St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-04-21

resoundlng, Heaven-echolng drama
Now, if God implanted this dramatic
element in our natures, and If He hal
cultivated and developed it in the Scrip
lures, / demand that you recognize it
Because the drama has again ant
again been degraded and employed fol
destructive purposes is nothing against
the drama, any more than music ought
to be accursed because it has beer
taken again ard again into the satur
nalian wassails of 1900 years. Will YOU
refuse to enthrone music on the church
organ because the art has beer
trampled again and again under the
feet of the lascivious dance?
Rev. DIR. Bellows, of New York, many
years ago, in , very brilliant but much
criticised sermon, took the position
that the theater 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 di-
rection. What have said heretofore
on this subject, as far as remember
is my sentiment now. But to-day
take o step III advance of my former
theory. Christianity is going to take
full possession of this world and con-
troll its maxims. its laws, its literature,
its science and it's amusements. Shut
out from the realm of Christianity any.
thing, and you give it up to sin and
death.
If Christianity is mighty enough to
manage everything but the amuse-
ments Of the world, then it is a very de-
fective Christianity. Is it capable OF
keeping account of the fears OF the
world and Incompetent to make record
of it's smiles? Is it good to follow the
funeral, but dumb at the worlds play?
Can it control all the other elements Of
our nature bur the dramatic eleme mt ?
My idea of Christianity is that it can
and will conquer everything. In the
good time coming, which the wosld
calls the colder age and the poet the
elysian age and the Christian the
millennium, We have positive announce
ment that the amusements of the
world are to he under Christian sway
Holiness shall be upon the bells of the
horses" says one prophet. So, you see,
it 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 theater? 1t will not go. BY
the theater coming to the church? 1t
will not come. What we want is re-
formed amusement association in every
city and town of the United States.
Once announced and explained and il
Illustrated. the Christian and philan-
thropic capitalist will come forward to
establish it, and there will be public
spirited men everywhere who Will do
this work for the dramatic element of
our natures. We need new institution
to meet and recognize and develop and
defend the dramatic element of our
nature. IL needs to be distinct from
everything that is or has been.
/ would have this reformed amuse-
ment association having in charge this
new institution of the spectacular take
possession Of some hall or academy. 1t
might take smaller building at the
start. but it would soon need the larg-
est hall. and even that would not hold
the people; for he who opens before
the dramatic clement in human nature
an opportunity of qualification with
out compromise and without danger
does the mightiest thing of this CEN
fury, and the tides of such an institu-
tion would rise as the Atlantic rises at
Liverpool docks.
There are tens of thousands of
Christian homes where the sons and
daughtersare held back from dramatic
entertainment 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 establish
ment of such an institution they would
feel the arrest Of their anxieties and
would say on the establishment of this
new institution which have called the
spectacular: Thank God. this is what
we have all been waiting for
Now, as / believe that make sug-
gestion of an institution which wiser
men will develop, want to give some
characteristics of this new institution.
this spectacular, if it is to be a grand
social and moral success. In the first
place, its entertainments must be COM
pressed within an hour and three-Quar-
tiers. What kills sermons, prayers and
lectures and entertainments of all sorts
is prolixity. At reasonable hour
every night every curtain of public en-
tertainment ought to drop. every
church service ought to cease. the in
struments of orchestras ought to be
unstrung. What comes more than this
comes too late.
On the platform Of this new institu-
ton there will be drama which be-
fore rendering has been read. expurgat-
ed, abbreviated and passed upon by a
board of trustees connected with this
reformed amusement association. If
there be in a drama n sentence sug-
gesting evil, it will be stricken out. If
there be in Shakespearean play a
word with two meanings. good mean
ing and bad meaning. another word
will be substituted, an honest word
looking only one way. The caterers to
public taste will have to learn that
Shakespearean nastiness is no better
than Congrevean nastiness. You say:
WHO will dare to change by expurga-
ton or authorization a Shakespearean
play?" l dare. The board of trustees
of this reformed amusement associa-
ton will dare. 1t is no depreciation of
a drama. the abbreviation of it. I
would like to hear 80 or 10 pages of
Millions paradise Lost" read at one
time, but should be very sorry to
hear the whole book read at one sitting.
Authorization Is not depreciation.
On the platform of this new institu-
ton this spectacular. under the care of
the very best men and women in the
community there shall be nothing wit
messed that would be unfit for a par
Tor. Any attitude, any look, any word
that would offend you seated at your