The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-12
WORK FOR THE WICKED.
Tabernacle Speakers Point
Out the True Means
of Reformation.
CLEMENcEAU CASE SCORED.
DR.. scudder's Sharp Prologue
Addresses in Aid of the New
man Refuge Home.
CLEMENCEAU CASE SCORED.

DullulDg was so crOWQoI tnaG The aiSles
were filed with chairs, and many people
were forced to stand. On the platform
were the Rev. John L. Scudder. pastor Of
the Tabernacle: his assistant, the Rev,
Mr.. Wells; Major 2. K. Pangborn,
Charles E. Ballow of McAuley's Gre.
morne Mission. New York; Mrs. Howell
of the Midnight Mission of Brooklyn, and
Mr.. H. H. Newman of the Newman Mis-.
sion, this city.
The Rev. Mr., Scudder took the oppor.
tunity to express himself regarding some
theatrical plays. He said:-
TIL CLEMENCEAU CASE
Jersey City has been disgraced during
the past week by the presentation of a
low play in the New Opera House. en-
titled The Clemenceau Case and Insult
was added to injury by the public exhi-
bition of leWu colored Autographs in
saloon windows along our principal
thoroughfares. None but a blind man
could hav failed to see these highly sug-
gestive pictures of the French Novelty
Dancers throwing their feet TO all
points of the compass n from
horizon to zenith. They were well
named novelty dancers, for such
indecorous attitudes on playbills are
indeed a novelty to our citizens, the
ike OF which hassnot appeared Co my re-
membrance during the six years of NV
ministry. Il ii The management of the
New Opera Hous could realize the indig-
nation of all respectable people in Jersey
City. 1t would be a long time before they
would allow such demoralizing pictures
to be placed throughout this city. Sucn
pictures and such plays are tributary to
the brothels and deserve the severest con-
domination of every decent citizen.
1t made me shudder to see the boys
and girls, young men and women gazing
upon these Partisan pictures, and th1nk
of the effects upon their minds and
hearts. The authorities ought to have
torn them down and suppressed the vile
play they served to advertise.
1.-The Tabernacle pulpit would nave de-
nounced this infamy through the col
umns of the daily press and not waited
until the Sabbath day had it not regarded
such a deDunciation as a piece of free adj
vertising. The Opera House was crowded
without any such pulpit notice.
SECULAR PAPERS IN EVIDENCE.
mot having disgraced myself by at
tending this French play and witnessing
these French dancers, | may be regarded
as no authority on this subject and IN
able properly to characterize the per-
Torrance. Granting this. l nov quote
from the daily papers of last Tuesday
hpctos AdIA yOu WDiCA CduuO1
he accused of prudery or fanaticism. The
Evening Journal refers to the 'Clemen-
ceau Case as "a very indicate play: an
immoral DRAMA which. had the audi
ence hooted it out of the theatre, no
harm would have been done.' The act in
which Miss Emma Bell exhibited herself
as an artists model and conveyed the
idea OF absolute nudity by the thin arti-
flee of flesn-colored tights, Is referred to
as Exceedingly INDIGENOUS and i'm
proper The shock to the audience was
SO great that this lioidinous exhibit
lasted only four seconds
sThe JERSEY CITY NEWS commenting
upon the same performance says:-'The
Clemenceau Case' retains all the original
%plainness of the story which the broad
license of the modern stage will permit,
and those who went to see and hear some
thing spicy had no cause to complain.
They saw the model scene with all its
realistic vividness.'
"And as if this Frenchy play was not
filthy enough in itself. it was followed by
| the novelty dancers, whose pastures and
gyratlons are seldom seen outside or dis
reputable resorts. Again | quote:-'Tt is
bad enough for any tnangur to put on
such a drama, but there is no excuse for
| causing two awkward girls to show as
much Of their bodies as they dared. This
part of the entertainment was a bit of
gratuitous nastiness, without ever the
glamor of art to cover it. There should
be no question about preventing the two
poor girls from further disgraclng them
selves and insulting the public Such
are the quotations from our public
prints.
BAD I'M GooD.
Now if such deoauchlng entertain
mentS are to De given in Jersey City, my
advice as u moral instructor would be to
discriminate severely against theatres
that tolerate such plays. Aroused public
sentiment will bring the management to
unless, indeed, they are lost TO shame aud
propose to cater deliberately to the vicious
classes.
81 am not fanatic on this subject OF the
theatre. | believe healthful aud legiti-
mate drama has Il placein our civilization.
and regard it consistent with church mem
bership to witness moral plays; but 1T is
nothing less than riminal to listen to and
LOOK upon such performances as inlame
the passions and reek with foul sugges.
tions And it is because | believe in max
ing distinctions between the evil and the
good that l publicly arraign and
d%enounce such a corrupt and
%corrupting play as has been given to the
people the PAST week. | wish in this con-
nectioL also TO thank the press of this city
for the just and courageous manner in
which they have attacked this hideeus
French monster, whose audiences, &C
cording to report, were next to Dedlam.
THE people depend upon the papers
very largely for their information upon
theatrical subjects, and l hope the day
will come when religious papers will in
form the members of our churches what
plays are fit aud what plays are not fit
for Christian people to see. Such a
method would be better thar the indis-
criminate abuse often heaped upon the
theatre, as a whole, and it would tend
nightly to purify the DRAMA"
Mr.. BALLOW'S TALK.
Mr.. Ballow. who was to conduct the
meeting, was introduced by Mr.. Scudder.
Il am glad to talk to you }" said Mr..
Bailow, although, perhaps. by my want
of education / am better fitted to talk to
| people of another class-the sort OF
people l work among. This afternoon l
had the pleasure of talking to 400 of these
men. | remember very well when / was
called a hard case by respectable people,
and how. on one occasion, q Christian
woman spoke to me n she
was told not to do so agaiu
for I was a hard CASE One reason why
| am glad to have an opportunity TO talk
tonight Is because o are a people of
method. / believe. In going about dong
good in u businesslike way. Method Is
everything. | acquired it during the six
years / worked with DIR. Parkhurst be-
fore taking charge of the Cremorne Mis-
sion. want to tell you one single in
crnppn that pnn IN NV nottca fhiu rporD-