragrant, hopeful and
serene, as well as the actor and the business
man, have spoken freely on this topic. That
good will come from discussion of this kind,
carried on in spirit of fairness and impartial
criticism, no one will doubt. The community
is prepared for it, and recent movements to
open our theatres for dramatic representations
of the better sort and our concert halls for
musical entertainments, which seem to be
called sacred more on account of the day than
for any other reason, it must be confessed
render it imperative to take some action either
of approval or disapprovaL
1t is needless for us to say that we have very
little sympathy with either extreme in the
multiplicity of positions taken. The HERALD de-
sires simply to subserve the public interest and
to seek the public welfare by the most direct
means and in the mcst economical way. We
have no patience whatever with that wholesale
denunciation Of the theatre, which is at once
short-sighted and unwise, and which lays one
open to the charge of entire ignorance of the
drama and of it's practical effects. It may be
fairly said of the ministers that they are talk
ing in the dark when they denounce the
drama as on unmitigated evil. They confess
that they have never been to the theatre, that
they know of its allurements and its tempta-
tons only by hearsay, and yet they venture, we
think rashly, to express as decided an opinion
as they would on q subject with which
they are perfectly familiar. It must be con-
fessed, also, that in the heat of controversy
the advocates of the drama are somewhat in
clined to draw q veil over the demoralizing
influences which are actually connected with
the theatre. What the people want is to get
at the real merits of the question, and an
| honest statement of facts, with an equally
is the shortest road to a settlement of the
problem that will be satisfactory to all.
| 1t is very earnestly argued by some, and the
argument is not without force, that if any,
thing can be done to entice those who form
the lower stratum of society out of the beer
still more questionable character it should be
done at once. 1t is certain that the present
| missionary force is inadequate to such re-
suit. Either the missionaries are not jealous
enough or their number is too small, or
religion itself, even in its primary stage, fails
to awaken any sense of moral responsibility
| in these people, Whatever may be the cause
of the fact it is apparent to every one who
| takes the trouble to walk through these dis
tricts that any change whatever would be for
the better. If by concert or a spectacular
representation or anything else that is attrac-
tive they can be drawn away from bad liquor,
with probable brawl and possible murder
as consequence, then it would seem to be
well to tolerate the concert rather than to be
mawksh about it and be compelled to tolerate
the brawl and the murder. It has seemed to
us that anything which leads man up from
actual crime is better than anything which
leaves him there. The end in this case cer-
tainly justifes the means, and amusement
which is not immoral in its tendency is better
than vicious company and vicious practices.
II the Church can and will devise some means
by which these people can be drawn into their
chapels and taught the rudiments o. relig-
ious life it will, of course, accomplish the
most desirable OF all results but, if this is
impossible, the next best result to be achieved
is the ingathering OF these people into any
place where the immediate influence Will be
better than foul companionship and drunken
ness
A word can also be said for the middle
classes, SO called. A very large proportion of
them, tor some reason or other, do not attend
church. Religious worship is either too ex-
| pensive or too fashionable or not sufficiently
attractive and they prefer to remain at home
or to walk in the Park. The simple fact with
which we have to do is that they are not
attendants upon divine worship. The ques-
ton naturally arises-and it is question of
great moment, and should receive careful
attention-would it not be step in the right
direction to open oil our libraries and reading
rooms, that this class of the community may
have an opportunity to educate themselves?
If they will not be religious, shall
they, therefore, be ignorant2 If we
have done our best to attract them to
the church and failed shall we therefore close
every door OF improvement against them? Is
it better that they should do nothing but
sleep and gossip than that they should have
at least the incentive to intellectual culture?
A library and reading room are steps toward
the church, and steps up from their present
level. If we cannot get what we want, shall