New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SAINTS AND SINNERS. "

SAINTS AND SINNERS: A new and original drama
OF modern English middle-class life, IN nVe scts'
BY Henry Arthur Jones. l6mo' PIP l42' Mac
milan Co.
The practice Of printing new plays, which hao lot
long time fallen into allegiance, and mainly LOT ue
that In the absence OF international copyright
such publication an invitation to piracy WILL
Mr. Jones thinks be once more established now that
copyright beyond the can be obtained. lie Is
of the opinion also that this practice is salutary In
Its consequences that IL operates test OF the real
merits OF plays that its tendency Is toward the eeVa-
ton and regeneration Of the English drama, long dc
graded by mercenary sensationalism and, hkc the
name Of gentleman, "soed with all ignoole use IN
the preface TO his drama, Saints ana Sinners
Mr. Jones expounds his views upon the present
condition and prospective needs OF the BRUSH stlse
with much franlness and force; and he prints In an
appendix an article written by him for "The Nine
tecnth Century" In which "Relgion and the stage"
is discussed
With the position Of the playwright that 1t IS the
function of the drama TO treat all phases and conditions
Of life there need be little conflict There arc certain
situations which Of necessity closed against the
stage no less than against the press "san's ana
Sinners has been assaed because IL deals In realistic
manner with a common lire Of experiences. Among the
sdramatis personae" are certain members OF dissent
ing congregation deacons and Others, and one OF the
principal characters is the minister OF the chapel
Two OF these deacons are represented as mean hypo
critics grasping and INSCRIPTIONS selfseekers and in
short bad men, Mr.. Jones has preposterousy been
accused by hyper-PmlstireS Of attacking and ridcul
ing religion because he has thus displayed the
vices OF some Of its unworthy and insincere pro
fessors No charge could be less entitled to re-
spectful consideration. Religion cannot be injured by
hypocres who seek to shelter their baseness under
1t. Their hypocrisy is homage to the power they
seek to abuse. But fools may and do bring religion
Into dsesteem by raising hue and cry whenever the
press or the stage points the finger Of scom at the
unworthy who religion a cloak and a con-
venient of betraying the confidence of such as
accept their professions.
II is possible that Saints and Sinners" is better
acting than reading play. Clever actors may put
effectiveness into its situations and give certain snap
and significance to its dialogue. But the approval OF
the average modern British audience cannot be regarded
rs giving "cachet" to any play whatever, and the
opinion Of such jury must, whenever the ascertain
ment Of the Truth the first necessity be passed over as
having no substantive value. What the printing Of
this drama dsclOseS is that however deeply its author
may be impressed with the necessity of cevatng and
refining the British stage, he las H. This instance writ
ten as a contribution TO that end thin and dun play
The giddy, Eighty daughter of an honest country
preacher by the conventional stage Villain an
officer in the army. The conventional stage hero viz
tuous young farmer who in love with the girl follows
and finds her. but nothing comes Of his meeting with
the wicked captain. The girl goes back to her father
who is thereupon turned out of his pulpit by his
rascay deacons because he refuses TO betray trust
and the deserving characters are in a bad way
when the hypocritcal deacon wrecks a bank of which
he is a director and has TO fly to escape lynching
Then the preachers old congregation repents Of its
severity to its pastor and recalls him, and In
Difference to a supposed popular prepoSses>ion the
author marT1es Lefty and the viruOus Young farmer,
and the curtain falls the sound Of wedding bells. In
tie printed edition Mr.. Jones rcnounces this conces
sion TO British Phllistnism, and makes Lefty die
M douh OF he indicated
He where lrypocrites and scOundrelS and victims OF
their vices unhappily abound; but the writer who
seeks TO represent such combinations on the stage is
assuredly under obligation 10 heigten the effectiveness
of the motive by adding to it some intellectual brill
fancy and by making the characters not only realistic
but interesting.
Although 1t is perfectly easy to agree with Mr. Jones
as TO the urgent need for elevation and higher pur-
pose the British stage. it is scarcely possible to ac
oept Saints and Sinners" fair example of the kind
of drama through which the regeneration is 10 be &C
complshed