The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-16

dramatic pieces OF literature. But the fact re-
mains tnat the stags 10 impure; the crocodiie's
nest OF vice. this is true OF il ii history is worth
anything
But with this fact of some good people, and
some clean dramatic literature tae last hope of
the stage 10 Its reformation Many intelligent peo-
PIE have urged this upon all classes . duty.
eot 70 eoudenan the theater, but TO help In its
EurIncation, and make i. what il ought to be.
" hat are we 20 think OF reforming an iastifu-
ton which comes before Us with . record of
SiyV years OF un broken shame and corruption?
But do not ask you to take the verdict of
tnis pl! pit; 20 once more to the court of Caesar.
We have already granted that the theater has
Rood ana pure men ami women connected with
4 Now why do they not succeed in lifting il,
II that 10 possibie3 The fRcr Is that the theater
y y, worse, and is tending rapidly IN
took the matter of reforming the theater
III hand. They appointed 9 competent COM
mites to investigate the matter; and that COM
Iuittee reported 10 parliament that the only way
te reform the theater to burn 1t down. As
ic reforming the theater, this thing was tried in
D21tn tneaier in New YORK city, and utterly
isiied The New York Ereniag Post says, in .
late issue, OF the New York stage: "Thera has
prooabiy been greater mass of meretric Gus rub
Disn put upon the New York stage during the
last ten years than during the whole OF its exist
ei1ce. We do not of course, refer wholly to
pieces which appeal to the baser instincts, but
70 the Whole body Of sensational emotional
pfoducts-to the feyerish slop of the French
drama"
That does not look much like improvement in
TIE tneater The director of the Paris city prison
SAID not long ago that when play of a vicious
Character was put upon the boards he did not
need 10 read the announcement of the fact to
kioT II; lie soon found il out by the number OF
ielows " no came into his custody. And there
Is not play house in all this land that is free
from TINS kind OF thing; and more than this, it
mas is'eiy Deem brought 10 light that the very
large majority of the plays upon the boards ara
OF that low and dangerous kind Space forbids
the proportion being mentioned, bat let 1t be
oorne III mind that such is the from the tes-
tmonles of the ones best capable of Judging,
even in Casars court
The fact is, these men who are engaged in the
theatrical profession confess that it does not
pay 10 put purity on the stage. People will not
go there for that kind OF thing. With this con-
stage worth?
What hope is there that it will be or can be re-
formed? The fact is, for reformed theater you
must have a reformed people. And the theater
Is FOUND TO stand in the way of this being done.
And besides ali this you are to remeIn Der that
this discussion has nothing TO do with what
might be done-nothing to do with the posi-
pltlties OF one institution or another We have
been addressing ourselves TO the question of
whether the theater as ii Is, in its true ehsrac-
Yer, judged by its fruits, Is friend of the pub
lie good. This IL our question, and TO get
correct verdict we have been taking the theater
just it is and as it has been This is the
standard by which we judge all other institu-
tons; there is no other standard for us.
hen guilty men stand before the bar of our
pubic laws they are not tried for what they
might have become under other circumstances;
they are not tried by what they might have
been.
We are to deal with the theater as we would
deal with any other affair in the courts Tried
In this way IL is guilty. Guilty of wasting more
money than any other institution ever set up
earth; guilty OF destroying more pure charac-
tiers; guilty OF wasting more time; guilty of
hopeiessly running more lives than any other
institution ever erected on esrth.
it 10 not, therefore, friend of the public good.
friend of the public good? What has il done
for its deyotees? 1t has taken millions of
money, but what has it given in return? Let
not the curtain fall till the answer is given
The answer? / see the footlights are being
turned down. What tragedy is this being en-
acted? Turn on little light from the other
world.
You have grown gray as a patron of the thea
ter, have you? Your pulse beating feebly? o,
what memories do now crowd in upon your
aching brain Where are those lovely children
that once made your home RUG with laughter?
Five mounds rising in the graveyard, are
these the answer? Where is that companion of
your youth? Another mound rising upon the
sceuery of the stage. 1t Is getting darker The
curtain will soon fall. Can You not tell us of
some hope that now CLEANS upon your fading
vision? VIII you not soon be with your family
and be happy? What? Did not any one OF
them ask you to meet him in brighter world?
on, such thoughts do not come upon the stage.
DO fling back from the footlights something to
let us know what is the hope of him who ends
hir life here What? Only coffin, sable
hearse, the grave, the curtain falls, and all ID