The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-03-17

tion this spectacular, under tho care of
the very best men and women in the
. community there shall be nothing wit
messed that would be unfit for par
lor. Any attitude, any look, any WORD
that would offend you seated at your
own areside in your family circle will
be prohibited from that platform. BY
what law of common sense or OF moral
ity does that which is not fit to be seen
or heard by Ave people become fit to
be seen OF heard by 1900 people? On
the platform Of that spectacular all
the scenes of the drama will be as
chaste as was ever a lecture by Edward
Everett or a sermon by F. w. Robert-
son. On the platform shall come only
such men and women as you would
welcome to your homes. l do not make
the requisition that they be professors
of religion. There are professors OF
religion that would not want In my
parlor or kitchen or coal cellar. 1t is
not what we profess, but what we are.
All who come on that platform OF the
spectacular will be gentlemen and Ia
dies in the ordinary acceptation OF
those terms, persons whom you would
invite to sit at your table and whom
you would introduce to your children
and with whom you would not be COM
promised if you were seen passing
down Pennsylvania avenue or Broad
way with them.
On that platform there shall be no
carouser, no inebriate, no cyprian, no
foe of good morals, masculine OF femi-
nine. 1t is often said we have no right
to criticise the private morals of public
entertainers. Well, do as you please
with other institutions, on. the plat
form of this institution we shall have
only good men and good women in the
ordinary social sense of goodness. Just
as soon as the platform of the spec
| tacular is fully and fairly established
many genius who hitherto has sup
| pressed the dramatic element in his
| nature because he could not find the
realm in which to exercise it will step
over on the platform, and giants of the
drama, their name known the world
over, who have been toiling for the ele-
walton of the DRAMA will step over on
that platform women as Char
lotte Cushman of the past, such men as
Joseph Jefferson of the present.
The platform of that new institu-
ton, of that eXpurgated drama, occu-
pied only by these purest of men and
women, will draw to itself millions OF
people who have never been to see the
drama more than once or twice in their
lives, or never saw it at all. That in
stitution will combine the best music,
the best architecture, the best genius
six nights the week on the side of in
telligence and good morals.
Do you tell me this plan is chimerical?
answer, it only requires one man
somewhere between here and San Fran.
cisco or between Bangor and Calves
ton to see it and appreciate it-one
man of large individual means and
great heart, and with 100000 he could
do more good than all the Lenoxes and
the Lawrences and the Peabodys ever
accomplished. He would settle for all
nations and for all times the stupen.
dous question of amusement which for
centuries has been under angry and
vituperative discussion and which is
! no nearer being settled to-day, by all
appearances, than it was at the start
Such an institution would have to be
supported at the start by donation
of capital, but very soon, in year OIL
two, it would become self-supporting
and the board of trustees of the re
formed amusement association would
find that theidea paid not only in morals
and the elevation of the people, but il
dividends and hard cash.
l would go to such an institution
such spectacular. l should go once a
week the rest of my life and take my
family with me, and the majority Of
the families of the earth would go tt
such an institution. l expect the time
will come when l can, without bringing
upon myself criticism, without being
an inconsistent Christian, when 1, 6
minister of the good old Presbyterian
church, will be able to go to some new
institution like this, the spectacular
and see Hamlet" and king Lear
and the Merchant of Venice" and the
"Hunchbaek" and Joshua Whitcomb.
Meanwhile many of us will have thi.
dramatic element unmet and unre
called.
As to the drama of your life 'and
mine, it will soon end. There will be
no encore to bring us back. At the be
ginning of that drama of life stood q
cradle, at the end of it will stand g
grave. The first act, welcome. The last
act, farewell. The intermediate acts
banquet and battle, professions, brida
and funeral, songs and tears, laughter
and groans.
1t was not original with Shake
speare when he said: "All the worlds
stage and all the men and womer
merely players" He got it from st
Paul, who, Is centuries before that hac
written: "We are made spectacle
unto the world and to angels and tt
men," A spectacle in coliseum fight
ing with wild beasts in an amphithea
ter, the galleries full, looking down
Here we destroy lion. Here we crap
pie with gladiator. When we fall
devils shout. When we rise, angels
sing. "A spectacle before gallery above
gallery, gallery above gallery. Gallery
of our departed kindred looking down
to see if we are faithful and worthy Of
our Christian ancestry, hoping for oul
victory, wanting to throw us garland
glorified children and parents, with
cheer on cheer urging us on Gallery Of
the martyrs locking down. the Poly
carps and the Ridleys and the McKails