Sunday morning globe., 1901-11-17
LENORE White.
The Famous Model Writes a Pi-
quaint Article
ON THE ACTORS LIFE.
AMI Shows BY Contrast Tho Difference in The
Morals Of tho Men Of Tho Stage and Pul.
pit Lessons Of a Good Play More Effect
I've than Pulpit EIhOrtatIons - Interesting
Points PlthiIy Portrayed,
Written for NV suND,Y GlooE.

The question has been asked, Can
an actor have a good consistent char
acter, and, if not, is it possible for him
to lead a clean moral lIte? 1he mega
tive side OF this question has been set
forth by a very prominent Christian
gentleman, who bases his views upon
the fact that the thespian assumes so
many and so much different characters
tuat it Is utterly impossible for him to
have a fine individual character Of his
own, and lacking this, he lacks will
power, and, lacking wAl power the
poor unguided man, like a rudderless
ship, goes all to pieces on the rocks OF
immortality. BY these declensions,' as
Polonious would have said, the afore-
mentioned Christian gentleman has
writ himself down a DOgberry, or to
say the least, very illogical reasoner
The late Philip Brooks is quoted as
having expressed the same opinion,
but then Mr.. Brooks is dead and ii is
possible that his immortal part may
have become more enlightened. 1t
seems to me that the Puritan with his
blunderbus and Bible as still in evi.
denCe. and If the player declines to
accept the book. then he must be blown
into smithereens by the slugs Of those
moral but very narrow-minded marks
men. Fire away, gentlemen! Your
muzzled weapons are out Of date and
out of range, and your vision is Ger
tainly defective as to the nature of
your targets.
II. because of his many character
izations the actor cannot have a fine
personal character. then are the poets
noyelists. and dramatic authors badly
handicapped i'm consideration of the
same. Shakespeare. Schilley, Sheri-
dan. Thackery, Dickens. and all the
rest of the shining lights of poetry and
fiction and dramatic literature must
have been sauly deficient in the ele.
ments that constitute fine character
and consequent morality. Even the
sculptor and tne painter must be In.
cuded. for they too, delineate char
acter. and must conceive and imperson.
ate mentally before giving it form and
color. Does it not appear absurd that
men Of brains should employ such
fimsy arguments to prove the moral
delinquence of the actor? Is IL not
misdirected force that might be better
employed in elevating the tastes Of the
masses? There is no reason why the
actor should not be moral, and there is
no proof that he is not as truly so as
the lawyer. the doctor, or even the
preacher. 1t is true that temptations
are many and he often gives way, but
the same may be said of all other pro
fessional men who occupy a place in
the public eye.
The glamour of romance that sur
rounds the man of the stage displays
him I'm a very attractive light. and the
female moth hovers around him as the
proverbial insect hovers around the
candle. This notable fact Is the caus
OF much unnece sary bowling ABOUT IN
acLor's immortality and yet the poor
fellow may De innocent of any act or
practice which contrayenes the divine
commands or the social duties, But
the actor is not alone the object of this
force of female alteration. All men
who have reached fame, as artist auth
or. statesman. or orator are subjected
to II. and II they will acknowledge to
the truth they will admit 1t is the
sweetest of all incense offered at their
shrines.
Inc man who breaches your Sunday
sermon and inveighs so glibly against
the actors immortality, If he is fairly
eloauent and good looking, has been
fattered and inspired by 1t, and has
often given way to the sweet tempta
tion. The percentage of clerical gen
tleman who have been cropped Of theiI
hair, by some modern Della is quite as
large as that among the actors; but II
is not necessary to publish a list OF
those fallen angels, as it would mol
be conducive to morality nor in gooC
taste to do so.
The prominent Christian gentleman
who declares that the actor cannot havO
a fine character, If he is deeply inter
ested in the moral welfare OF the maI
of the stage, should begin mis- work o
reformation with the pulpit, ana le
that WORK of reformation be so pro
nounced as to reach the understanding
of the masses,
The stage is the offspring Of tn
Christian church. although a mig
order of Greek and Roman drama exist
q. 500 years before the birth Of IN
Redeemer. If. then, the stage had II
inception from the church, why shou.
the church, or at least the church me
show their narrow-minded antagonist
TO the actor? He merely performs hi
allotted part, and often more conscient
ously and effectively than the man VIII
ISLANDERS him. The plays are seiecte
by the manager and with view q
catering to the taste Of his patrons; b
isneither a reformer or a panderer, bt
simply a man of business, who cal
not afford TO pay salaries TO con
pany of players to perform to empt
benches; and If the selected plays haI
pen to be of the risque order 1t is b
cause the people want them, and if
actor is forced TO interpret them
give up his means Of a livelihood.
But tuere is a clean cut moral
most plays. and many of them appei
more strongly TO the better instincts
our nature than do the sermons
ine faulthnders. 10 is not the pro
ince OF the actor to teach morality, 0'
rather TO delineate the characters co.
celved by the playwright, and If sue
characters are clean, sweet and Who'll
some. he is all the better pleased; Dl
# they are the reverse Of this, his
compels him to give equal care TO the
deIlneation. and when he has done tn
he has fulfilled his obliga .-on to b
manager and to the people who ha
Maid their money to see and hear nh
IL aHsN Cor