The times., 1899-03-27
SUNDAY "SHOWSS"
brewing TROUBLE
Reform League Does Not Like
SACRED Concerts"
Everyday People Hardly Seem Be-
comingiy Scandalized.
No Law Exists Against sabbath En-
tertninmcnts. But Steps May BE

and all because certain Of the bad ones are
continuing, with great profit 10 themselves,
in the course of giving theatrical perform
ances on Sunday. The bad peop.e afore-
mentioned do not designate their enter
tainments quite as candidly as do the more
conservative of the local populace. They
have been calling the affairs sacred con-
certs," and have advertised them as such.
but the universal desire TO hear church
music that became manifest soon after the
offerings came in vogue aroused suspicion
among the righteous with the result that
an investigation was made and the presen-
tations were declared pernicious in their
effect, evil in their influsnce. and unlawful
IN their nature. Ii WAS discovered that
many OF the hymns rendered at the CON
certs' were sung on week days as serio-
comic ballads, and that The Boy Guessed
Right the Very First Time" and Little
WHY Knew His Little Books were moe
frequently heard that .-Eoek OF Ages" and
The Palms Rumors to the effect that
some of the individuals engaged in these
solo efforts wore short skirts and blonde
wigs began TO be current, and for a time
IL seemed that the good people had the
rest of Washington ON the hip. Those in
terested in breaking up the new custom
amusements was in plain sight.
And then the managers took a hand in
the proceedings and scored a point. The
great majority of the localities had cher
ished an idea that the opening of a the
atre on the first night of the week was
a criminal offence and that the perpe-
traitor might be summarily locked up or
otherwlse imprisoned for its commission.
Several brcad-minded officials believed
that the offenders might take refuge in a
plea that something like one-half of their
net receipts was given to charity and 9th
ers mad dim notions that there was no
law against the offering of performances
IN which neither costumes nor drop cur
tam was used But the greater part of
washington labored under the impression
that the ordinance could not be eyaded and
that conviction OF having given pleasure
on Sunday would be followed by terrible
consequences. So everyone was some
thing more than surprised when those re-
sponsible Tor the entertainments sud-
denly took on a great air of Independence
and pointed out to those who disputed
lheir rights 10 the fact that no statute.
eiVii or criminal, municipal or national,
written or unwritten, existed against the
running of playhouses on the Sabbath or
any other day in the calendar.
From the calm view taken of the proceed
lngs against them by the populace all along
II IS fairly certain that Washington mama
gers had been at pains to secure legal advice
before beginning their nefarious work and
that they knew molestation was out of the
question At all events the spread of
sacred concert giving was neither slow
nor gradual but decidedly both rapid end
sudden From time immemoriaI benefits
and bands had shared the local field unre-
seryediy and proprietors of popular thea
Tres had reaped rich harvests in rentals.
NO objection was ever made TO these affairs
ana they had proceeded quietly to obey
tee spirit OF Rip Van Wrinkles toast in that
they lived long and prospered. Lectures
were looked upon with favor, too. and even
commencement exercises were held on
Sunday nights
When Bob Whitesell took the Bjiou
however, and announced his intention of
onering entertainments there on the Sab
bath the freedom that had hitherto been
allowed was checked. 1t was intimated TO
Manager Whitesell that he had best cease
his offerings, and when he failed 10 do so
some society or other took issue and
closed the house one evening while the
late Dan Mccarthy was giving a per-
fornance OF THE Dear Irish Home" !"
under the designation of sacred con-
cert. A similar fate befelI Manager
Thomas last summer, when he attempted
special presentations at Union Roof Gar
zen. and others who had determined upon
being in line" quickly decided to let well
enough alone and be content with as many
company appearances as they could get
In the last six days Of the week.
The matter rested until this season. when
Manager Grieves once more opened the
Biiou on Sunday nights and succeeded in
filling the auditorium as it had never been
filled before. Some complaint was made
and the erudite vaudeville impressario
straigntway announced that his sacred
concerts" were given for charity. and thai
his beneyolence merited nothing save COM
mendation and patronage Some mercen-
airy individuals were unkind enough to hint
that Mr.. Grieves was giving only SIS per
performance TO the poor, but the plea was
accepted. and the entertainments contin-
ued. The Bijou began accommodating
greater and greater crowds until people
were finally turned away, and then other
directors awakened to the possibility of
making an honest penny and keeping the
floating population out of mischief By Civ
ing concerts" of like sort.
Managers Burke and Chase were next TO
take advantage OF their opportunities and
the Grand was opened on Sunday even
ings, too. The entertainments contributed
were almost entirely musical. and for this
or some other reason they did not pros
per as had those of the unrighteous Mr.
Grieves. But good audiences were as
sembled, the enterprise paid, and It was
continued. No complaint had been made
and other theatres began giving special
performances now and then, when Manager
Eugene Herman. OF the Lyceum, determined
TO have hand in the proceedings.
Manager Herman was not satisfied with
having sacred concerts" He advertised
extensively that his affair would be no
more Sabbath school like that the law al
lowed, and that patrons need not bring
hymn books with them. as there would be
no choruses, and IL there were the au-
diences would not join in them. He de-
clared that he would give the same enter
tainment on Sunday that was given on
other nights. and that the only difference
TO be made in this matter was in that al
fractions playing in the house would close
on the seventh instead of the sixth day of
The week as hitherto. This fact was em-
phasized. Some say great stress was laid
on IL because the manager expected thereby
10 draw larger numbers of the unrighteous
others that the confession was made out
OF sheer honesty. and still others-this
nlass largely business rivals-that Mr.
kernan's intention was to end the whole
venture. II this was the idea II came dan
gerously near being realized
For there are in this city any number
of people who look upon ''stg houses"
as being places OF evil at best, and these
individuals were shocked by Eugene Ker-
mans advertisements as a 2,00o-yolt dyna-
mo could not have shocked them The Re-
form League took the matter up in deadly
earnest and several other societies an
nounced their intention OF putting an i'm
mediate stop to the sacred concerts" And
then all discovered the absence of law In |
the matter and each began declaring itself
IN favor OF different method of Kidding
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