The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-12-26

tonished at the statement, but he
made it without any fear of successful
contradiction. that at no period in the
history of the world did the stage rank
as high as to-day None of the arts or
professions had made greater progress,
nr kept equal pace with society, civ
illzation and government. There might
he much to deplore in it, as i'm all
other matters. but there was consolation
in the reflection that it was far superb
Or TODAY to snv other period Of time.
The decline of the drama had been
talked about for l. 500 years. but dur
ing all the time the stage had been
making steady progress in channel of
refinement. and chronic croakings need
not create any alarm for the future
certainly no dismay for the present.
The people did not stop to take the
historical view of the case, which was
a complete answer to the alleged de-
terioration and degeneracy of the stage.
The people, preferring to rely on their
own judgments and perceptions. found
20 such depravity as the press some
times and The pulpit nearly always
depicted. He
TRACED THE GROWTH OF THE DRAMA
from the time WREN play under the
supervision OF the church occupied
four days and took from 100 t" 800
actors, to the present day, relating sew
eral amusing experiences during the
good old days" in Chicago, saying
that in all the comforts and appoint
m-pts all its illusions and effects
in everything that tended to make the
theater attractive, these at to-day eX
ceeded their toreruoEers in briIl;ancy
As much as the electric light outShone
the old tallow dip. 1t might freely
he admitted that the theater of to-day
was more place famusements than
a school tor instr uctiop, and that the
current play of the day was written
more with a view to entertain than to
teach. This was not to be deplored.
Progress demanded greater accuracy
in formation than the stage could pos
sibly give and retain its character as
a purvey of amusements and that
same progress had amply provided
other vehicles of information at once
more reli able and more trustworthy
than the theater could possibly be
Yet it might trutbfully be Gained
that very large number of persons
had gained all their knowledge of his
tory. and especially of art culture and
society. from the stage-that large
class of people who learn by observa-
ton, who read but little and seldom
90 to church. To them the Stage has
been and ALWAYS
WOULD BE AN INSTRUCTOR.
for they would read no more and 60 to
church no oftener if there were no
theatres The theatre was of inestima-
BILE service to man if it merely amused
Amusement was never more essential
to the human race than at present,
As men and women were never more
deeply enerossed in the daily routine
of life. We did not live the restful
life of our forefather, and it was fer
tunate thai the theatre had turned its
attention To amusement
morally, mentally and physically.
The legitimate drama was in no
danger of being driven from the stage.
Spectacle. opera. burlesque, gymnas-
tics never had driven and never would
drive it out. There was great deal
of sham among reformers. The dilet-
tamil who cried out for Shakespeare
seldom went 10 the theater, as they
had amusements at home. The thea
tiers would be bankrupt and the great
public lose is popular pastime if the
managers deferred TO such professions
The proprieties of the stage, as of
society, were controlled i'm great meas
ure by the customs of the are. which
came upon us with civilization. IL
dealt with human emotions. and, i'm
doing SO, put vice in lurid light,
exalted truth and virtue beyone the
power of eloquence, and won the heart
of man through love and pity. The
pulpit was unfair an irrational in It's
treatment of the stage. Was it fair
to class all theaters and actors and
actresses on the same degraded level
as the performers of the low hail and
saloon which the city licensed rs thea
tiers and allowed to exist among us ?
The trouble with the ministers was
they invariably
TOOK A GLOOMY VIEW OF LIFE.
Unlike poets. they were made, not
born, and. unfortunately for mankind
too, many of them were made in the |
same mold. This would be a dreayy
world were We all compelled to follow |
the rules the orthodox pulpit would |