St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-10
The Ladies' Crusade Against
Sunday Theatrical Per-
formanees.
Mrs. Newpopt'S Committee
Publishes a Report to Sign
erS Of the Petition.
The Metropolitan and the
Grand are Gently
Touched Up.
Francis B. Clarke and the Di-
rectors Of the Metpopol-
itan Theater.

At large meeting of the ladies inter-
ested in the movement for closing the
theaters on Sunday held yesterday the
following report was unanimously
adopted as the expression of their senti-
ments, and 5000 copies were ordered
printed in pamphlet form for diStribu-
ton:
1.-The committee appointed at the
meeting Saturday, May %, to present a
petition signed by the citizens of ST.
Paul to the proprietors of the opera
houses and theaterS of this city, re-
questing them to close their houses on
Sunday, beg leave to present the fol-
lowing report to you and to all who
signed the petition:
BY appointment we called first on
Jacob Lift, of the Grand opera house,
who received us politely, and, at his re-
quest, we left the petition with him for
examination.
Mr.. Lift stated he was not prepared
to give us a definite answer and could
not do so until after meeting of the
prOpretorS of the various theaterS and
opera houses, which was to be held the
next day (Friday) or Saturday: and that
lllC IOSulG VI luCll dCllOu NOllu UO Coiu-
municated to us. On Saturday we sent
TO him Tor the petition and his reply.
His manager, Mr.. BiXby, returned the
petition with the verbal message that
Mr.. Lift had been absent i'll Minneapo-
lis and had been unable to confer with
the other managers. We have received
no further communication from him.
We did not wait upon Mr.. Couley, of
the Olympic theater, personally. In a
letter received from him, Friday, in
answer to our note requesting an inter-
view for the purpose of presenting the
petition. Mr.. Conley informed US that
he was in favor of Sunday closing, and
referred us to a former expression of
his views and his willingness to close
If the other managers would do the
same. He also advanced the opinion
that if they would all close they would
in the end make just as much money.
Mr.. TraSk, of the Park theater, who
received us most courteously, expressed
similar views to those of Mr.. Conley.
He would much prefer to close his the
ater on Sunday, and would gladly do
so if the other managers would. He
was willing to be the first to sign an
agreement for closing.
But any hope your committee might
have entertained of procuring an agree
ment of the managers was dispelled by
the attitude of the directors of the Met
ropolitan opera house, whom we met by
appointment on Saturday afternoon,
June 6.
In our conversation with them follow
ing the presentation of the petition
there seemed to be some difference of
opinion; but those who apparently
spoke with most authority expressed
themselves as of opinion that their
theater stood on the same footing with
the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts
in New York-lately opened to the pub
lie on Sunday afternoon-in the edu-
eating influence of its exhibition; that,
as they looked at it, the question of
Sunday performances was not one of
morality or propriety, but merely of
business, dollars and cents, and that
their action would not be influenced by
the views or actions of other managers
Our interview closed with a statement
from the president of the board that a
meeting would be called that evening
to determine what action the board
would take on the petition, and that the
result would be communicated to us in
writing.
The action of the board at that meet
ing was communicated by 1t to the pub
lie of st. Paul in letter addressed to
your chairman and published in the
newspapers of next day Sunday. 1t
was communicated to your committee
In letter mailed-as appears by the
pOStmark-at IL o'clock Monday.
1t is unnecessary to refer to the sub
all doubtless read it. We were much
gratified to learn that the opinions and
actions of the majority of the directors
were strenuously opposed by the presi-
dent, Francis B. Clarke, and that he re-
signed his office rather than carry out
the policy adopted by the board.
The petition that we presented had
been widely circulated in all parts of
the city, and was signed by people of
all trades, professions and occupations
Indeed, its presentation was delayed
at the request of the president of the
retail clerks union to enable him to cir
of whom it was signed, and it is fact
that very large majority of the
nearly 5000 signatures were obtained
among working people, who best know
whether Sunday evening is the only one
on which they can conveniently attend
the theater, and whether it is for their
true interest that theatrical proprietors,
any more than any other employers,
should be allowed to carry on their
business and require their employees to
labor seven days, instead of six days, in
each week.
The attitude of the theaters as a
whole, as we Interpret it from our in
terviews with their managers, is sub
stantially this: That they can make
more money by running on Sundays,
and that they propose to do so in viola
tion of law and in disregard of public
sentiment as expressed in your petition.
And it seems to your committee that it
now remains for your petitioners
and for the many other thou
sands of our citizens who sympathize
with this movement, as well as in all
other efforts of the public good, to eX-
press by their personal example, and
the power of their personal influence,
their disapproval of this position, and
their respect for law, social order and
established institutions. which they
hold dear.
All of which we respectfully submit
Mrs. r. NJ. Newport, Emily II. Moves,
Mrs. Pascal Smith. Mary D. Tompkins,
Marie Hasenwinkle, Sarah l.. O'Brien,
Mrs. William Spencer, Mrs. Nj. N. Gill
bert.
E N