The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-03-28
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church s5ryiee ought &c cease; the
instruments Of oEOhs1tTas ought TO be
unstruns. What comes more than this
comes too late.
On the platform Of this new instltu-
ton there will be drama which before
rendering has been read, eypurgated;
abbreviated and passed upon by hoard
of trustees connected with this reformed
amusement association. If there be in
2 drama sentence suggesting evil, 1t
will be stricken out. If there be in a
Shakcspearean play a word with two
meanings, good meaning and a had
mean, another word will be substituted,
an honest word looking only one way.
The caterers to public taste will have
to learn that Shakespearean nastlness
is no better than Cougrevean nastiness.
You say. "Who will dsre to change by
expurgation or abbreviation Shake
spcareau play?' I dare. The board
Of trustees of this reformed amusement
association will dare. 1t is no deprecia-
ton Of drama, the abbreviation OF 1t:
| would like to hear 80 or 10 pages of
Miltou's paradise Lost" read st orc
time, but | should be Tery sorry to hear
the whole book read at one sitting.
Authorization is not depre citation.
On the platform Of this new instltu.
ton this spectacular, under the care OF
the very best men and women in the
community there sh III BE- nothing wit
pesscd that would be unit for parlor.
Any stiitude, any look, any word that
would offend you seated al Your o.n
fresidc in your family circle will be
prohibited from that platform. BY
what Law Of common sense or of NOR
ality does that which is not 1T to be
seen or heard by five people become tt
to be seen or hesrd By l 500 people!
On the platform Of that spectacular all
the scenes Of the drama Wilt as chaste
as was ever lecture by Edward Everett
or sermon by +. ". Robertson. On
the Platform shall come only such men
and women as you would welcome to
your homes. l do not make the re-
ouisition 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 ara. All who
come on that platform Of the spectacu
lar 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 In
troduce to your children and with whom
YOU would not be compromised If you
were seen passing down Pennsylvania
avenue OF Broadway with item.
On that platform there shall be no
car,uscr, no inebriate, no cyprian, no
foe OF good morals, masculine or femln-
ine. It 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 platform
Of this new institution We shall have
only good men aod good women in the
ordinary social sense of goodness. Just
as soon as the platform Of the spectacu-
lar is fully and fairly established many
genius who hitherto has suppressed
the dramatic element in his nature be-
cause he could not 6nd the realm Ia
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 elevation OF
the drama, will step over ou that plat
form-such women as Charlotte Cush-
man Of the past, such men as Joseph
Jefferson of the present.
The platform of that new institution,
of that expurgated drama, occupied
onlv by these purest Of men and women,
will draw ito 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 lnstltu-
tion will combine the best architecture.
the best music, the best genius six
nights 10 the week on the side of intel
ligence and good morals.
DO you tell me this pan is chimerl-
cal? I answer, it only requires one
man somewhere between here and San
Francisco or between Bangor and Gal
weston to see it and appreciate lt-one
man of large individual means and
great heart aud with 800, 900 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 s,upendous
question of amusement which for CEN
tnries has been under angry aud vitupe-
rstive discussion an3 which is DO nesr-
er being settled today, by all appear
srces, than it vas at the start Such
an institution would have to be support
ed at the start by donation Of capital,
but very socn, in ycar or two, it would
become self supporting, aud the boar!
of trustees of the reformed amusement
association would ind that the idea paid
not only in morals and the elevation of
the people, but in dividends and hard
cash
The snu,e ncnts Of life are baauti-
ful and they are valuable, bns they
cannot pay you for the loss Of Jour soul.
could not tell your character, | could
not tell yoGr prospects fer this
world or the next By the particular
church you attend, 5pt If you will tell
me where You weTclas night and where
you were the night before aud where
you have been the nights Of lhc last
month, | think Iceu!d guess whore yon
will spend eternity.
AS to the drama OF your life ard
mine, it will soon end. There will be
no encore to bring us back. At the
beginning Of that drama Of life stood
cradle, ct the end of it will stand q
grave. The first act, welcome. The
last act, farewell. The intermediate
acts, banquet and battle. professions
bridal and funeral, songs and tears,
laughter and groans.
t. W.T. oririoo With ShoEnsrnara