The Portland daily press., 1883-10-06
The Lecture Season.


The Lecture Season.
The lecture season for 1883 is fairly be-
gun. That season is now compressed with
in the three months between October LIST
and January 1st. 1t is practically over at
Christmas, although there are sporadic lee
turers and few sporadic courses later than
that. We are speaking, of course, of the
New England field. Row il may be at the
West we do not undertake now to say
but we presume that there is an arrange
ment by which the Western circuit is served
by the more celebrated lecturers after their
Eastern circuit has been accomplished
There has been within few years nota-
Bile change in the lecture business. Perhaps
we should say rather that it is no longer
strictly course of lectures that the people
want, and the caterers to their tickle taste
therefore provide them with entertainments
which they will patronize The illustrated
lecture, the concert, the opera, the play,
have place in almost every course, and the
people are no longer satisfied with series
of lectures on come one subject, or even
distinguished platform orators discussing
on themes chosen by themselves with view
to show their eloquence to good advantage.
They desire something novel, or at least
variety of entertainments, and for this they
aresstill willing to pay renumerative prices.
There is no fault to be found with this
change. The people have more and better
oppol tunites for acquiring information and
education at cheap rates than they had
when the lyceum was established Books
AID newspapers are more generally circula.
ted and the audiences which would now
gather to hear such lectures as were popular
twenty-f five years ago would be thin indeed.
Another thing that has changed the con-
ditions is the great change in the moral SEN
timent of the community. The theatre is now
patronzed by classes of the population who
would never go it then, and so is the opera.
Twenty-Five years ago course of entertain
ments which included an opera, on play
woud have forfeited the patronage of
large part of those upon whom financial
success depended. Now the number of
those who refuse to witness such entertain
ments when gwen in hall, not called
theatre, is very small, and there has grown
up demand for the.h as being the amuse-
ment most relished.
We do not suppose that the public is less
DESTROYS of instruction than formerly, but it
wants its instruction in different form. Once
the people were glad to listen to the simple
narrative of one who had seen foreign coun-
tries. Now they care little for that unless
1t can be illustrated with the views which
photography and the improved magic lam
tern can present so faithfully and wildly
The season which has now opened can be
made very profitable one in entertainments
of noble and useful quality,at smalc cost, ty
the exercise of intelligent discrimination.
The Boston Post has been interviewing a
number of prominent Democrats on Buffers
Tewksbury picture book. A member of the
Democratic State committee of Maine, who
has been strong Butler sympathizer, pro-
nounces the book indecent and likely to
prove positive injury both TO Butler and
the Democratic party. A prominent subur-
ban Democrat said he was shocked in find
ing in it pictures and reading matter of the
most vile and loathsome description. min
lister who is accustomed to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket said it was shameful to circu-
late such book. Even the mayor of Bos-
ton, who has not hesitated to do Buffers
bidding in the matter of the appointment of
election inspectors is compelled to admit
that the circulation of such O book is mis-
take. A member of the Young's Hotel In
dependents said they would not furnish
man to run for lieutenant-goyernor if Butler
persisted in acting as if he believed major
ity of the people of Massachusetts, were
low-lived set who found pleasure and profit
In reading the narrative of prostitute and
in gazing at pictures of rats feeding on hui
man flesh. Republicans cannot afford to
circulate such book as this, even for the
purpose Of showing up its authors charac-
ter.