The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-08
SCORCHER FROM WINTER.


William Winter in New York Tribune.
1t is remarked by Sir Walter Scott that
no good sportsman ought to shoot at
crows, except for a special purpose; and
a firm belief in that wise rule has often re-
strained comment on the vacuous imperti-
nence of addle-headed scribblers, who take
banter in earnest. To speak seriously Of
the proceedings of those persons who have
brought forth the play of "Sapho' must,
of course, be TO denounce a degradation of
the theater. The play, indeed, is dark,
dull and stupid. and probably it will die
of it's own dullness; but there can be no
doubt as to the paltry motive of its pro-
ducers, or as to it's dirty character, or as to
it's pernicious quality. 1t is not necessary
to soil the columns of this paper with a
particular account of the sickly sentiment
atty of Mr.. Daudet's book or the reeking
compost of filth and folly that the crude
and frivolous Mr.. Clyde Fitch has dug out
of it, with which to mire the stage. The
commodity of the scavenger requires no de-
scription. 1t is enough to say that this
heavy and foul rigmarole of lust, sap
headed sentiment and putrid nonsense tells
a vulgar commonplace and tiresome story
about a harlot and fool, showing how, In
a carnal way, they fascinated each other,
how the fool Glove to his folly, and how the
harlOt, having bambOoZleu the TOOL, went
away with a criminal rogue just out Of
prison. Into detail of the relations between
these cattle those commentators may enter
who have taste for muck ana VINO can
deliver expert opinions upon 1t. Every eX-
perienced man of the world is aware that
those details are always of one kind, always
nasty, always shameful and always I'M
utterably trivial. The concrete theme Is
the one thing to be considered, and even
that is scarcely entitled to more than a
passing comment-the comment or wonder
that actors will assemble to illustrate such
a matter, and that spectators exist who
will actually pay for the sight of such
loathsome exhibition. 1t seems incredible.
Here are contemplate persons gross pro-
ceedings, foul suggestions, impure pictures,
and, through all, a purulent stream OF
maWkish cant about the moral lesson TO
be derived from the inspection of garbage;
and unhappily it is incontestable that COM
munities have been found to accept and
relish and approve the fetid mixture with
epicene enthusiasts to commend its pu-
tridity and anaemic moralists to proclaim
it's reformatory power and saving grace.
Much specious doctrine on this subject
has been promulgated, first and last, by
theatrical panderers, seeking gain by min
istratiOn to the baser appetiteS or the 1ooi
multitude, but the truth is that these
dramas of the brothel have never done the
least good to any human being, ana tnat
their sole erect, aside from the gratifica-
ton of a prurient public taste. is to defile
the minds of the young-who, for the most
part compose the theatrical audience
with a needless and harmful knowledge of
the seamy side of life, with the tinted sug-
gestions of leering debauchery and the
noxious vapors of impudent vice.
In these dramas which are called NOR
al the spectator always encounters the
lesson, that venerable didacticism,
bearded with moss" but still murmuring,
and probably destined to murmur, as long
ftAir n n
listen; for the tenet is that you may tell
any sort of a story, II you will only tag 1t
with a correct preccpt. As long as the
'.lesson" is good. the method of the teach
ing may smell TO heaven; in other words,
the best way to discover the true inward
ness of decayed fish is to swallow it-be-
cause the man does not live who, under
those circumstances, would not get Wis
dom, and get ii in convincing abundance.
The sophistry of such pleading announces
itself so clearly that 1T cannot be mis-
taken; ana, lndeeo, such notions are pro
mulgated only by fools or hypocrites. The
potency of ''the terrible example has new
er been maintained by wise judges OF hu-
man nature, and the defense of tainted
plays has never been made by men who are
openly profigate and who know the world.
Such men are honest, and they know bet
ter than to undertake even the extenua-
ton of that element In writing which Is
commonly called smut" The defense of
tainted plays always comes from weak
sisters of the male sex, or OF no sex at all.
emascuated puppies. sucking collegians.
and the like, who are trying to cut their
teeth on the coral of irresponsible news
papers. There is no surer sign of mental
and moral obliquity than taste for de-
cadent literature and art-the morbid trash,
for example, of such authors as Ibsen,
Maeterlinck and Sharp. No man who is in
good health ever bestows attention upon
stuff of that kind. He would just as soon
haunt about a slaughter house, to smell
offal The objection To these tainted plays
is not that they permanently injure public
morals Ii would be paying them compli-
ment. TO ascribe 20 them any such lasting
potentiality. The objection is that they are
obnoxious to good taste and good breed
ing, tina. their tendency is to cause mental
and sometimes physical nausea, that they
obtrude foul themes upon the attention of
the young and thus soil. at the sources OF
life, those springs OF thought and feeling
and conduct which otherwise might issue
pure The play not redeemed by the
acting The main credit of the pro-
duction should be ascribed TO the stage
manager: the mob in the difficult scene of
the ballroom was remarkably we'll handled.
Indianapolis City Hospital.