Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-06

A sermon, somewhat on the border
Of sensationalism, was preached last
evening at Fourth street NJ E. church
by Rev. DR.. ]. l.. Sooy, the pastor. 1t
was a strong sermon condemning the
atre-going. This was done in unquali-
fed terms.
DR.. Sooy said he regarded the the
atre as an evil in itself and accompani-
ments and said no Christian man or
woman can afford to patronize or sane
tion any institution, the tendency and
spirit of which is contrary to Chris
tianity. 1t has been proven thus far
that the theatre is debasing institu-
ton. IN its career from the time of
the orgies of Bacchus, SEQ years before
Christ, it had come down through the
ages spreading Generalization on
every hand. In France, where purity
and charity are openly disregarded, the
theatre took an early hold. In that
kind of society lit became deep seated.
Although attempts have been made
to vindicate it, its influence has been
nothing but dsbasing and distinctive
through the $500 years Of its exist
ence. Ancient Pagan moralists and
philosophers condemned the theatre as
a foe to public morality, and the testi-
mony of writers in the present Chris
tan era say that the stage has grown
worse instead of better since the days
of Paganism. 1t is essentially evil in
its matter, and the majority Of the
pieces that are presented to us are
lewd, corrupt and immoral, and the
rest of the plays tend that way.
DR.. Sooy cited Instances of investi-
cations and of the character of popu-
lar play pieces presented in the cities
Of New York and Chicago by DR.. ]. M.
Buckley and Dr. Herrick Johnson, who
had pronounced the majority Of the
plays as veritable obscene trash. The
man who offers the excuse that he goes
to the theatre to see Shakespeare play
ed only offers an excuse to the man
who goes to see the average popular
pieces that are so debasing to morals
DR.. Sooy said he did not know of one
of Shakespeare's plays having been
produced in this city since he had been
here, and that the theatre manager
knows that if he plays Shakespeare he
VIII have to close his doors and come
to the verge of bankruptcy. So he pam
ders to the public taste, and obscenity
the theatre must go out of existence.
Opinions of Mojeska, the. great Polish
actor, and other prominent figures Of
the stage were given to show the
standard of the American stage is
being demoralized by pandering to the
lower tastes of the majority. He said
that If the theatre advertisements dis
played on the bill-boards on the streets
were genuine, then the scenes before
the footlights are simply damnable.
He appealed to the Kings Daughters
and other church organizations, to use
their efforts to have these bill-boards.
on which are displayed pictures Of this
character. put out of the streets.
The characters of actors and
actresses was another phase of the the
atre subject dealt with by the speaker
The statement was made that every
person knows that a virtuous actor or
actress is the exception rather than the
rule, and the lives of Mrs. Langtry and
others were mentioned as illustrations.
The speaker declared that it was i'm
possible to reform the stage and that
repeated attempts to do this had sig
nally failed. Play-houses that had
been erected for the purpose Of pre-
senting only those plays of the higher
grade were now given up exclusively
to shows of the lowest character. The
argument that Christian people would
elevate the stage by patronizing the
theatre was as sensible as it would be
to say that a bottle of lavender water
would improve the aroma or a sewer
if dropped into it. Reformation is not
secured by coming down to the same
level with sin.