The times., 1899-01-15

population of this city composed of persons from
other cities, many OF whom seem TO shed moral
responsibility they would shed garment wheh
they visit the metropolis. and who conieSsediy
come here to relax from the restrictions oil theiT
regular lives, joins the diSSOute part Of the met
ropolitan population in making successful the cN
hibitions that frequently disgrace New NoFS
But the danger lies in the increase IN number
and the growing hagrancy of licentious cxhibi-
tons, and the desire Of their managers and pro-
moters enlarge their peculiar public by per
sistcntly sending their shameless shows on thr
road They hope that what has been rejected
may upon new venture be tolerated and finailE
be welcomed by public which they would or.
entalizc for their own greed OF money ihey stand
pandets to the vicious OF the public with tnc
unhoy hope that they may infect the greater pup
lie to their gain.
Last season saw a vile playa play whose sen
sational incident a simulated attempt TO Nio-
late a womans chastity-run ''prosperUusy Ia
New York, in theatre ciasscd as worthy the
patronage of seltTcspecting persons. and undsr
the direction Of a manager pretending to high
aims and this season that play has been the
road. in defiance OF every sentiment that prays
for an ennobling and healthily amusing stage
This is hut one of a number of enterprises put
forward by managers who make no pretension oi
artistic impulse, that are offending the moral
sense of the outside public, after catering to the
queer class that conscienceess managers study to
please in New York. All Of thesc exhibitions
deliberately gross have been the individual
indeccncics that have recently disgraced certain
metropolitan music halls
The integrity Of public appreciation and the
welfare of the stage demand quick and iInpeT-
atiSe remedy.
In the greater portion of this The Times
thoroughly agrees with its contemporary.
Vulgarity and coarse attempts at yul-
garity have too long bsen patron.Zoi in
the American theatre. Did this paper %
an instant believe that either The Con-
querors" or "ZaZa' had bsen written for
its sensational features, or that the SEN
sational features were more prominent
than their artistic sides it would ecndemh
them as heartily as does the Mirror. Tle
immortality of "Zaza' is not being de-
Tended but the charge that it is immoral
is being attacked. The Times thinks that
things theatrical cannot be brutal or de-
grading while they are sincere ana ear
nest and has so expressed itself in an
swer to intelligent and courageous accu-
sation like that of Mr.. Fiske's periodical,
and in reply to hypocritical canting OF
sort that deserves no reply at all.
To explain this position further would
be to repeat what was printed in The
Times on the day after .'Zaza" s-osed
here. Such course would be unwarrant-
able. The discussion has already b2en
prolonged to lengths that would be mex
cusable were it not that Mr.. Belasco's
play was first produced here and proved
the most important local event OF the
year-that in consequence. it IS not pre-
sumptious to imagine that Washington
ians are still interested in the fate of a
presentation which they godfathered.
That localities are still concerned IL
"Zaza" is proven by a long letter re-
Gently published in a New York weekly
regarding the effect of the piece and the
criticisms that had been passed upon it.
The communication was from prominent
Washingtonian, whose name is withheld
for manifest reasons. The'epi=tle follows:
have read much hysterieai logic and auaIyti
cal gusl about David Bellsco's adaptation OF the
degenerate ''ZaZa," recently produced in this
city What baldcTdash To whom docs the critic
compare David BeiIsco, that he should assume
greatness? Why is it that sensible man will
mistake a clever m0Untebank and 4 commercial
sc5ibbler for a Of genius!
Can it be true that this vile, morbid, sensa-
tiOral hodge-podge is fit 10 be compared to "ty-
raro de Bergerac2'' have not had the oPpoFtu-
nifty to see "Cyr1no." but have been led to be
lieye that 'CyTano'' was a classic II it be tue
that "Cyrano'' contains indecent lines, cut them
out. NulGaity is not strength. In drawing
characters we do not have to lay them on the
dissecting table To do this to a character, we
would be treated to play that in length would
exceed that OF the Chinese article \ dEaniatist
can only treat a phase OF character IN the two
hours and 4 half, and TO occupy that time IN
ideaiiziEg fsithlessness, explaining away and eN
cusins a woman's greatest crime against herself
and society, is not only disrer1table but highly
pTeslImptOCs. Women from time to time pronI-
nent in society, art and letters, have tried to
explain and justify Illegal liaisen, but to
no purpose Shall Bclasco be mose fortunate
than the inteilects of the past? Shall we accept
Re!asco'S code Of morals and deny Christs? II
handling OF liaisOnS which daily shock society
and which the daily press reviews in a resretful
way. then | say farewell to art. adieu to ideal
ism. We must part with the innocence, the sun
shine, the mythology Of life. We must teach
young girls through such trash that fathers leave
innocent wives and pTattling babes to 80 of and
live with painted soubrcttes. We must accept
the fact that women content to do wrong 50
that they are afterward justified in their ofensc
against society. Any man laying the slightest
claim to talent can write play condoning vice
and weakness. The courts VIII not support the
logic OF the sensational dramatist. Life does
not contain prototypes OF the fallen woman and
the faithlcss husband and fathers justification.
Hall Cline did indeed have to explain the reasons
of his heyo's actions When an author has TO
give a long analysis Of his reasons, he stamps
his pay weak, cloudy and capable OF various
constructions 10 motives.
The critic brands Tara 4 work Of high art
because BciasCo has idelliZcd vice. Who would
to hear Venus and Adhnis' or ''LIcrece"
read in public to a refined alIienCe2 Does Be
lasco's language eclipse Shakes7eIre's? Shake
speare kills EesdenouI through iaso because of
the stain he has cast on her name through lagO-
Othelo he makes commit suicide. llgo is made
prisoner Is not this retribution for Othellos
I
Justice of OtLelio and the viIaiuy OF IIgo: Bsr-
ter lar to kill sweet girl As DeStlemona than
to allow her to live alter doubling her honor
Her death accentultes her purity. Better far
! that Othcllo killed her after finding her pure
and better that he died than to live To realize
the stain he had cast on her. Shakespeare treats
these matters IN mastery way, melting out JUS
/ tice Is would have it. Does not Hamlet
realize that the death OF all concerned will not
restore his murdered father, remove the stain
| OF faithlrs-sness from his mothers name? The
critic compares ''Zaz to ''CaInille'' in point OF
strength. Strength they both surely have. They
smell to heaven. The romance OF courtesan.
The disgrace to his cloth OF John Storm What
eleyatng examples OF manhood and wOmlnlOoGi :
The most deSpcable OF women, the most de
PRAYED and beSotted Of men can always excuse
their falings. The mother excuse her mIr-
ierous son-nay believe in his innocence. in spite
OF all evidence-but the cold public can never do
Critics are forever harping on the elevation
Of the stage. They rave over The Conquerors-'
''Zaza. The Christian, thereby dlmniu;s their
own pusiianimous ideas OF high art. They might
with equal Justice declare that II a lewd picture
Is well executed it is high ant to sy ''Zaza'' is
high art. because cleverly staged well written
/ TissOt's Life of Christ Is the acme OF AIT.
mastery treatment. Is not Ti-Sot's Life OF
Christ greater than llogarths "Rake's Prog
resp one is uunccSsslry-the other cleyat-
ing For 4 critic to say there are no emo
from those of murder and beastillity, i to slap
at the intelligence OF the Creator. What songs
thrill Us morc-the ribald, obscene patter. the
soulful ballad? Witness the tears in the ewes OF
the gallery gods when crack-voicrd tenor
hy the assistance of the pictures sheet
brings home to their simple hearts the tenderness
OF life. 1t is not alone the morbid song that
accomplishes this. Those tears flow when
golden haired child cut OF the snow who has lost
her way, and take her in his arms To warmth and