The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-02
MORALS AND THE STAGE.
"saPho" Denounced in Sermou d
Rev. Thomas Easton. ID. ID.

Rev. Thomas Easton. ID. ID.
In sermon last night directed against
immoral dramas and writings. Rev.
Thomas Easton d. D.. pastor of the East
ern Presbyterian Church, Maryland Ave
nue. and Sixth Streets. denounced the
play "Sapho. aud declared the arrest of
Olga Nethersole for taking a part in that
play justifable. Dr. Eastcn said in part
The arrest of the actors and Miss Olga
Nethersole in New York City. after having
paraded their vile realistic drama. was
more than justified by this actress later
defiance of public sentiment in that when
'Sapho" was suppressed she gave as
supplement Camille proving that the
next worst production she possibly could
have selected was her preference
There are actors and novels that feed
the 'tenderloin' sections in all OF our cities
and feed the already swelling tide Of the
social evil. 1t is to be regretted that such
corrupt piece of suggestive realism as
the drama of Sapho' could be displayed
here in this, the Nations Capital for
whole week uninterrupted, and only sup
pressed when it reached the great metropo-
lis. 1t has prompted the question in sew
goers. here in Washington, of a lower and
more debased grade than those of New
York City2
Encouraged by the indifference of good
people and patronage of the bad the 81
lence of pulpit and press. the conservators
OF public morality. the managers of the
atricals have gone through all the stages of
uncleanlihess and indecency in their re-
cent public exhibitions. Beginning with
female dancers. imported from Partisan
dives. they have progressed through living
pictures. made up of artists in semi-nudity.
until the utter shamelessness has been
reached in substituting a sprinkling of
bronze powder for apery.
The excuse offered by the proprietors of
these outrages upon public morality is that
they are giving the public what it wants
and that the plays while realistic and sug-
eestiye, are artistic. The first is the repe-
tition OF an old lie that the public. and
not the theatrical managers, is responsible
for the morality Of the stage 1t might be
truth if the public decided the fate of
plays, but the vast majority has nothing
to do with it. Their fate is decided by
the particular constituency OF each
playhouse. and it is because corrupt play
attracts evil milded people and because
oil the constant tendency of that class of
a whole has the right to protect itself
against the horrible defllement
So long as there are bad people in the
world, so long will an evil play attract
an audience. but to hold the public re-
sponsible for the play. because it draws.
would be to justify any exhibition But
while the public is thus not responsible for
the morality of a play. it is responsible
for the protection, first, of the playgoers.
because they are made worse by it than
IL they had not seen it, and second for
the protection OF the non playgoers because
OF the tendency of evil to spread
No person with any convictions at all as
TO what really constitutes morality will
deny the assertion that seeing such plays
as 'Sapho. Zaza,' and Camille leads to a
discussion between the sexes. The man
ayers of these puiluting dramatic exhibit
tons know that art for arts sake will not
I'LL their houses. They seek to create evil
appeii;es by concessions to what is i'm
moral and then to profit by them
Il thank God daily for two things-that
the press of this city is the cleanest and
healthiest in the country. and that no fam
lily need dread TO have the papers enter the
home and be read by their children But
what shall we say of the jaundced sheets
from New York, which not only expose
crime but photograph it? We point with
prlue 10 our beautiful city and clean
streets. but l want to know If it is justi-
fable to have them polluted with New
York dirt? r...r
Three foilrths Of The young men of our
nation never go to church, but are theatre
goers. The church which has no vital in
terest in them, and never seeks to recover
them from these evil associations. is prac-
tically a dead institution.
1T is healthful sign when civil author
tiles. municipal, State, and national. seek
to institute reforms by preventing places of
amusement from pandeIing to indecency.
but il is a sad commentary on the morality
of a community which boasts of its en-
lightenment and refinements that such
special legislation should be a necessity
Dr. EastOn read the resolution presented
to Congress, March %. asking that the
novel. "Sappho,' be excluded from the
mails.
The modern drama and novel" he said
condemned in this Congressional resolu-
ton reveals a growing tendency upon the
part OF the histrionic profession to cater to
the lowest animal passions. corrupting the
youth and poisoning the well-springs of
society"