New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-20

arms about the poor creaturo hnu queStioueu
Der tendeTIy until she found that she was
starving; tbeDc that she was fed and COM
forted, inquiry nnade into the condition of her
family, and q purse promptly raised Tor their
relief among the achprs then upon tho stage.
We have no fault to find with the story nor
the telling of it, except for the openly ex-
pressed wonder with which it is given, espe-
cially by the religious press; as though human
traits had suddenly been developed among a
herd of gorillas. IL this woman bad been re-
leved by q group Of lawyers or merchants,
would any note have been made of it Why.
then when the donors were actOrsF
Has there not been enough of this sort Of
Injustice Z Actors and even the families of
actors are by many well-meaning and intelIi-
gent people held as class set apart neces-
snrily different from others. like Poc's eh0Tis
-" neither man nor woman, not quite beasts
"nor human :" to be looked upon with curiosity
and dread if ono meets them on the street,
or. by rare chance, in society, as though
thug or freworshiper had put on coat ana
trousers and pushed himself into our company.
When an occurrence like the above comeA 10
light il is trumpetcd about tho country, as TINS
has been, with an apparent affibe desire to
give credit to any good thing which may come
out of this moral Gehema. Even the fire.
quenters of the theater arc apt to disregard
the actor as a man; holding him simply as the
Law figure upon which, as costumes, are hung tue
characters which lie presents. Not one man
in hundred brought into social contact with
the personator Of parts which have moved
his feelings to the very depths, and taxed his
intellect TO its hight, would be able to reDress
his surprise if he should find In the actor
man of simpler manners and wider culture
than his own. With the large class OF Intelligent
good people who hold it sin to enter the
doors of theater "a class, We are glad TO say
diminishing every YEAR,, the prejudice against
members of this profession comes down from
the time in England when tho low moral
character of the actor barred him properly
from decent society. They should remember
that at that very time, tho Low average mental
grade of the clergy in England was held to
be sufficient cause for rating them as but
upper servants. At day when the condition
of society was such that players life could
best be written as Gar Apology" the Chap
lain Swift held position little better than
lackey's in his masters house. Society las
changed in one respect. as in the other; IL
assuredly is time that the change was recos-
nized by rational people.
We have no intention of entering upon the
theme of the morality of the theater. There
nre theaters and plays which arc immoral ana
indecent, just as there are immoral and inde-
cent books and social amusements. But the
time has come when plays and players will be
Judged by the facts OF the case, and by COM
mon sense instead of prejudice, and the facts
Of the case briefly are that there are plays
which moro strongly than many sermons en-
kindle the intellect, appeal to the higher
nature of man, and urge him to loftier levels
of thought and action: that there Is nothing
in the representation Of these or any ordinary
play which should make of the actor less
modest humane, gentle gentleman IMAM any
of his noighbors. Respectable Mrs. Grumpy,
could she penetrate into the private dwellings
of this unknown elan, would assuredly hnd
many of the Romeos and Lucretia Borgias and
Lady Gay Spankers Of tonight just such sober
matrons and hearty well-meanng boys ana
innocent girls as her own aunts and cousins;
with certain technical language and ignorance
OF society slang, perhaps owing to the Dars
about them, and with an inevitable generosity
and kindness. So far from the occurrence at
Booths Theater being rare instance, there
is no class of people who give more to every
good object than actors and mono upon whom
90 frequent and unreasonable calls are made.
We have no especial interest in them or their
contemners. We only insist in the name OF
common sense that men shall begin to meet
each other sqnarcy and give Judgment to the
human face and human heart, and not to the
laborer's coat or preachers surplice or stage
toga that happens to cover them.
Mr. D. Scott Evans of Cleveland, Ohio, Is por-