St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-09
MANAGERS MEETING.
They Talk of the Devastation to
Be Wrought by the McHale Bill.

whats free for us to do. we slight;
What's forbid whets the appetite
1.-THE poet who wrote the above lines had
clear perception of human nature,'' said
Manager David Henderson OF the Crystal
Slipper company, to GLOBE representative
last evening. You ask me what think of
the McHale anti-tights bill, which passed the
senate committee of the whole yesterday
/ do not know the projectors of the
bill, and would be unwilling to doubt their
sincerity in this matter. If we look back
few hundred years, we find that the Pur-
1tans during the time of Oliver Cromwell,
closed UP all places of amusement and placed
ban upon stage plays and players. What
was the result? The succeeding era was the
most debased and licentious in the history of
England. Wycherley. Congreve, Smollett
and number OF other men wrote plays and
presented scenes on the stage of the theaters
landing the most fragrant lewdness and i'm
morality. The projectors of this bill may be
sincere but feel convinced that, if this law
is placed upon the statute book of Mime
sofa, it viii in the long run be productive
of vast amount of harm. People who
make an attack upon the stage are morally
debased. can use no other word. and have
no appreciation of art in any shape Or form
whatever. They look upon the grosser side.
and can only discover in the most imagina-
tive paintings and pieces of sculpture the
grossest and most vulgar immortality. Should
the McHale bill pass, 1t would shut up every
theater in the state. Shakespeare could not
be presented, neither could comic opera;
the spectacular productions of the best kind
would be entirely shut out, and even the
innocuous farce comedy of the time, in nine
cases out of ten, would be prohibited from
coming into the state
Manager l.. n. Scott conceded with Mr..
HenderSon's views, and said that if the bill
became a law the METROPOLITAN opera house
and all theaters in the state would be COM
PEELED to close.
Il should leave the state and seek another
field" continued Mr.. Scott. for it would be
impossible to-keep theater open. As a law
abiding citizen l would have to obey the law,
ana what would be the result? Why Marie
Wainwright, who appears here next Monday,
would be prohibited from presenting the
sweetest character in the whole range of lit
erature, Viola. Madame MUdjeska could not
fulfil her contract to play ROSalind, Margaret
Mather would be unable to present Joan of
Arc: IN fact, every actress who is engaged
in presenting the legitimate drama and COM
edy would find on the border of the state
warning sign that beyond that beyond that
line they dare not proceed. / would have to
cancel ali my contracts made for the appear
ance of the best comic opera and spectacular
companies travelling through the states. The
vast audiences which have every night this
week filled the theater have testified by their
presence and applause appreciation of the
production of The Crystal Slipper Do you
think that the best people of the city would see
this play. accompanied by their wives ana
daughters, If they thought for moment the
appearance of the majority of the company
i'll tights was harmful or immoral? l con-
slider that 1t is an insult to even infer for a
second that the people of this city are in
moral danger and cannot be trusted to see
Viola or Rosalind in tights. | am not speak
ing as theatrical manager, but as an or
binary citizen free from bias or prejudice,
and you may quote me to that effect.
Arnold kalman, one of the directors of the
opera house. said that he Endorsed the state
ments of Managers Henderson and Scott in
every way. Continuing. Mir. Kalman said
that he was engaged in having designs made
for short skirt which he proposed calling
the 'McHale pettcoat and if the bill became
law he would furnish all actresses wearing
tights with one of the same. If this did not
meet the provisions of the proposed law, he
would call meeting of the directors of the
theater, and propose the purchase of large
number of neither garments worn by the male
sex.
by Manager Henderson last evening from a
famous actress in New York:
Dear Mir. Henderson: | have seen in the
papers copy Of the McHale bill, and know
ing you are in St. Paul this week, l send you
draft of few amendments which | trust
you will be able to have inserted in the bill.
l remember the appearance of the opera
house i'll st. Paul when l opened my engage
ment few years ago, and having been enter
tanned by some of The prominent ladies of the
city, and shown their pictures and bronzes. [
think that the Till should provide for the
safety of actresses who appear before the
public Yours very sincerely,
Be II further enacted, That no female per
son or persons shall be allowed TO assemble
III any theater, public hail, banquet room,
dinner party or any gathering whatsoever
wearing what are known as low neck
dresses" with short sleeves, exposing
thereby their necKs, shoulders and busts.
Any person or persons found guilty of so do
ing shall be q lbject to fine Of not less than
$780, and IMPRISONMENT not less than one
year.
Be it enacted that any keeper OF a bar
ROOM any board of directors of club, any
Isaiel proprietor or any private gentleman
having in the club room the lobby of the
hotel, or upon the walls of the bar ROOM or
IN any manner whatsoever pictures or statu-
airy. exposing the female figure, unless the
neither limbs of said figure or figures are
properly clothed, shall be subject to fine of
not less than 500 or imprisonment not less
than one year.
Be 1t enacted that any dry goods merchant
exposing for sale any undressed kid glove
should be found guilty under this act and be
fined not less than 500, and imprisonment
not less than one year.