The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-03-21

would not hold the people; for he who
opens before the dramatic element in hui
man nature an opportunity of gratlhca-
ton without compromise and without
danger does the mightiest thing of this
century, and the tides of such an lnstl-
tuition would rise as the Atlantic rises
at Liverpool docks.
The Spectacular.
There are tens of thousands Of Chris
tian homes where the sons and daughters
are held back from dramatic entertain
ment for reasons which some of you
would say are good reasons and others
would say are poor reasons, but still held
back. But on the establishment of such
an institution they would feel the arrest
Of their anxieties and would say on the
establishment of this new institution
which l have called the spectacular,
Thank God, this is what we have all
been waiting for"
Now, as / believe that [ make sugges-
ton of an institution which wiser men
will develop, / want to give some charac-
teristics of this new institution, this spec
tacular, if it is to be a grand social ana
moral success. In the first place, it's en-
tertainments must be compressed within
an hour and three-quarters. What Kills
sermons, prayers and lectures and enter
tainments of all sorts is prolixity. at
reasonable hour every night every cur
tain of public entertainment ought to
drop, every church service ought to cease,
the instruments of orchestras ought to
be unstrung. What comes more than
this comes too late.
On the platform Of this new insttu-
tion there will be q drama which before
rendering has been read, expurgated alb
breviated and passed upon by board OF
trustees connected with this reformed
amusement association. If there be i'll a
drama a sentence suggesting evil 1t VIII
be stricken out. If there be in Shak-
spearean play a word with two meanings,
a good meaning and a bad meaning, an
other word will be substituted, an honest
word looking only one way. The caterers
to public taste will have to learn that
Shakspearean nastiness is no better than
Congrevean nastiness. You say, VINO
will dare to change by eXpurgation or alb
breviation q Shakspearean play" L
dare. The board of trustees of this re-
for Nd amusement association will dare.
1t is no depreciation of drama, the abb
breviation of it.
Publication of the Drama.
On the platform of this new institution
this spectacular, under the care of the
very best men and women in the commu-
nifty there shall be nothing witnessed that
would be unfit for a parlor. Any atti-
tude, any look, any word that would Of
fend you seated at your own freside in
your family circle will be prohibited from
that platform. BY what law of common
sense or of morality does that which is
not fit TO be seen or heard by five people
become fit to be seen or heard by LOU
people! On the platform of that spec
tacular all the scenes of the drama will
be as chaste as was ever lecture by Ed
ward Everett or a sermon by L. w. Rob
ertson. On the platform shall come only
such men and women as you would well
come TO your homes. / do not make the
requisition that they be professors of re-
ligion. 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 spectaculag will
be gentlemen and ladies in the ordinary
acceptation of those terms, persons whom
you would invite to sit at your table and
whom you would introduce to your chill
dren and with whom you would not be
compromised if you were seen passing
down Pennsylvania avenue or Broadway
with them. On that platform there shall
be no carouser, no inebriate, no cyprian,
no foe of good morals, masculine or femi-
nine.
Prediction Of the Future.
r to t,1tin
spectacular. l should go once week
the rest Of my life and take my family
with me, and the majority of the families
Of the earth would go to such an institu-
! ton. I expect the time will come when
| can, without bringing upon myself crit
icism, without being an inconsistent
Christian, when I, a 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 ''Hunchback" and Joshua Whit
comb" Meanwhile many of us will have
this dramatic element unmet and unre-
called.
Beware of Conta mination.
The amusements of life are beautiful
and they are valuable, but they cannot
pay you for the loss of your soul. / could
not tell your character, / could not tell
your prospects for this world or the next
by the particular church you attend, but
if you will tell me where you were last
night and where you were the night be-
fore and where you have been the nights
of the last month, think l could guess
where you will spend eternity.
AS to the drama of your life and mine,
it will soon end. There will be no encore
to bring us back. At the beginning Of
that drama of life stood a cradle, at the
end of it will stand a grave. The first
act, welcome. The last act, farewell.
The intermediate acts, banquet and bat
tie, professions bridal and funeral, songs
and tears, laughter and groans.
1t was not original with Shakespeare
when he said, "All the worlds a stage
and all the men and women merely play
ers." He got it from ST. Paul, who ID
centuries before that had written, 1--WE
are made a spectacle unto the world and
to angels and to men," A spectacle in
coliseum fighting with wild beasts in an
amphitheater the galleries full, looking