Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-10
4 Tariff Upon Brains.

The recent movement of memt, ers of
| the dramatic profession to demand the
passage Of law by Congress excluding
| foreign actors and actresses from COM
| ing here under contract TO appear on
| the American stage is simply protec-
| ton or prescription run mad. Mr..
| Florence, one of cur clever, st actors,
| fifty characterizes it as "ail insult to
| our common snnse," and as "a tariff
upon brains and genius" and Mr.. JEFF
| ferson wi no stands at the head of a mer-
lean genius and cnlturein dramatic art,
publicly protested against the move
ment as a war upon the very genius OF
our free institutions.
This movement in the dramatic pro-
fession comes, as all such movements
come in all pursuits, from the repre-
sentatives of commonplace mediocrIty;
the men in art and mechanism who
can't cope with genius or who are too
indo!ent to perfect themselves in their
calling; ana it is. in plain English. n
proposition to put prohihitory EArif
on brains. The country is afflicted with
multitude of commonplace dramatic
artists, or dramatic performers, to speak
more correctly, aud they necessarily
languish and strew the country with
stranded mbiDatiOns every season.
Their primary error is in the dOminat-
ing ambition of a commonplace actor
or actress who insists upon posing as a
star; who assumes, with mere COM
monpIa"e ability and often poor at that,
to undertake the role that only genius,
and tirelessly-'ra:ned genius, can make
successful. We have now many com
binations built around so called stars
who could not play subordinate parts
i,, dramatic ARTISTS. nd
they ard their surroundings being in
the large majority, as commonplace
men are in many other protective or
CARNATIONS, the desperate remedy is
finally called for of prohibiting brains
and genius from open competition with
nediOcrity. OF course, it will fail; but
the fact that the effort has commanded
the apparent Endorsement of the organ
lied actors Of the country, unerringly
points to decline in dramatic art
among the majorty who now represent
that art tefore the country.
The proposition to put u prohibitOry
tariff upon brains and genius in foreign
dramatic art is poor imitation of the
worst degenerative features of some of
our trades unions without maintaining
their commendable qualities. Organic
ed la Dor is necessity in this age, and
bic necessity of encouraging and de-
veIoping the best mechanical genius
and attainments, and of protecting
workingmen against the often pitiless
exactions of employees. They gave bet
ter labor and justly commanded Dt tier
reuutal; and the only weakness eXhib-
tied in any of them to-day arises from
the dominant influence in some indus
trial callings of commonplace medioc-
rity. ard the enforcement of rules
which deny proper reward to superior
skill and fidelity. Every trade-uDlcn
that has been swerved from its original
purpose of developing and rewarding
genius and art in mechanical pursuits,
to torce mediocrity, idleness and thrift
lrssness upon the same plane with the
industry and skill of genius, is lam
gushing to-day for want of Just pub
lie sentiment to sustain it. Genius that
develops in art, alike on the stage and
in the factory, shop or mine, can never
be circumscribed by arbitrary laws of
associations OF actors or mechanics. and
when mediocrity demands the suppress
sion OF brains and genius for the protec-
ton of incompression of brains and
genius for the protection OF incompe-
tents, the country and the world can
have but one answer, and that is an
emphatic refusal.
There is one way, and only one way.
by which American dramatic artists
and American mechanics can hold the
front rank in American patronage, and
that is by making American brains
and genius foremost OH the American
mimic stage and in the American shop.