The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-04
BY FREDERICK WARDE


/ faults on both sides. II is essential
4 That an actor as well as d clergyman
should be a man Of education. culture
ard imagination. and there never was a
I Period IN the history of the drama when
the stage possessed SO many men with
/ those qualities as today
While the nature of his urofeesiorl
and the present conditions that govern
: u necessltate a somewhat itinerant life
there are more men of substantial
character on the stage today that fulfil
their domestic. moral. national and
civic obligations than at any other
Period IN its existence. and in spite Of
! ire apparently demcranzing influence
OF their nomadic life I venture to as
sert that the morals of the draraat tic
PROFESSION are today as high as any
| otneF OF the literary, scientific or ar
tistic caIIings.
Most of us have had Christian par
ents, and the elementary principles of
morality and religion have been in
sellled into our hearts and minds from
cnildhOOd, and time, thought and ex-
perlenee have developed our appreci-
alton Of these matters from our vari-
our points of view: therefore. we do
. not want missionaries. but we do want
recognition of the integrity of our mo-
Row can this be accomplished but by
yves and the sincerity of our actions.
DeLLer acquaintance? We do not con-
deInn the church because il has some
unholy pastors. Why should the stage
De canned because Of some disrepu-
taDIe members? The dignity of the bar
is not affected by the dishonesty of a
few pettifoggers, or the medical pro-
Iesslon by reason if its quacks. There
are black sheep in every flock. Then
Iet Us md them out, let US discrimi-
nate between them justly. let US honor
the worthy and the good, respect the
true and the noble. and while we
deprecate the existence of the vicious
ana the vile, let us-nOt by denUnci-
alton and exposure to the world of
their frailties, but by forbearing kind
ness, gentle precept and good example
-endeavor to lead them back to the
foid. with the assurance that with
reformation and integrity they will re-
ceive their just recognition according
TO their merit and deserving.
Pope's translation of the Had says:
injustice swift, erect and unconfned
Sweeps the wide earth and
tramples on mankind The stage and
its followers have suffered much in
Justice at the hands of the church, aF-l
nothing Is more calculated to rouse
resentment in the human breast than
injustice, and to this must be attrib-
uted much of the antagonism Of the
actor to the preacher. have suffered
from it, and so have we all. In most
cases it proceeded from ignorance on
the preachers part: then let US re-
move the cause Come and know us
better Do not stay away from the
theatre because some of the plays pre-
sented are not what you think they
ought to be. bur go and see them IN
dictate by your presence and patron
age your approaching of the good. the
worthy and the true. and show by your
absence and by every faculty at your
command your condemnation of the
meretricious and the base. Have the
courage Of your convictions, realize
the immense power of the drama for
good and evil, and cast your weight on
the right side of the balance Re
member we teach by example as well
as precept. We not only preach our
sermons, we act them. We give life
and soul to the creations OF the poets
mind; we arouse the sympathetic emo
tons of the human heart, not by the
lifeless art of the painter and the sculp-