Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-08-21
STAGE CENSORSHIP,

So Jealous, and rightly jealous, are the people
of this country of personal rights that any pros
iect looking to a curtaiment however well IN
tended, of their pleasures and relaxatons will be
frowned upon. At least that will be the hrst |
impulse on second thought an intelligent mi
noritv may be sometimes found to admit that
censorship in certain directions is for the
good OF society. There are admitted difficulties
in the way of government interference with
social privilege. Americans are determined that
freedom of speech, OF the press, and of worship
shah be absolute, and monarchy would
be as possible in the United States a
any interference with these rights of the citizen.
1t may be asked then why the stage should not
be as untrammeled as the newspaper? The
question is a nice one, and will be appreciated in
its fullest, perhaps by but few persons The news
paper although itself evanescent is paramount
compared with the shifting scene. The word
is spoken and is gone the play ends and poth-
ing is left but the impression on the spectator.
The paper lives, little day, perhaps, butt has its
span of life its utterances he thrown
back upon it; it is intimately associated
with the care and interests of the
busy world. These facts render it circumspect,
ana as u rult uostTNluS Vi hbcits NhiSA ~
enjoys. Only fanatic would hold that freedom
of the press meant Wholesale liberty to debauch,
yillify and criminaly assail. No such meaning
attaches to the honored phrase, and the nature
of civilization is such that it will practically keep
its press within the bounds of honest and
fair dealing. The stage has none of these
multiform relations to affairs. 1t appeals di
rectly to the intellect and the passions,
and both from its essential conditions and
its extreme eyanescence it is at once diff
cult to measure its capacity for evil or to bind it
to practical rules. Now is stage censorship,
an authority which shall prohibit the presenta-
ton of such plays as may be deemed preiudieial
to morals, desirable? 1t ID matter of common
knowledge that such supervision is habituall.
exercised in many-perhaps in all-foreigl
cities would the American theatre be improved
by the same rule 2 Mark, that we 60 to the prin
ciple of the matter Plainly it is rule whcl
has never been thoroughly enforced. The Pari
Censors do their work faithfully 20 far as t.
keep all offensive political illusions of the stage
but the French Drama is notoriously corrupt an
spreads its deadly poison over the stage ever!
where. Nor does the English Theatre appear
be any cleaner than our own. But might it M
be different in the countries named no less tina
in the United States? Free Trade has been trie
long while, why should we not essay Protet
ton? Certainly, protection from some sourc
is needed or shortly there will be no tru
dramatic, art left. The stage is give
over almost utterly to vugarity, and with n
prospect of return to sound principles
view of the condition Of affairs We believe ths
Just surveillance would be to the true interei
of the stage, without being any infringemel
upon the rights of the citizen. 1t should not
difficult to obtain officials competent for til
supervision and whose honesty should be aboI
reproach, and if we could Danish the leg dr.
ma, and .curta;l the {" sensational and " EN-
tional, fair half, all concerned. would be Il
gamers - not only our youth, bnt tt
Managers for the best people would then aga
go to the TheaTe,-s practice from which tn
have latterly been largely driven. That su
supervision is not chimerical il proven by
recent act of the Boston Board of Alderma
in compelling the managers OF
Theatre Of that city to withdraw
offensive play founded OIL the Beeel
Scandal The Boston Aldermen have Il
power it seems although it has never been
ercised in any other instance. The subject
in our view, most important one. Why sho,
the stage have unlimited power to corrupt
community or, where 1t does not corrupt,
eneryate? Parents have their rights as vel
managers and dramatic authors.