Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-22

years ago, IN very billllunt nut niuCh
criticised sermon, took the position that
the theatcr might be renovated and made
auxiliary to the church. Many Christian
people are of the same opinion. ! do not
agree with them. ! have no idea that
success is in that direction What have
said heretofore on this subject, rs far as
| remember, is my sentiment now. But
today take a step in advance of my for
mcr theory. Christianity Is going TO take
full possession of this world and control
its maXims, its laws, its literature, its
science and its amuscments Shut out
from the realm of Christianity anything,
and you give it NJ to sin and death.
If Christianity is mighty enough to
manage everything but the amuscmcnts
OF the world, then il is "A very defective
Christianity. Is it capable of keeping
account OF the fears of the world and in
competent to make record OF its smilesY
Is it good to follow the funeral. but dumb
Mt the worlds play2 Can it control all
the other elements of our nature but the
dramatic element? My idea of Christian
ity is that it can and will conquer every
thing. In the good time coming. which
the world calls the golden age and the
poet the elysian age and the Christian
the millennium, we have positive an
nounccment that the amuscments OF the
world are to he under Christian sway.
holiness shall he upon the bells of the
horses" says one prophet. So, you sec,
ii will control even the sleigh rides. THE
city shall be full of boys and girls playing
in the streets thereof" says another
prophet. So, you see. it is to control the
hoop rolling and the kite flying and the
ball playing. Now, what we want is to
hasten that time. How will it be done?
by the church going over to the thcatcr?
1t will not 20. BY the thoatcr coming to
the church? 1t will not come. What we
want is reformed amusement associa-
ton in every city and town of the United
States. Once announced and explained
and illustrated, the Christian and phian-
thropic capitalist will come forward to
establish it, and there will be public spir
tied men everywhere who will do this
work for the dramatic element of our ma
lures. We need n new institution to
meet and recognize and develop and de-
fCnd the dramatic element of our nature
1t needs to he distinct from everything
that is or has been.
would have this reformed amusement
association having in charge this new in
stitution of the spectacular take posses.
sion of some hall or academy. 1t might
take a smaller building at the start. but
1t would soon need the largest hall, and
even that would not hold the people; for
he who opens before the dramatic elc-
ment in human nature an opportunity of
qualification without compromise and
without danger does the mightiest thng
of this century, and the tides of such an
institution 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 anXeties and would say on the
/ establishment of this new institution
| which ! have called the spectacular
THANK God. this is what we have ali
been waiting for"
Now, as believe that I make sugges
tion Of an institution which wiser mcr
will develop, | want to give some charac
tcrstics OF this new institution, this spec
| tacular, if it is TO be a grand social anG
moral success. In the first place, its en-
ertainments must be compressed within
IN hour and three-QuarterS. What kill:
sermons, prayers and lectures and enter
tainments of all sorts is prolixity. At q
reasonable hour every night every curtain
of public entertainment ought to drop
every church service ought to cease, thu
instruments of orchestras ought to b,
unstrung. What comes more than thi
comes too late.
On the platform of this new institution
there will be a drama which before rem
dcrinc has been read, eXpurgated, ahbre
waited and passed upon by "A board o.
trustees connected with this reformed
amusement association. If there be in
drama sentence suggesting evil, it will
be stricken out. If there be in a Shake
spearean play a word with two meanings
good meaning and n bad meaning, an
other word will be substituted, an homes
word looking only one way, The caterer
to public taste will have to learn tina
Shakespearean nastincss is no better thai
Congrcvean nastiness. You say, "Wh
will dare to change by cXpurgation or alb
breviation a Shakcspearean play?"
dare. The board of trustees of this re
formed amusement association will dare
Ii is no depreciation of n drama the al
brevaton of it. | would like to hear -
or 40 pages of Millions paradise Lost
read at one time, but ! should be YER
: sorry to hear the whole book read at on
sitting. Abbrevaton is not depreciation
; Publication of the Drama.
On the platform OF this new institutio
this spectacular, under the care of tn
very best men and women in the commr
nifty there shall be nothing witnessed tina
would be unfit for a parlor, Any att
tudc, any look, any word that would OF
fcnd you seated at your own hrcside !!
your family circle will be prohibited froI
; that platform. BY what law of commo
} sense or of morality does that which
not fit to be seen or heard by five peopl
become fit to be seen or heard by LOO
people? On the platform of that spec
tacTlar all the scenes of the drama wi
be as ChaStc as was ever lecture by Et
! ward Everett or Il sermon by +. w. Rol
= crtsOn. On the platform shall come onl
i such men and women as you would we