The Indianapolis journal., 1895-10-22
MRS. CHANT TELLS THE STORY OF
HER LONDON CRUSADE.
Evils Wrought by the Empire Nusic
Hall. and Its Famous ''PrOmen-
ade," Recently Re-Licenses.
Mrs. ormiston Chant.


in London. do not admit of any scientific
treatment OF the subject. but il is hoped ii
may be the meaas of turning the attention
of wise people in the direction. on the one
hand. of deeper sympathy with the tastes
and recreations OF other people. and on the
other may kndle a greater enthusiasm In
the cause of the elevation of the community
during its hours of play as. well as during
those of work and worship. When Mac
ready, the great English actor. determined
on raising the character and quality of the
plays enacted in his theater. IL was because
he combined genius with practical common
sense He knew that if good play is to
succeed 1t must be witnessed by an appre-
ciative audience. and that the tastes of the
latter must not be lower than the tone OF
the play. He also knew that while intoxi-
eating liquor is brought round to the sitters.
drunkenness and rowdyism are more or less
inevitable. He had discovered by painful
experience that the disreputable part of the
community will, If IL gets chance, so ex-
plot places of public amusement as TO turn
them into markets of vice. thus keeping
away respectable folk and 5esmirching both
stage and auditorium with the foulest stain
that can rest upon them. Macready BAN
ished drink from the, auditorium and the
promenade from his theater, and in con-
sequence the Globe became popular in the
better sense of the word. and also, for the
full. full ''e " - '''A''N'' S~sSe
This was between sixty and seventy years
ago. when Shakespeare had been forgotten
except by few, and art, literature and re-
ligion were alike at very low level i'm Eng
land.
UNDREANIED-OF RESULTS.
Since then there has been marvellous
progress MADE along these three great
lines. and even Macready himself could
hardly have dreamed of such visions of
splendor and beauty as are connected with
the names of Irving and the Lyceum. or
Of the service rendered TO humanity by
such a beautiful play Cheer. Boys.
Cheer" now being acted at Drury Lane,
ess.' Nor had he the materials out of
which the sweet. honest comedies. such as
Our Boys" at the Vaudeville, or ''The
Manners customs. standards of taste and
culture have all made great progress dur
ing the last half century. and the age
ewes great gratitude to those who have
perceived the right thing to do and to
nave done it,
But in public amusement, as in every
s as S
is needed lest greed and sensrality should
regain their supremacy over a Kingdom
once almost wholly enslaved by them: For
advantage of being governed In part by the
County Council there has been steady
effort to bring the music halls up to the
standard of public decency and morality
by forbidding the sale of intoxicating
drinks in the auditorium and by abolish
ing ''promenades." The policy has beea
cindication were necessary, but, alas for
London, there were so many other FURIOUS
ly burning questions to the fore at the
County Council election last March that
many of the stanch supporters of the
n.usic-hall reform were defeated on quite
other grounds.
few stout-hearted men and women against
one very notorious music hall last year
was mere incident in the history Of a
righteous municipal policy, and IL by the
time these words appear in print 1t shall
nave transpired that the new County Coun-
Gil shall have gone back on the policy Of
that protest, and reversed the result OF 1t
-wel1-so much the worse for the reputa-
tion of the present Council. SO much the
herself of her uncleanliness. and so much
the greater need for arousing public con-
science to realize that if a good policy is
to be pursued by any official body good
people must be elected to Office
The Empire Theater of Varieties. Lon
don, is a music hall-not a theater-and
as such is not licensed for stage plays.
but for music and dancing. 1t is not a
place of resort for poor people. its locality,
entertainments and prices Of admission
'.promenade" for the accommodation of the
vices of poor men and women, the un-
happy temptress from the pavement and
the street walker being vigorously exciud-
ed by order Of the management. 1t will
therefore be easily understood how hollow
and dishonest was the appeal TO sentiment
and women VINO opposed the license of the
Empire were described as hard-hearted
cruel b.gots, who were bent on prosecuting
the poverty stricken, fallen woman and
driving her out of the warm shelter Of the
Empire into the pitiless loneliness of rain
drenched streets.
WHEN HELP COUNTS.
1t is not enough to pity and succor the
ruined girl and hold her back from the
suicides grave when disease has spoiled
her frame and misery broken her heart.
We must prevent her ruin, not merely try
to modify it.
II Is against the law for any licensed
place to be a resort for prostitutes and
other bad characters. Public houses are
closed when this rs brought home to them
Why is a music hall TO be exempted from
the operation of the law? Why IS the Lon
don County Council to be allowed to break
the law and license disgraceful state of
things at the bidding of greedy sharehold-
ers. who apparently have no scruples as
to how their dividends are made?
II is a dreadful trophy that the largest
and richest city in the world produces at
the end of the nineteenth century in the
shane of Jane Cakebread, who for the
275th time has been hauled up before the
magistrates for being drunk and disorder
ly and IL. thanks TO the generosity ane
tenderness Of Lady Henry Somerset, the
wretched woman Is TO be safely sheltered
for the rest of her days, what of thou
sands of Others whose degradation is as
deep. but who do not come into public
notice?
What OF L., who was barely seven
teen when they let her down into perdition
via the promenade" hot suppers and
tilted prchigates; until being In dreadful
difficulties, owing to her landlady's extor-
tions and her own extravaganza, she stole
her companions bank notes and got six
months hard labor. came out OF prison and
took TO drinking, prostitution and stealing
by trrns2 When she died she left the
writer one so.e. humble legacy In token OF
undying gratitude. II was a poor. little
bungiingIy made kettle holder. worked by
her own tiny fingers when she was only
seven years old and her father was min
lister OF a little village chapel.
What also of P, who was the smart
est love,iest little toy, or human doll IL
you will. that ever stepped gayly down the
great staircase of the "Promenade" into
Leicester Square. and passed from her
gay life through the grim wards Of a
lock hospital into the streets. the prison,
the public workhouse and the Tnarres
whose foul black mud. filling her once
than the life into which she had been
thrust by a bad mother, herself .'prowl-
er" OF the Promenade" and afterward
the streets
London is not going back into the Dark
Ages at the bidding OF a few interested