The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-16
AS TO STAGE CENSORSHIP
THE FREQUENCY Of INDECENT
PLAYS LEADS TO TALK OF 1T.
Tried in England and Bernaud Shaw
Points Out observation-disclosures
Control VIII serve.
Chicago Evening Post.

~~NN - 49, So - A%NN
lively agitation for the establishment of a
stage censorship. Most of the talk has come
from New York, where the vicious perform
ances have been most numerous and where
the undressing scene and its accompani-
ments have had their largest measure of
applause and profit.
But the importation of Objectionable
pieces into the localities of that region
known to cosmopolites as 1.-The road" has
led to a demand for censorship elsewhere,
and Gotham is not alone in the hue and
cry over he vulgar and degrading plays
which have disgraced the boards lately.
1t has always been a belief among the less
respectable lights of the managerial world
that the man who is willing to test the pub
lie to see how much of a shock it will stand
has the right to contemplate a picture of
fortune leading him on TO endless wealth.
Unnappily the history of many fads that
have depended for reward upon their sug-
gestiveness, their appeal to the multitude
eager to patronize anything off-color, con-
firms this theory.
Those who have demanded the censorship
have never thought that there could be ma
tional legislation to accomplish the end;
they have been in favor of state laws for
the purpose. When 1.-The Conquerors.' 1.-The
Turtle" The Telephone Girl and kindred
affairs came along to rouse a protest there
was some debate as to the way to secure
the adoption of some regulation to protect
the drama from such violations.
Still the insistent demand for the censor
ship has died down and there is little now
to call fer the law which really seemed
requisite for some reformers a while ago.
But it is not at all certain what the season
will bring forth for it assurediy starts rather
threateningly with 1.-The Girl from Max
inns" and there are other modified CALI
cisms to come which will cause some trou-
BILE in all probability.
EFFECTIVE MEASURES.
When The Cfemenceau Case was put on
eight or ten years ago the way out of the
difficulty was indicated very clearly the
night the police set after the matter. And
when Sam T.. Jacks house was closed in
New York last season because of offenses
against the city ordinances, there was an
other sign to show the solution of the prob
lem.
Another New York theater, Dewey's,
came into the meshes with Caught in the
Act" while Roster & Balls helped TO prove
that Gotham is the home Of these a~ffronts
with IAN Affair of Honor" and there, too,
the strong arm of the law interposed.
1t would seem to most students of the
question that police can control any pres
entation which crosses the boundary line;
this idea has been demonstrated to be a cor
rect one both in New York and San Fran
cisco. In the last named city, when The
Turtle was presented in all its original
stupidity and yileness, the authorities noti-
fed the pr2prietors of the theater their Ii
cense would be taken away II the disrobing
scene was not amended SO as to eliminate
Its worst features.
That is easily the best way to remedy
such things, for the police would not be in
duced to act unless the offenses are fragrant
and there would be little danger of an abuse
of power.
Besides. 1t has not been settled that the
censorship is a desirable institution. Indeed,
those defenders of the system of play ex-
animation are hardly familiar with the his
tory of its operation in England-which
country evidently supplies the model upon
which most people would wish the American
| censorship drawn.
From the day of D'Avenant. Steele, Far
quhar and Congreve down the censor has
been one of the attachments to the lord
ehamberlain's ofice. whose action has been
More often than not this abuse was justi-
fled, and when, in the restoration, the CEN
SCR prohibited the presentation Of certain
plays to vent personal spite. as he did more
| of a rival, or when political reasons were a
bar to a dramatic piece, 1t was urged that
as he is called by English dramatists to-
day.
Concerning the advisability of introducing
the censorship in America there are sew
eral opinions, but, that entitled to most at
tention comes from Bernard Shaw, who has
had experience of it abroad and shows rea-
sons for his contention.
Shaw prints an article in the North Amer
-
Stage in England" He states very frankly
that "this article will be wasted in Eng
land and adds that his argument is ad.
dressed to America, 'in view of the likeli.
hood Of the attempts to set up state cen.
sorships in that country"
PROFESSIONALLY Mr.. Shaw has ground fol
his fear. and his message ought to be heed
ed by those who are anxious to have the
censorship the first law at the next session
of the various legislatures
Mr.. Shaw, after a decidedly convincing
exposition of the weakness of the laws and
theory that hold the censor in office. makes
plain the censor's position in these words:
You take a commonplace official; con-
front him with a play by a man probably
c~leverer than himself, possibly a genius
destined to be for many Gen.
turtles. and ask him to decide whether the
net effect of a performance Of that play on
the destiny of the human race will be help,
full or harmful Tn Delphic oracle itself
would not have the impudence TO pretend
that il could answer such a question. When
Mr. BEDFORD refuses to license Tolstoi's
Dominion of Darkness for example. he
does not refuse on the ground that he, Red
ford. is a more highminded man or a phil
osopher with a greater power of distin-
gushing the conventions of propriety from
the realities of moral evil. or a more dis
interested and public-spirited citizen of the
world. O deeper seer into the future, a
keener observer of the present. a wiser
critic of life than Tolstoi. If he took tina
ground a shout of laughter from the whole
civilized world would be the answer.
CENSOR'S POSITION.
What Mr.. BEDFORD and every such censor
does say TO Tolstoi Of he has sense enough
to understand his own position) is: You are
a much cleverer and. no doubt. a better fell
low than 1 am: ard / cannot pretend t.
~criticise you. But 1 must administer the
rules of my office as a judge administer.
the laws: and your play is against my rules
1t may be a very good play; and certainly
lots of the plays that are inside my rule.
are shockingly bad ones; but 1 can't hell
that. II / were to discriminate outside m,
rules 1 should be setting myself up as
sort Of pIatonic philosopher king, which In
not. and which no official is at all likely I,
be. L do my best to march with the times
stretching the rules as much as possible. OF
even dropping one out when IL becomes
too ridiculous; but i must point out to yol
that there is one rule that never varies
and never can vary: and that rule is tina
a play must not be made the vehicle of new
opinions on important subjects, because new
opinions are always questionable opinions
and / cannot make her Majesty. the Queen
responsible for uuestionab BILE opinions nv NJ