Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-15

condemned for that in his old age, which,
after all, may have been more a misfor-
tune than fault. If he was drunk from
wine-bibbing drunk because of love for
liquor and debauchery, it would be
wholly different question, and would de-
serve all we recently said of him on the
assumption that he came to the stage from
debauch. But it appears that he has
not been drinking man, has had grievous
physical Ills, and is rapidly declining in
vitality. Under such showing let Chris
tian charity cover his errors with its ample
mantle. What the stage has needed, and
does need, is more men of as pure purpose
as Booth. That it is deserving of much of
the reproach cast upon it by pulpit and
press, there is no gainsaying. 1t has con-
/ tributed to vicious ends and does. AT this
! day it is upon low plane its citizens
are driven, or by choice come to
/ labors that in six cases out of
ten are neither refining nor educating,
but quite the contrary. The managerial
competition, the pandering to vulgar
tastes, the lack of moral stamina on the
part of so many who assume to be repre-
sentative of its highest art-all these
things have brought the stage into bad
way. But when we have said all this, adj
mitted all that its enemies may allege
| IL q.
many pure men and women of the stage,
full of pure aims and laboring for lofty
ends. Shall these be deserted? The
drama always has been and still is po-
tent agency with men. Shall it be given
over to the devil by good people? Or, as
great preacher once said, Shall we let
Satan have all the good things ?" Now
when we admit, as we must, that the
drama is an agency for good and ill that
it is not to be stamped out, and will not
be, what is our duty regarding it? OBJ
viously, to stand by the good side, and
drive out the evil spirit. And this may
be done. Let us suppose that the good
people of New York united to approve and
freely patronize pure dramatic representa-
tion by reputable people, and as rigidly
frowned down the immoral play and i'm
moral players Would it not follow that
there would be a speedy setting apart oi
black sheep from white? The manager
would supply the demanded that we
may be sure. The pernicious drama would
remain, just as does the pernicious rostrum
But it would be driven to its quarters.
Unless goodness is all delusion, unless
moral forces are deceitfuI, unless the
Church is oyer-boastful of its cause and
its strength, then society is equal TO the
task of utilizing for good force admit
teddy 50 powerful among men. IN
fact, there is some effort, feeble
though it is, every now and then
in the direction indicated. and we
are of those who believe the time will come
when the theater will not be given over
wholly to i'll, but he made weapon in
the hands of morality for shifting the
vicious, hip and thigh The dramatic
element dwells in all, to some degree.
The love of dramatic representation has
some place with all. 1t is natural, reason
able, and no more to be eliminated from
human character than the love fors the
beautiful Shall I'VE then abandon these
elements to the vicious, and starve natural
tastes and desires, for supposed incapacity
to secure them proper food? The posi-
bilities of civilization suggests a negative
reply.