, 1880-02-08

naclsions Bearing on the Sqbject-The
Authors Favor Revival Of the
Custom.
Faear Fawcett Hopelesly Bewildered by
the New York Critics.
rheir Curiously-Varying Views Re
garding His New Play.
Whereabouts Of Actors-The Weeks Attrac.
tions-Green-Room Gossip.


Kissing A LEGAL RIGHT.
fcwveeks ago number of writer's upor
dr,matic matters throughout the country
1rare busily engaged in II discussion upon the
question Of Kissing in theatres. The reviva
" Tho now obsolete custom, so far as Amer
r., j. concerned, was strongly advocated b,
1one while others as bitterly denounced the
;dea. One thing i'll the discussion, however
etrnck the writer rs singular,-the fact thai
yearly every dramatist who wrote upon the
matter advocated a return to the system o1
andieuces manifesting vigorously their pleas
nra for or displeasure toward performer OF
. performance. In conversation with Bart
lev Campbell the other day this fact was re.
marked. and he too expressed himself in
favor Of it, as did Bronson Howard
n the Theatre few months ago.
Wr Campbell was of the opinion that
= revival OF kissing would be not only whole
come for the drama itself, but it would be
decIdedly to the advantage of the dramatlst,
;nasmucil as after the presentation of the
NAV he would know whether he had made a
RRhit" Rr1 As it is now, he held, the author
~annot defnitly know. and often the fact that
the M play is a failure is only learned after
.nmch ams hi lime and money has been expended.
1[r, Campbell probably forgetS the oppOr-
1unity afforded by the system of Kissing to
cliques to condemn aspiring writer's or artists,
who NAV be opposed to the Interests Of the
fayorits of those cllques.
At the present time we do not propose to
argue for or against revival of the custom,
hit THE TRIBUNE will lay before its readers
ne substance of All Interesting article re-
Gently published in the Central Ln,: Journal,
the writer of which has, since the discussion
he t, &c court records for the purpose Of
% hiss is legal right. The writer
comes to the conclusion that it is. He cites q
number Of cases, the first being. that Of
an eminent lawyer Of his day, who sued the
defendant theatre manager, f3r na false edan I'M
theatres had risen their prices, and this for
several nights had caused riots-the famous
o. r. Iiots-at all the places of amusement in
the city. On the night in question, when the
excitement was at its hight, the plaintiff went
to Coyent Garden Theatre, and, having taken
OF blowing horns, ringing bells, and exhibit
ing placaTds demanding restoration Of the
old prices on the part Of the audience, was
arrested by the boxkeeper. The action was
for uespass and false imprisonment, and at
the trial the plaintiff argued that g within.the
walls of public theatre the public have a
1lsn. ~ ;ti,,1 r i;,,,;t - onn+rni Th;e E
1nht e,;d tho iec.,i wan s:,n1ich has heen
s,i, aXarc;sad Witch ;s essanta1 tn
4ha nrnsrar;ty of +he dana T~ and wh;rl, vac
never before questioned in court Of justice.
1t stands on the same principle with liberty
Of criticism, which the Judges have often de-
iao., =. ,;a"o ,na,s ha Iontad frnn, the ct, aa
1s &c + n1a,! he cons,rei and rid;cm1ed IN ,r1it
;nr 1,.hay1 y + + is nnhished Az sctor NAV ha
nrs,sod ~ or - = cnndenned in nc,Ssnaney @ nr M
So hp may he l,isse,i or annIauTed 1t the mn.
M nent 1 hv fhnse Win vitness ,is effnrts = This
It 1,o;nt ~ rsached the 1awrtr nrnceeded fo are1,e
1hat .sthe condmct ri ,nanarore i, ra;S}ng
nrires sl,nul1l receive The Observation-Disclosures n7
Lord S p9s Maasdeid1oweTer IL M while admEfne
tiissented frn1n nm the he latter uTheatres !, said
lle, aarn not absolute necessaries nf life and
anr nerson NAV stav away WIN doae , Mt an AN
nroye If tie n1anner in which tha,r arc .Ir nan. AZ
aged. If the prices Of admission are nnrea-
senable the evil viii cure itseif' Peonie viii
not 60. Tie proprietors Of theatre. have
way. and to tx what % nrices % of a]mission ~ scion thew
think most for their advantare ), and the
Chief Justice dissented from The frot,nd thai hat
because the nrices wpre cnnsidaraG fon hirh
the nennIe had rirht n e,nraee tnno,,1+noys
Decentralization Tha Iearned 1,,dna now.
ever. was careful fn add that the h;ssfnr NJ nf a
performer was anothar and - d;ffarant fb;r,r
aThese nremed;toteJ and er.sta,nat;c .'1 r.
nults !; he esaii sshava ],aar co7,,r.raI r. +hat
noise whjch has haan ~ III +;,n ~
at theatres in tjle i1nmediata exnress,nn n t1'e
feelings of the andienca ,,non = raSv ,';aco nc ~
the merits or defects ~ w narticular q @ ner- ~.
former. The cases hn,ra,,ar a1 80 ,,,bpiiv
different, The audience ha,.a nart,iniv y
right to express hv annlonsa or i1issos the
sensations wich 1at,ra1i.. nrasanf 70 fban,o n,o
selves at The moment and naho1y h,e % arer
llindered or would ever n1,est;on 1 ti3e exeTcise
aremenE howerar tha ~ ;,4.7 rv fo,,nI tbat AZ
arrest wac ;iaeef ines, 10y .ne Juiy i9nnu 4tit & I4e
verdict. 'A'eeA'' 1'1o tue plaAu1lA nao d
Another caso ,;+os -, ~, +,a
journal was fbot ~ lug ~ VIZ; la;t - a0 ~,
England m an.,oar;r ~ m'lsn ~ ttle pialn;n, +ha a
Character of Hgrn1c4 W. W 11i a.ds a. aeisf tn4
owing to the iistmrha,, ""o :" nc,rs uea,2s
ance Caused and ,,h;ols M1G IL, l!lS d. 1bp-
fcndants who % ora m'cm & Mas e. leu uy M1 " tn
drive lin fron 5 4lo SUI etsa ioi 1a -
who s,1nad % IN w ~ stag nds1 ++ at4hhl, r.,
public who m ~ 4ha,t e tsGI ne H. tt i.1s 10 10
exnress theiT froa q o.5 .s"aiT nasG .ne ~ ~
the merits ~ ~ ".u nnp4tseeu VPl!'iuiio u
u1on tha Ct, oa o ara 81 = ~ WY hRpeaa
that m rarfo1e alIu, ne auuea, ~ uSli9so tho
p1hlic ehnniT 49,, az ilo!e ai!h!ous ~ aa. us
fhemSairoe Fa a!aeG Wilt llsns tnan l1e acNls
SIMS Srno os.,rn; ~ ~ Heif 1alu no"ii tIaL r.
wo111h ha snh;oat o1tl,eu tnell neG luusaheiltt
only wonid = IT, 70 acuons LOT damages, llot
Int If ~o,,Id IL ue !aIal 70 ACTORS on tne stagt'
inr the t5aairap p1t.Gnt ~ ri peqp!e from iieaaen