The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-21

BILE for much of this. do not 60 to theaters, SO
must take the evidence Of tho actors and man
ayers OF theaters, such as Mr.. John Gilbert, Mr.
A. n. Palmer and Mr.. Daniel Z. Bsndmann:.
undress is blasting the theater. which
by many is considered school
of morals, and, indeed. superior to the
church and q forerunner Of the millennium. Mr.
Palmer says: 1.-THE bulk Of the performance on
the stage is degrading and pernicious. The
managers strive to come just as near the line as
possible without faerantly breaking the law.
There never have been costumes worn on
stage Of this CITY, either in theater, hall or
dive 30 improper as those that clothe some OF
the chorus in recent comic opera productions"
He says in regard to the female performers: 1T
is not question whether they can sing, but
just how little they will consent to wear" Mr.
Bandmann, who has been twenty nine years
on the stage and before almost all natiouali-
ties. says: Il unhesitatingly state that the
taste of the present theater-going people OF
America. as body, is of a coarse and vulgar ma
ture. The Hindoo would turn in disgust at such
exhibitions which are sought after and applaud
cd on the stage OF this country. Our shop win
dows are full Of and the walls covered with.
show cards and posters which should be dis
grace to an enlightened country and an insult to
the eye of cultured community" Mr. Gilbert
says: such exhibitions is a disastrous one to
the morals Of the community. Are these proper
pictures to put out for the public to look at, to
say nothing of the propriety of females appear
ing in public dressed like that? 1t is shameful"
/ must take the testimony Of the friends Of the
| theater, and the confirmation which l see on
the board fences and in the show windows con-
tanning the pictures OF the way actresses dress.
l suppose that those representations of play
house costumes are true, for II they are rot true
| those highly moral and religious theaters are
swindling the public by inducing the people to
| the theater by promises of spectacular nudity
which they do not fulfill Now all this familiar
| ICES the public with such improprieties Of cos
| tune and depresses the public conscience as to
| what is allowable and right.
| The parlcr and drawing room are now running
| q race with the theater and opera bouffe. They
are now nearly neck and neck in the race, the
latter little ahead, but the parlor and drawing
room are gaining on the Others and the proba
| bility is they will soon be even, and pass the
stand so nearly at the same time that one-half Of
pandemonium will clap its hands because opera
bouffe has beaten, and the other half because the
| drawing room has beaten. Let printing press,
and platform, and pulpit hurl red hot anathema at
| the boldness of much of womanly attire. /
| charge Christian women neither by style
| of dress nor adjustment of apparel to
become administrative OF evil Show me
the time Of Louis XVI, of France and Henry
VIII, of England. and will tell you the type of
morals or immorals Of that age or year. No ex-
ception to it. Modest apparel means righteous
people. Immodest apparel always means a con-
| tamnated and depraved society.
1t is not only such boldness that Is to be repre-
hended, but extravaganza of costume. This latter
is the cause of fraud unlimitable and CHASTITY. Do
you know that Arnold, Of the Revolution, pro-
posed to sell his country in order to get money TO
support his home wardrobe2 declare here before
God and this people that the effort to keep up
expensive establishments in this country is
sending moro business men to temporal perdi-
ton than all other causes combined. 1t was
! this that sent prominent business men to the
watering of stocks. and life insurance presidents
to perjured statements about their assets, and
some Of them to the penitentiary, and has COM
pletely upset our American finances. But why
should 60 to these famous defaultings to show
what men will do in order to keep up great home
style and expensive wardrobe, when You and
know scores Of men who are put to their wits
and dashed from January to December in the
attempt2 Our Washington politicians NAV theo-
rze until the expiration Of their terms of Office
as to the best way of improving our monetary
condition in this country; it will be no use. and
things will be no better until we learn to put on
our heads, and backs. and feet, and hands no
more than we can pay for.
There are clerks in stores and banks on linn
| tied salaries, who. in the vain attempt to keep
the wardrobe of their family as snowy as other
| monds and camefs hair shawls and high hats,
and trey have nothing left except what they
give to cigars and wine suppers, aud they die be-
fore their time and they will expect US ministers
to preach about them as though they were the
victims of early piety; and after high-class
funeral, with silver handles at the side of their
coffin Of extraordinary brightness, it will be
found out that the undertaken is cheated out of
his legitimate expenses! Do not send ma TO
preach the funeral sermon Of man who dies
like that. blurt out the whole truth and tell
that he was strangled to death by his wife's
| ribbons. The country is dressed to death You
not surprised to find that the putting up one
public building in New York costmilliOns of dol.
| lars more than it ought to have cost. when you
| find that the man who gave out the contracts
paid more than S. 900 for his daughters wedding
| dress Cashmeres of thousand dollars each
| are not rare on Broadway. 1t is estimated that
| there are g. 600 women in these two cities who
| have expended on their personal array $4,000 a
year.
What ara the men to do in order to keep up
| such home wardrobes2 Steal-tbat is the only
respectable thing they can do! During the last
ffteen years there have been innumerable fine
business men shipwrecked ON the wardrobe.
The temptation comes in this way: A man
thinks more Of his family than all the world
| outside and if they spend the evening in de-
| scribing to him the superior wardrobe of the
| family across the street that they cannot bear
| the sigat Of tine man is thrown on his gallantry
and his pride of family, and. without transiating
his feelings into plain language, he goes into ex
| t0rtion ana issuing of false stock and skillful
! penmanship in writing somebody elses name at
| the foot of q promissory note; and they all 60
| down together-the husband to the prison, the
| wife TO the sewing machine, the children to be
| taken caro- Of by those who were called poor
lations. On, for some new Shakespeare to arise
and write the tragedy of human clothes!
Act the First of the Tragedy-A plain but
beautiful home. Enter the newly married pair.
Enter simplicity of manner and behavior. Enter
as much happiness as is ever found in one home.
Act the Second-Discontent with the humble
home. Enter Envy. Enter Jealousy. Enter
desire of display
Act the Third-Enlargemen of expenses.
Enter all the queenly dress-makers. Enter the
French milliners.
| Act the Fourth-The tip-top of society. Enter
| princes and princesses of New York life. Enter
magnificent plate and equipage. Enter every,
| thing splendid
| Act the Fifth and Last. winding up the scene
| Enter the assignee Enter the sheriff. Enter
the creditors. Enter humiliation. Enter tho
wrath.of God. Enter the contempt of society.
Enter death Now let the silk curtain drop on
the stage. Tho farce 10 ended and the lights are
ont