The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-05-24
Auusemenfs.

"The people will be amused" is a say
ing, not more trite than true. still, a
great many good people have seemingly
ignored the truth, and in various ways
set about the interdicbion of popular
amusements. As matter of course, only
partial success has attended these efforts,
and at every failure the law OF
human nature, which everywhere
evidences a desire for smusements,
reasserts its divine authorship, and pre-
claims mans inability to effect its abrogs-
ton. The idea conveyed by the term
''amusements'' is that of innocence and
purity. It is separated as far as possible
from erossness, sensuality and debase-
ment. photographers define the word as
"Deep thought, to muse"
"Here 1 fell into q strong and deep
great perplexity, the amazing change Of
our affairs."-FIeetwood.
"That smuses or pleasursbly engages
the mind"
Now, then, If language is the sex
preston of IDEAS" we hold that "smuse-
ments" properly considered are helps in
the formation of healthy state of society !;
that they are elevsting instead of de
grading, and that good people msy, with
the highest regard for all the obligations
that religion and morality impose, not
only advocate but pstronizs smuss-
ments, and, by so doing, contribute
to the elevation of the body social
The widespread hue and cry raised
against theaters and theatrical performers,
growing out of the fact that In too many
instances they are calculated to debsuch
the public mind, is matter that may well
engage the attention of society and awaken
solicitude. The correction of the evil, how
ever, does not lie in the abandonment of
the theaters to the vicious classes. On the
contrary, what is wanted and what is de-
msnded is that those who advocate the
highest type of theatrical performances,
freed from grossDess and impropriety-
those who are capable of creating healthy
public sentiment should take possession
of the stage and wrest it, by the force of q
healthy public sentiment, from those who
would make this recognized agency of
amusement and instruction pander to the
base passions OF human nature. To with
draw from the theater, to refuse to see its
power for good, to studiousIy refuse to dis
criminste between the grand intellectual
creations of the masters and
the low, driveling productions Of
the vicious, Is so msnifestly unjust that
those who pursue that course receive little
credit for the sincerity OF their views or
the merits of their arguments. The pur-
pose should be to weed out the vicious and
warm into vigorous life the good, the true
and the beautiful in all popular amuse-
ments-to see to It that the dividing lines
between the good and the bad are kept as
vivid as lightning, and to create every
where the belief fouuded upon the facts in
the case that "amusements" mean purity,
and that when performances are advertised
which lead inevitably to opposite conclu-
slons, whatever else they may be, they are
not to be classed as "amusements."
Among this latter class we are confident
the exhibition during the past week of
diving Ststusry' ip this city ought to be
included, and the fact that these exhibit
tions were given at first. class theater
does not in the least sbste the
severity Of condemnation they deserve.
Fortunately for the good name and fair
fans of Indianapolis no woman entered
the thester during the week, and notwith-
standing the English language was tor
tnred into the service OF the Snowman and
made to throw the drapery OF respectable