The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-06

Fourth street NJ. +, church Was pack
ed last night with n congregation that
attentveiy listened 10 the sermon
preached by the pastor, Rev, DR.. j. L.
sooy His theme was THE Theatre
Viewed In the Light of Common Sense, v
and his discourse was an unc9mpromls-
ing arrIgnment Of the stage.
In his Introductory remarks pr, sooy
stated that his intention was not to dis!
cuss the theatre from the standpoint OF
Methodist minister, but from conf
mon sense point OF view; but that per-
soRaIEy he dEdn't propose arguing by any
nicely balanced arguments pro and con-
he stood out unalterabiy opposed TO the
theatre II was an evil in Itself, he said
and evil in It's accompaniment, He
didn't believe in asserting that there was
some good In the theatre and some bad
for an unmlxed evil was disclosed wheh
the average was struck,
at has been said that the stage and
NIt pays ltdGtl lliOlala w NANN''''1
virtue trIumphs over vice, but" he ask
ed, "who goes to the theatre TO Improve
In moral sentiment or moral practice?
And II so, why do people love religion In
q play house, and abhor IL In churchF
No, the theatre attendants are not SEEK
Ing moral teachings"
The church can never patronl2e, en-
courage or sanction anything tine spirit
81 t,vhff.lN n contrary 10
the tendency and spirit of Christ; and II
has been demonstrated time and time
again through all the worlds history
since the Introduction of plays and thea
tres, that their influence Is demoralizing'
| Sir Walter Scott, a lover OF dramatic art,
said that the stage and morals couldn't
70 together. The stage had its inception
in the orgies Of Bacchus several hundred
| years before Chtist, and has come down
the years since, wine cup In hand II
first took hold In France, a country,
characterized by its lack of reverence for
| plety, and respect or care even, for the
marriage relations, Ancient Pagan
morallsts, including Plato, Aristotle,
Scion, Cicero and Seneca, have denounced
the stage. Joseph Addison, In more
modern times, has written against IT,
saying 1t was more immoral then than
In the earlier centuries. Archbishop TIL.
| lotson, Of the Church OF England, and
notably Canon Wllbersorce have also
scored 1t, and the latter'5 remarks from
the pulpit to the Prince OF Wales at the
| time Of Sara Bernhardt's visit to London,
are still fresh in the public mind.
DIR. Sooy quoted from the investigation
in American cities, OF the percentage OF
moral plays, and they showed that about
| all are obscene trash. In reply to the
arguments made that the Shakespearian
tragedies are not to be included, DR..
sooy said no distinction could be made,
| None was made at the box office, and the
| Christian who patron!2ed the Shakes
| pearlan play vas aiding the theatre ny
| furnishing an argument for the man who
| went 10 see the trash. But the Shakes
pcarIan plays are seldom put on these
| days, owing to the popular demand for
the leud and trashy. The manager
knows what his patrons want, and OBJ
scenity has become the piaywmterS
stock in trade. The vulgar and Indecent
must stalk before the footlights, else the
manager will have to shut up shop.
Modleska and Edwin Booth were quoted
In opposition to the present theatre.
Dr.. Sc1y strongly condemned the pla-
cards nut about the streets advertising
questionable shows and said the law
should prevent Il. Judged by the pla-
cards the scenes before the footllghts
NUS. be damnable. Actors and actresses
were known not for their pure lives but
rather for the reverse, and no man wants
his daughter to marry, or even become
acquainted with, an actor Ii has been
said the stage could he reformed, but all
attempts to reform II have been failures,
The question to be dealt with was that
witch Is to be controntal-the stage at
present, and not the ideal.
Another argument mpde Is that n
Christians would patrOnlze the stage
they would elevate Il in tone. Such an
argument had as much force, said Dr.
Sooy, as one in which It was said that the
emptylng OF a bottle OF lavender water
into a sewer would improve the aroma
OF the sewer. No Christian could pat
ronlZe a performance that ne wouldn't
care to have enacted in his own parlor.
No man has moral right, though he
have the legal right, TO do anything that
Injuries his neighbor. He has the legal
right 10 attend the theatre but not The
moral rights he has not the right TO pat
ronizc the EHttering vast establishment
which has for It's foun lltion the murder
of the souls of his fellow countrymen.
The theatre n blot on every cOmmu'
nifty, continued the speaker and dcprc.
ciates adjncUnS property in value. While
the Methodist church was known for It's
oppogltlau To the theatre and the dance
yo, there is no church orthodox IN all
the evangelical churches but has spoken
ny, ag strongly concerning the theatre
The Presbyterian, The Baptist and tho
Protestant Episcopal churches have con.
dFmned the theatre Common sense
concluded Dr. sooy, dictates opposition
to It.
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