The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-25

does not hurry them. 1t holds them
back. II is one OF the sternest de-
mands of theatrical managers that
any play they produce must possess
healthy moral. It makes no differ
ence how much yillainy exists in .
play, 90 it 10 presented in q proper
light. The picture OF crime unpun.
ished and rewarded might rightly be
deemed Injurious TO the public
called upon to behold it. But sin 10
always whipped upon the stage. 1t
is not always punished in real life.
Therefore, by Talmsgesn reasoning.
we reach the sage conclusion that real
life 10 demoralizing.
The strongest of the charges
brought against the drama by MIR. L.
De Wittless Talmage bears upon the
character OF some of the women who
play its heroines. That Nine. Bern
hardt is what she is. gives this sancti-
fed athlete an opportunity to say the
stage is vile. because il employs her
90 It's mouth-piece. That there are
other members of the profession who
have been touched with the smiroh-
ing fingers of scandal, he deems
sufficient reason to conclude that the
theatre is the gate way to hell. We
differ from Mr.. T. De Wittleas Tai.
mage.
While the theatre is not the gate
way to hell. hell is sometimes the
gateway to the theatre.
1t is not the fault of the theatre
that Mauds Granger. Helen Bancroft
and Margaret Mather find their way
into it, any more than it is the fsulI
of tine pulpit that Jerry McAuley,
Rat.baiter Burns, and bob" Hart
find 8 welcome on the preachers
platform. ANY thief, or ruffian, OF
dive keeper who wishes to make q
pretence of newly acquired saDctity
can ascend the pulpit stairs and bs
embraced and sniveled over by the
righteous. He will go on in sweet
prosperity just Is long as he escapes
being found out. Yet let woman
with q tainted name climb upon the
stage, pretending tina! shs is seek
ing her reformation there, and she
whole profession OF acting il
bounded a. ner accomplice
in secret sin. Il is not needed
to wait and see how che shall
bear herself. /! is enough to know
she 10 on the stage. The converted"
thing is leading people up 10 hesven;
the stained woman ia leading them
down to the other place if you let the
the holy clergyman tell it.
But let Us admit that there are
many unscrupulous women on the
stage. Let Us suppose that those
who have been found out, combining
with those who have not. roll up q
large and aiokening score. Where
in this particular does the stage lily
compare with other professional
What other calling, is subjected to
the same test, can better hold ito
place? Let us see. There ia clergy
man in the city Of Brooklyn named
Beeoher. Against him some yeara
ago. was brought the charge that,
under the covering Of his religion, be
seduced the wife of his friend. There
are many people who believe this
charge to have been entirely true-a
good many more, in fact, than there
are who hold to Mr.. Beecher's inno-
cence. Over In Newark. . little
while ago. clergyman was broken"
for his alleged scoundrelly couduot
with children. Not q week goes by
that some minister OF the gospel, un-
der his Sinking mask OF holiness, lie
not shown under the magniiying
glass of public opinion to be seduc-
er or thief-all the more villain by
reason OF his sanity pretence. Coed.
II We were to apply the arguments OF
L. De Witt!ess Talmsge and his crew,
We should roll our eyes heaven Garo,
draw down our mouths and say the
pulpit is the gateway to hell.
Out upon such falsifyiug! II the
pulpit has not gone to the dogs
through its Beechers. its child-seducs
ers, and its numberless varlets, the
stage has not been lowered by its
Sarah Bernhardts,its Maud Changers,
its Maggie Mathers. and its Helen
Bancroits. T. De Wittless Talmage
knows this as well as anybody, and
he is merely shallow pased monger
of words, never to be respectfully
heard upon any subject, since. be
twists his arguments to apply to
others. while he does not see that
they touch himself. The sage has
nothing to fear of what may be said
about it by men like T. De Witllest
Talmage. Such fellows cannot see
the real points of weakness in the
stage. and it will be only when some
speaker shall come forward who
knows the profession and It's sur:
roundings through and through, tha
we shall learn where lies the sore anc
how it may be cauterized. We hope
that such speaker may one day bt
found. BE would be welcomed by tbs
better interp eters OF dramatic art
because. by placing the burden
where it belongs. he would foreyel
rid them of the stigma which i
placsd uppu them by such false
blatant and norant fellows 50 7. d,
I