The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-13
SUNDAY,
AN EARNEST REBUKE.

There is growing indignation in the
State over the indecent and vulgar thea
trical characters that are going about
giving exhibitions in our best opera
houses Most of these performances are
from the lowest slums and dives of the
great cities, and respectable people in
those great centres would not tolerate
do not love vice, but they take theirs
sugar-coated. They seem to think that
North Caroiinians can be RECALLED with
stupid nastiness and unreleved vulgarity.
Rev. Egbert w. Smith, of Greensboro,
il to be commended for bis earnest aud
excellent article condemning the charac-
ter OF shows that our respectable people
are expected to patronize. Rather than
encourage such exhibitions as were ON the
boards in Raleigh on Wednesday night,
it would be far better for the public
morals to tear down every opera house in
the State. Give US deceney or nothing.
Mr.. Smiths letter is as follows:
If the White Crook has had any OBJ
eliminated in the performance here last
night So says one Of our town papers.
1t then proceeds to state that the per
Torrance included the exhibition OF wo
persons exposed in skin tight stoekinet
to the gaze of male audience. We are
then assured that if the company had
been differently named and advertised
ladies would have gone and no criticisra
would have been heard
in the name Of the pure women Of
Greensboro we Indignantly deny this.
Some females might, some lewd men
might, but no lady Of Greensboro would
complacently witness this unspoakable
degradation of her sex. No lady Of
Greensboro would become party to such
wholesale massacre Of modesty. Alas,
that we cannot say the same for the
gentlemen of Greensboro! Think Of
Christian husbands, brothers and fathers
gazing greedily upon women with half
their persons exposed in tightsi They
would die of shame to have their sisters,
wives and daughters SO dishonored, bur
they will pay money to behold the dis
honor ofrother women. 0sshame, where
is thy blushi SIS
'The Seventh Commandment was
wrecked last Monday night in Bogart's
Hall as well as on the week previous.
That commandment forbids all unchaste
thoughts, words and actions Ii wo-
mans marching about the stage with
half her body exposed in stockinet to the
ardent gaze of men is not an unchaste
action, what is? If to gaze greedily up
on a woman so unclothed is not an I'M
chaste action, what is? The Seventh
Commandment is violated by unchaste
looking, so the Sayious declares. See
Matt. ", q. That commandment was
wrecked in Bogart's Hall last Mnoday
night.
No Christian man has moral right
to attend such performance. He has
a legal right, but no moral right; not
merely because he soils his own soul, but
becase he is giving his money and the
sanction Of his presence to what is a
slaughter house Of all purity.
"Greensboro's reputation has suffered
in the past, but to-day she is stabbed
in the house of her friends 1t Isl pub
lshed to the world in Greensboro pa
per that he White Crook with it's swo-
men in tights, is considered in Greens
boro so unobjectionable performance
that the Greensboro ladies would wit
ness it without criticism. As native
of Greensboro utterly deny this, in the
name not only Of the ladies, but of the
gentlemen OF Greensboro. Should such
statement ever come true of our town, we
may write Ichabod spon its walls, for the
glory of Greensboro viii have Departed