The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-25
MIR. TALMAGE ON THE STAGE.


did last 6undsy-he presents q speos-
scIe which is entertaining, and positiv-
ly Instructive. He begins by pre-
tending that the evidence upon which
he bases his conclusions against the
theatre is purely hearsay. He claims
that he has personally seea none OF
the wicked plays which he denounces
from his pulpit. Thus Mr.. L. De
Wittless Talmage places himself on
enc OF the horns of an unoomforsA-
BILE dilemma. In case he has not
personally seen any OF the plays he
90 bitterly condemns, his Judgment OF
their quality is totally without value.
II, on the other hand. he has seen
them, then we are compelled to the
conclusion that Mr.. T. De Wittless
Talmage tells lies.
The burden of Mr.. 7. De Wittless
Talmage's last sermon about the
stage, is that it is degenerating in
later years. The claim is laid, first,
upon the degrading posters OF halt
naked women which plaster the
walls Of the city of Brooklyn; second,
upon the employment of sach plays
as Camille and third. upon the fact
that women OF the Bernhardt stamp
succeed in drawing immense houses.
and securing immense fortunes upon
the stage as,it is to day.
There is not one of these argu-
ments which may not be knocked out
Of the water at q single blow. II Mr..
T. De Wittlsss Tslmsge were to 90 to
theatres and study them IS one
should study everything which he
proposes to analyze, he would doubt
less be able to make clearer and
less easily ansWerable depuncistion oil
the theatre and it's belongings.
Were it not for the fact that Hyde
and Bshman are the controllers oil
more than one theatre in Brooklyn.
We should be Inclined to doubt the
Talmsgesn theory OF the unusual pre-
penderence OF halt naked women's
pictures upon the billboards and dead
walls Of that city. II the condition is
at ell ~ it has been portrayed by Mr..
Talmage, the city of Brooklyn must
certainly be retrograding, az 70 the
stage. It does not by any means fol-
low that because one community in
the universe demands shows OF the
naked stripe, the stage is falling
away. til the true theory of all
commerce, good. bar, and indifferent,
that the supply must be regulated by
the demand. Under this condition it
isIquite clear that half naked women
would not steadily flow into Brooklyn
ii there were not in Brooklyn q very
decided desire by the bulk OF the
population to sse them. We do not say
that such desire exists. We do not
say that there is such flow. We do
not say that the dead wall and the
biIl>boards are covered with pictures
of women unattired. We take Mr..
Talmsge's word for it. Perhaps We
DO an UNSAFE thing.
1t ia undoubtedly fact that shows
of the kind described by Mr.. T. De
Wittless Talmage exist. Many OF
them which circulate the flaring and
debasing posters which he finds fault
with. are controlled by Mr.. Michael
B. Leavitt, and men OF his stripe.
They are peoPle who are not counted
in any sense desirable by the reputa-
BILE members of the dramatic calling.
They are not widely respected or
wanted. They exist, ss do the less
worthy members of all callings. Now
and then We read OF a minister ofthe
gospel who INDUCES in unpleasant
practices. Is Mr.. T. De Wittless
Talmage prepared to admit, on this
ground, that the pulpit is going to
the devil?
This Brooklyn parson. ssething
with sanc!imony, is opposed to the
modern play. He thinks they are
full Of libertinism, domestic intrigue,
inuendoes, and marital scoundrel-
ism. These are his phrases, not
ours. The plays to which they refer,
he thinks, indicate a great decadence
OF the drama since the days OF Ma
cready and, the elder Booth. Alter
making this sort OF statement Mr..
Talmage proceeds 10 attack She
ssoops to Conquer and the School Tor
Scandal in the most violent terms.
Both of these plays were acted in the
days of Macready and the elder
Booth. The last named of the two
plays is certainly dirty and objection
able-more SO than anything that is
nowadays written. ibis does not,
however, exactly prove that the Ora
ma is more vulgar at this TINS than
it was at the peli-d Mr.. T. De Witt
less Talmsge speak, OF, does It? In
deed, it ID not better proof that tbs
drama is better and purer now, than il
was at the time mentioned? AS tC
She Stops to Conquer. /. is anything
but an Objectionable play. It is a:
clean and wholesome rs the most 10
nocent thing Mr. Talmage ever said
and the OF IL difficulty in proving the
statement lies in the infrequency o.
innocent sayings to Mr.. Tslmage's
credit.
But this precious professional re-