The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-11-08
SOIIIe OI Ms
A CoRRUirchbishop, as
tMontreal Tfnihwiet L 60. ].

(Montreal Tru&,lEy1t3Sosss}
We have, time andtagatR sought to
accentuate the uttefahceS of our pas
tors concerning the Wage. 1t has be-
come so notorious that oiIr modern the
atre has degenerated, that very little
experience is needed to establish the
conviction that the stage today is a
fearful menace. One of the most SEN
sational papers of New York, the Jour-
nal, has found it necessary to come
out plainly in condemnation of certain
plays and of the spirit and tendencies
of the stage. 1t heads it's editorial
with the truthful assertion that "a
corrupt stage corfupts the people" 1t
may be instructive to take a couple of
extracts from that article. The Jour
nal says:
ut is amazing to note how thor
oughly and comprehensiyely the mod
ern stage contrives to belittle all of
those things which should be respect
ed. The Theatre Francois, embodying
the traditions of self-respecting artists
and authors, forbids on its stage even
the slightest caress of q woman by a
man. 1t credits its spectators with
Self-respect."
On our American stage, in a play
called Hearts Af1ame," a man strikes
woman in the face, a hard, brutal
blow, with a clenched fist-quite a step
there, from the old-fashioned tradi-
tions of the Theatre Francais.
In another play, Queen F'iammetta,"
there is presented an interior view of
a convent in which the nuns comport
themselves with lack of 6ignity-a rep
resentation as insulting to the feelings
of millions of good men and women as
it is untruthful.
On the stage today, old age is made
ridiculous, religion is made contempti-
bic, virtue is thought humorous, and
no part is thought worthy of the
star" actress unless it be that of a
character utterly degraded
A contrast between the great plays
of great authors and these abomfna-
tions that are today flung to the pub
lie, the writer says:
This country is in sore need of play
wrights with honest convictions, and OF
actors and actresses unwilling to de-
grade themselves for profit"
Although we rarely are enabled to
quote from the sensational American
press, still, when a serious subject is
treated in proper and moral manner
1t would be unjust to allow the timely
article to go unnoticed. A critical
question is that of the responsibility.
We quote again:
To what can be attributed the deg
radiation of the modern stage? To Law
all the blame on the actor and man
ager would certainly be Unfair. The
chief blame rests with the public.
whose stupid, degrading applause and
whose money encourage the flood OF
stage immortality"
And, in closing, we have this signif-
cant remark:
HE (the manager) finds that the
public taste and the public conscience
have been going down hill together
hence the present American stage"
This is, indeed, a sad story. but one
that goes long way to justify the at
titude of the Catholic hierarchy in re-
gard to theatres. and to silence those
who are so prone to criticise the con-
demnations pronounced by our episco-
pal guides. A lons and powerful SER
mon might be based upon these ac-
of the New York press.
1t is true such articles as these are
presented in sensational form. ac-
by Illustrations that SAVIOR
of yellow journalism" but that does
not take from the fact that the writers
Of them are beginning to perceive the
dangers of the stage.