The Washington critic., 1885-10-16
RICHARD II. SYLVESTER, Editor.
WASHINGTON, d. c., OCT. 10, 1885
AN uNrnAMMELEp CRITICISM

WASHINGTON, ID. c., OCT. 10, 1880
AN UNTRAMMELED CRITICISM
One of our morning contemporaries
which recently announced that here.
after ii would accept no more insinuat-
ing free passes from the theatres, and
occupy an entirely untrammcled posi-
ton in the field of dramatic criticism,
sent its artist over to Ford's Opera
House last evening to wrcstlo with the
minstrel show of Thatcher, Primrose Il
West. The result Is an ovcrpowcring
success in the line of our contcmpo-
rary's new departure.
The critic begins with the remark
that popular interest in minstrel per
formanccs has not abatcd. In view of
the fact that there are 50 many min
strel companies on the road, and most
of them doing well this announcement
of our untrammeled contemporary has
something of the startling in it. And
the shock caused by 1t is the greater
because there is no leading upto it
gradually; it comes all at once without
any warning.
Again the mtrammeled young man,
relieved of the burden of free pass,
lets loose his critical pencil in this
manner: "Yet it was difficult last night
TO understand whereby such interest
could be justified. Not that the per-
formance was bad. On the contrary it
was fairly good. We suppose that II
is only the untrammclcd critic who
fails to comprehend why the interest in
n good performance can be justified.
Now the ordinary young man who had
free pass would say that the interest
was maintained because the perform
ance was good one. But. that would
have been unjust to the public and
liable to deceive them.
The great untrammeled tells us that
there were good songs and good voices.
yes, one of the voices was even "phe-
nomenal." The comicalities were
"very amusing" At this point we
are met by another abrupt declaration
in these words: This is all that need
be said" But despite this the young
man showed that he was untrammclcd
and went on and said about as much as
he had said before. He pronounces
certain features wonderful, " good, "
extraordinary" and amusing" Yet
the untrammeled critic cannot, for the
life of him, see how the interest taken
in the performance by the large audi
ence could be justified Perhaps if he
were little bit trammeled he could
accomplish that feat.
There is, however, a refreshing pc
culiarity about these untrammeled
criticisms that cannot but prove both
interesting and remarkable. With
them and the breakfast Table Letters
of another esteemed morning contem-
porary, we think that ii will be posi-
BILE to worry along through the
winter.
ARCHBIsnoP GIBBONS, in his sermon
at the funeral of Cardinal McClosley
in New York yesterday, pointed out a
peculiarly in the life of the prelates of
the Church of Rome. He said that
the prelate's life never has and never
can be written. A cardinal nor any
other prelate Of the Church can have q
Boswell. His public and official acts
may be related, but his private and in
ner life, which is "hidden in Christ
with God" can never be known. The
biographer could learn nothing of tho
Bishops secret and confidential rela
tions with his Church and people, and
even with many who are alien to his
faith. He is the daily depository OF
cares and anxieties, of trials and temp
tations. If what was said by the Arch
bishop is true, and prelate's real lifC
and its outward and inward inhu
ences could be published, it would bC
more interesting than any work Of
fiction ever written.
GOVERNOR HILL of New York, il
his letter accepting the Democrat,
nomination, shows no signs of being a
outs with President Cleveland. He i
as unqualified in his Endorsement o
The Administration as he Is in his ap
proval of the Democratic platform. Tn
Republican platform, on the other hand
condemns the Administration for its ei
forts to purify the public service an
correct long standing abuses, and Gov
ernor Hill says for party to win o.
such q policy would be proclaimed rs
condemnation Of the Administration
He also gives slight slap at tn
Mugwumps, when he says that tn
hands of the President would b
strengthened by a victory of his part
friends rather than by the success of it
enemies.
WE SUBMIT to the correspondent
that if President Cleveland is going I
get married he, as one of the person
somewhat interested in the matte
should be allowed to select his ow
partner. 1t is of course out of pun
goodwill that the correspondents hay
picked out brides for the Presidel