The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-09-23
rnE PULPIT AND rnE STAGE.


We are quite aware that our advanced
opinions on many leading questions of the
day, economic, social, national, state,
municipal, etc, have frequently subjected
US TO harsh criticism in certain quarters
Views expressed aud pressed on an indie.
pendent press, on free trade, on women's
rights, on the evolution theory, on tho rail.
roid problems, on ci,y Improvements, for
sewerage, paving, etc have all been by
lrns severely ra'pod by argument aud by
T diou To- and under The bamo spiIi
that :. was nj work against the
opponents OF row exploded theories, once
30 deeply believed and reyer,d, that to
question them was arrogance, folly or sacr..
llse. But one by one we have seen them
develop from the prospective and the posi-.
bio into realities, or TO make rapid prosrcss
toward the last. And now, we will pre-.
sent and urge another thought, which may
aud doubtless will, from particular place.,
meet the same career, when We press upon
our pulpit professors, an attendance upon
the drama. Next month our theatrical and
operitic season will Open. Dallas has TO
congratulate herself upon the pot
session OF an admirable stfrt-
ture for the purpose, To suit Il Q
tastes OF all, n vast variety Of
p avs and players have been arranged ir.
Among these are seven or eight opO a
troupes, and numerous and uReHcoptloral
pieces from the best aud purest OF known
dramatic talent There the intellectually,
morally and physically healthy will 10
given to the public. Amusement aud In.
struciion will be ingcnuouslj combined ani
graphically presented, Tbs story OF the
ensepulchered past and the representation Of
the living present, with their men and %, ir
manners, their motives and their meanings.
their events and their morales, will BE- 10 d
with u viyidness and effective colorlng that
no book can equal by It's quiet, plastic
pages, and no narrow contact with ony
the humanity which surrounds our per.
Honalitlel can iurnieh. Precept and prar.
tlce in clcar'cut dlsorimiiateuess and sig.
niilcanoo will DO exhibited under tho iorci
ble quartette cor. hinaton Of speech, gus.
turc, scenery aud droSs, Ter the mirror ot
the drama is not n mere photograph pro.
cess, Nowhere Ia human nature more
thoroughly ventilated andmore precisely
dellneated, no where is the keynote to per.
hapi the whole history Of an epoch more
suggestivey sounded than on the stage.
Here the passions that prompt, and tho
emotions that sway, here purity aud
villalny, tho noble and the base,
the grand and the contemplate,
are portrayed aud impressed upon us with
indellible distlotnass, aud which are ~
germs OF lessons for lifetime. II Is In such
aplace, In ,uch circumstances. In company
with his fold, that tho teacher NAV profit.
ably 20 and learn, In order that he nay
the more thoroughly and Understandings
teach those unl,r his ru,dance. Among
those teachers, Ia the highest and hc,ost
aense, Is the minister OF the gospel. Beside
this view, there Is no reason why these
gentlemen should be deprived OF an enjoy
ment whers their extensive learning and
reading, their rare intelligence, and,
as rule, their keen appreciation
OF the true, the beautiful and the good
should DO dobMred the privilege we claim
for ourselves, Indeed, the drama had its
rise In the religious sentiment. Originating
In song and dance In Greece, and more par.
ticularly perfected in Athens. with its
choral songs and pantomymicdauces,i II dec
ioated It's efforts TO the gods. Frequently
indicate In It's Inc pient forms, as might
be supposed under the heathcn worship, Il
gradually purified itself from extraneous
mixtures untll Il finally bossomed into an
art whose history Is stargemmed by contri.
buttons from the master minds OF every age
and cline, and Is iamiliaracd TO every per.
sou who prOtenda to any culture, True, ON
the modern stage, as on tho ancient,
we sometimes find dllettnntlsm and
buiIoonery, sensuallty and vulgArity,
The borderland of dec ncy Is crossed and
the vico-tainted reigns. But the legitimate
drama should for such reason no more hs
discarded than should good wines blcauss
bad liquor begets a disgusting in,oxIcation.
No. let the ministers 90 aud so instruct and
enjoy themselves AZ any legitimate drama,
bait tragedy or COMEDY, historical, lyric,
heavy prose, or tho moro exquisite operas
and charming opereltss There is no rea.
son to condemn the eye and ear iorseeing
aud listening TO modified, chasiened pro.
duoilon on the stage when the mind Is not
censurel for devourlng the same thing in
It's iuder, rouRher and less decent shape IN
The print Aud let healthiul public sen.
timent encourage and approve the conue.
The age demands the llberalIty, aud the 10.
sitlmis rama now .warr,ntssit