The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-13
BEEeHER AT THR THEATRE.
The Great Reverend and the Aetar.
Probable Result Of the
Association,


stage are becoming closer each Coo
and II the sentiments OF each towarf
the other continue to becoms sof
ened. the time is not far distant whe
the green room will be filled viii
preachers between the acts, and ate
church services the ministers will o
down into the congregation and I'm
the actors. Last Sunday Hem
Ward Beecher, who had attended tn
theatre during the week and wit
messed the performance of Irving anr
Miss Terry. came from the pulpit anC
met the two, who had returned tn.
com plimens and came to hea,
Beecher preach, and grasped the ao.
tor by the hand and introduced him
to many leading church members
then fastened on to the Terry girl and
took them home to dinner with him.
and was 80 busily employed that he
cid not attend Sunday school as is his
wont. This ia all right because it il
Beecher, but suppose some of our To-
cal preachers should do the same
thing by actors and actresses who are
here every week and who are far bet
ter In point of genius, education and
morals, what howl there would be.
And yet if Beecher sets the fashion.
many others will follow, and the Sun.
day school will be forgotten while the
pastor hobnobs around his festive
board with the last stage successes.
If minister may do this on one SIM
day with Irving and the Terry girl. be
may do it fifty-one other Sundays
vita bstter actors and actresses, for if
is generally admitted that Irving is
about the worst actor that has ever
struck this country. Henry Ward
Beecher pretends to De q follower of
the meek and lowly Nazarene. and vet
it would be hard to convince the ma.
jority of the straight-backed, ortho.
dox church members, that if the
Savior should come to the earth a
second time that he would make q
Decline for theatre and OCCUPY |
box to see any over advertised cock
ney play ''Shylock, or that he would
Jay to Irving. ''If [ could not be |
Christ would be Henry Irvine"
Beecher is alleged to have said that
Il he could not be Beecher, he would !
7earn to be Irving. Bah! Such oils. |
yusting tafy telegrapbed over the
country makes people sea sick. The
Sun does not blame Beeoher for 60
ng to the theatrs il he feels Ike it.
Ind pays his money, but to make a |
how of himself. and parade couple |
VI foreign nine-spots in front Of bis |
pulpit, for advertising purposes.
makes our old Christian mothers shed
ears of genuine sorrow. Many actors
ire better than many preachers. and
~ the average they conduct them
elves as well, and many plays have
Is good moral as a sermon, but the
tage and the church are two separate |
Institutions and never can be welded |
ogether. even if an OCCASIONAL siar
preacher loses bis cud and acts like |
! calf. If the congregations follow
3eecher's exam pie, all cannot enter
ain Irvings and Terrys, so they |
will have to take their choice OF what !
8 left, and we will see de" con at
ending Pat Rooney show, and a |
ay member going it blind at female |
show. When it comes 10 art,
Rooney pictures the cha acter OF the |
ow Irish caucus Whsnger as we'll az
rving does the Shylock, and the Ger.
nan comedian who comes out
I'D dances with wooden
hoes and an emigrsnt
oat is as much success in his part
f the man that Beecher toadys to is
q bis part. Certainly the man who
'ersonates Richard the Third, q
haracter conspicuous for its mean
less and cruelty. is no more entitled
D respect than the oolored man who
epresents Uncle Tom, or the variety
ctor who takes part where he is al
rays on deck to protect innocence
nd punish the guilty. Let the bars
ntirely down. and let the church
MEMBERS and the actors and actresses
lingle as freely as they please, &C
ording to their stations in their re.
pective professions. or keep the bars
p and each 60 it alone. Il will not
o for Beecher to have all the fun.
lcters and actresses are mighty good
ompany. and other preachers and
Their congregations will not be slow
} find il out il Beecher once sets The
and keeps it up until it is
lshionsble. A western preacher is
o old school-Uate OF a man who is
laying ia a variety theatre. and
ould like to meet the old friend and
Tx over the old times when they
oth smoked ont of the same bag OF
)bscco, and stole watezmelous from
lie same farmer. but the N mister
langes pulpits With another minister
/ different town where the variety Z
otor ia billed where the minister
reaches, Tor fear he will meet the
iriety actor and slap him on the
lou der before he knows it and say,
How are VOC Bil?" knowing his
would hold mp their
sD6s 10 holy horror a. seeing him j.,
liking with 8 wicked theatre man. .
nd yet the variety actor gives moro Z
oney to the poor each year than the Z
)or minister earns. Let Beecher ard