The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-07
H STAGE CORRUPT
THI APPLIES ONLY TO CERTAIN on
JECTToNABLE FEATURES.
An Cutlery from Chicago for n Dra-
matte Censor with an Ax-Lfl-
liam Russell This Week.

Edward McPhelin, the discerning and bril-
liant dramatic critic of the Chicago Tribune.
sees a noxious evil threatening the Ameri-
can stage. and inveighs against it In the
following not uncertain manner:
"WANTED-A Jeremy Collier for the
American drama. He is wanted not so
much in Chicago as he is in New York, but
If he is not shortly Forthcoming in the
task before him throughout the country.
Jeremy Collier was the DR.. Parkhurst of
land, and his glory is that he defeated and
demoralized the literary Tammany of his
M sTa; Mgaf has som t e W was his una seom 5he 5Iam q
lists of the Restoration and 1t is not the
purpose here to retail ancient history, but
ricals, and the crying need that exists for a
reformer as bold and uncompromising as
England fought writers like Congreve and
old John Dryden (who, by the way, had
catering in his plays to the deprayed pub
lie %taste); but the champion of dramatic
decency who arises IN New York at the
of business and brilliancy, but a parcel of
speculative managers who are as ignorant
indifferent to the public to which they pan
der.
He has been a poor observer who has
not noticed that the moral tone of the
whole theatrical world has been debased
w%oefuily in the last decade. Vaudeville
lo give a euphemistic name to . combina-
ton OF vulgarity and salaciousness common
" called Variety has pushed the respecta-
boards formerly sacred to actors and act
ing. This is true throughout the country,
but 1t Is particularly SO in New York, which
has been shameless in making a drinking
place-a notorious music habits temple of
the, drama. There are dens of every degree
remained for New York to give the sane
ton of fashion to low resorts which would
even in nd the e Sums soie That Stock ,aw e yenrs aes
are being disbanded in the East while
vaudeville enterprises are fourishing is ap-
parent even to the reader of newspapers
who does not give especial attention to
theatrieals; but it is MOI known what forms
the s guise ere Of anu amuse pnenass T Pfas'sIi living g1 picr
ture' craze in all its enormity has not yet
reached Chicago. and it is hoped that the
the Alleghenies. 1t would seem an exagger-
alton to inform Western readers that nude
figures. had been exhibited on the stage of
a central playhouse in New York. Yet this
newspapers, which calmly. reported the facts
without a semblance of either disgust or in
dignation. The bronze living, pictures re-
if the news columns of the same papers
are to be believed, humans in puris natu-
paint. Think of it, shades of the Dutch
burghers and the Pilgrim fathers!
THE worst of the situation is that the liv-
ing pictures (bronzed or gauZed) are threat
ening an invasion of the interior. cities of
the country, and will undoubtedly enter
is willing to raise in the East is started in
the more self-respecting communities of
the West. In the meantime, any citizen of
Chicago whose eyes are open may see in
the windows of our print shops the fiaring
pictorial journals published in New York;,
the sole object of which is to advertise the
art, the trade and the glories of the living
picture business. Do these papers (heaven
save the markD receive the recognition of
the United States authorities, and are their
contents noted by the presumably respect
able merchants who vend them? What has
become of Anthony .Comstock, who is sup
posed to be living in the center which floods
the country with this mass of pictorial
foulness? He is probably busy in prosecut-
ing some obscure publisher for printing the
works of Giovanni Boccaccio.
ITO trace the vicious movement In amuse-
nients in New York which has had its Gull
mination in the living picture craze would
require more space than can be given to
the subject, and to do so would serve no
purpose, though the data for such an eX-
pose are in the memory of every theatrical
observer. 1t is not here pretended that
other cities have escaped the contagion;
the laxity of high standards is easily per-
ceptible on the part of Chicago managers,
whose excuse is that their consciences must
stoop to popular taste; but the contention
is here made that New York is the foun-
tain head of the theatrical currents now
diseasing the whole country, and that the
evil could not have swollen as 1t has but
for the indiffernce-yes, the encouragement
-of New York responsibility and fashion.
Therefore it is this advertisement is re-
inserted: Wanted-and wanted quickly in
New York-another Jeremy Collier"