Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-26

l u1tnoid ~ nnnao eecnnoo ! 49, -
thoazss - the tine ef referring se me
lnc,deas n tee typss HE chief ef3scl
ton vas that > vslxxs. dsaonsss Ana
anserapulous class OF nsn vsss
swsrming lHso tie business, and tess
teelf pfessace bad . t@adsney 10 BRING
edluna rnJastiy GA the respectable pso-
pie "A the professor. eli y thai class
Of mea.s he said. Who eharacs<fize
everything sasy have IN indecent ana
slAngy teimA Everyone Of them De-
inx interested N attractions which they
STATE are tout Of sight ''fhe surround
lrgs Of TIE thsatfs are becoming more
undesiI able and dlstAslefal every sea-
son." Thls statement he made after
remarked that the theatrical profession
WAS a. bad as war, owing TO the
fact that il almost continually
kept in separation, husbands
and wives, parents and children and
brothers and sisters. This 10 true.
Every actor must leave his home be-
hind and his seasons of domestic happl-
ness are OF brief duration. But TO re-
vert To the morals Of the stage which
WAS our chief topic Of conversation.
Here Was an actor who frankly admit
ted that the atmosphere OF the stage
has an immoral tendency. That there
are exceptions TO this statement Is true,
and this means that there are actors
who are manly and honorable. and
above suspicion, and actresses who are
queenly wives and devoted mothers.
But that there Is prevailing growth
of impurity is certain. There is the
great class Of players. male and female,
who have drifted Through the advent
of farce comedy and very numer-
ously in the past few years, from the
contagion of those dives known IS va
rlety theaters. Few come from these
vicious places of amusement unstained.
They must in this elevation come
in contact with young class Of aspi-
rants. Their parsence must be danger
GUS and association with them will IN
many instances breed corruption. Ex-
psrience has taught me that there are
some actors who are gentlemen, while
on the other hand have met here IN
Grand Rapids dozens of them, and
agents and people associated in other
capacities with the stage, who could
not express an idea that was not uttered
with low slang and profanity, and
whose chief topic Of conversation was
a. rule the relation of dirty, filthy
adventure or an obscene and
shockingly offensive story. l know
that such offences are COM
mitted among men III other
persuits of life, but immeasurable not
! to the extent that it is in the theatrical
profession. Such depravity is constant.
| ly met with in front of theaters. 1t il
not good indication, for it is Otter
confirmed by those in front, that there
is q lack of respect for good moral pre-
cepts behind the footlights. l can, tc
a great extent confirm the statement
Of my prominent actor friend. His ex
perience has been far larger and more
penetrating than mine. But he said
enough to sustain observations that
have from time to time made, and hi
would have probably revealed mucl
more that was sensational and de
moralizing if had pressed him.
John L. Sullivan is probably of the
opinion that the newspapers of Micni
gan are not an authority on play
acting. Every place that he visited
during the past week, the press guyec
him terribly, and John sought to forge
his remorse by recourse to the f1owins
bowl. Of course, Actor Duncan b
Harrison is responsible for the presenc,
of the big fellow on the stage. Las
season Harrison carried the bigges
tank on the stage. But he is persever
ing and ambitious for novelties, anC
this year, with his new piece, he pre-
sents the public with the creates
human tank on the stage or in tn,
ring.