The Irish standard., 1902-05-10
THE STAGE FRESHMAN MUST GO.

The STAGE FRESHMAN MUST GO.
The Irish-American societies of the
United States have at last resolved to
discourage the appearance of the stage
lrishman as he has been exhibited on
the boards in American theaters for
10 these many years.
In dispatch from New Haven to
the Pioneer Press, Senator James T..
Bree the national secretary of the
Ancient Order of IIibernians, voices
the sentiment of the leading men of
his race throughout the country in the
views expressed by him on the carica-
ture of Irish character on the stage
and in pictorial papers. What he OBJ
jects to is such characterizations OF the
lrishman as portray the worst features
OF the race and ascribe to it type
of Irishman which exists only in the
imagination of the playwright and
cannot be found in Ireland or outside
Of it. IAN Irishman," says Mr.. Bree,
"can stand Il joke just as well as Il
man of any other nationality, but he
does not enjoy a joke that belittles his
own race. Hereafter plays that eX-
ploit the burlesqued Irishman will not
receive as large patronage as one that
treats the nationality decently."
1t is high time for self-respccting
men of the Irish race to protest
against plays in which the national
character is atrociously misrepresent-
ed. The most Objectionable stage
Irishman had his origin in Lon
don and was the product Of
Coclney brain. The stereotyped
Irish play represented the Irish
man as cross between baboon
and Il chimpanzee. He was made to
sing so-called Irish songs composed by
Englishmen, showing the native of the
Emerald Isle as rollicking, drunken
barbarian whose only occupation was
drinking poteen and fighting at fairs
and races with anyone who dared to
tread on the tail of his coat.
He was usually dressed in outlandish
fashion and possessed a brogue far
worse than that used by Dooley and
Hennessy in the inimitable style of
Peter Finley Dunno. The Irish woman
Jared no better than the Irishman and
was made as hideous- looking as pos
sible. These caricatures of the Irish
found their way to America to the dis
gust of Irish citizens who sometimes
became so indignant as to drive the
actors off the stage, as they did in
Minneapolis twenty years ago.
The Irish brogue in English and
American plays is another source of
Indignation to the native of Ireland or
his descendant. In recent article in
the Pail Mall Gazette an Irishman re-
Dukes an English writer for manufac-
turing an un-Irish brogue. He says of
him:
Il have had my revenge on various
occasions, in London theaters and else
where, listening to his laughter at the
stage prOnunciations he himself had
established-he laughing at his own in
ventions, and 1 laughing at him. Irish
readers at least will understand the
grotesque stupidity of such pronuncia
tions as ''praisht" for priest, "swait'
for sweet, etc. When these phonetic
outrages are accompanied by a red
nose. Il muddy face, drunken leer and
n drunken stagger. the sight and the
sounds are very much more like an
English asylum for criminal lunatics
than anything anybody has ever heard
or seen in this island of mine. The
suffcrings unnecessarily inflicted on
Irish people in this way are consider
able. and call for redress. if only in
the interests of the Englishman. The
Irish never go wrong with ic. notwith
standing the English ''praisht," and
although the English actor invariably
makes it like Il in fair. When l first
heard ''prnisllt" l felt almost ill.,
The only effective way for banishing
the stage Irsllman and his brogue
from American theatcrs is for repre-
sentative men of the race to stay away
and attend only the plays that treat
tho Irish character respectfully. An
effort is being made to elevate the
Ii s!l stage by such artists as Dan
Sally. thnunccy Olcott. Andrew Mack
and others. The children of Erin in
.tllclic;, owe it to themselves to Oh
courage such men in the production of
plays that reflect credit upon their
nationality, and wherever they ap-
pear the Irish should patroniZc them
by their attendance. The odious stage
Irishnan should disappear forever.
IRE BOERS IN CONGRESS.