The Greeley tribune., 1904-02-18
ON THEATERS
THE REV. R. ]. HUNTER DE-
LIVERS DISCOURSE.
Second Sermon Sunday Evening
on the Evil Influence OF
Plays and Players
on Public.

The Rev. r. J. Hunter delivered
the second OF his discourses against
the theater to large CONGREGATION
last Sunday evening. He SAID IN
pait:
"a queen wanted a coachman'
Each candidate who applied for the
position was asked by her, How near
to younder precipice could you drive
the coach and be safe?' The hrst
ssid within so many feet, the second
within 80 many less and so on, each
outdoipg the former in his boasting.
Finally an Irishman appeared and
when asked the same question ans
wered, 'Bedad, I'D keep away from
1t as far as liver ] could. There was
good philosophy as we'll as good sense
IN the answer. This is an age OF
recklessness ana We vie with one an
other in running risks. We cannot
afford to be reckless in our morals.
II the theater has even the appear
ance OF evil in it, we, as Christians,
cannot afford to tamper with IL.
We must abstain from all appear
ance OF evil.
at is not extraya0aut for me to
denounce the theater, for it has eeen
strongly condemned in ancient as we'll
n modern times by not few intelli-
gent moral teachers, and 1t was op-
posed not merely on account OF the
Incidental evil and abuses but also
on account of its influence and ten
dency.
"In an editorial DR.. 1IumbuIl
maintains that the profession OF an
actor is 10 aud Of itself unnatural,
baleful and radically wrong. His
main purpose is to seem what he is
not, TO initiate or simulate the lower
nature rather than the higher. The
essential requirements OF dramatic
art call for the portrayal Of the more
violent and unworthy passions, rather
than OF the gentler ana woIthier vir-
tues How can the impersonation
Of knavery. revenge, murder fail to
injure the impersonator? 1t must
have deleterious effect on his char
acter.
IAN English writer computed that
Irving had committed at least $4,000
murders on the stage, that Sullivan
had added at least 1000 more stage
murders than this to his list, that
Charles Wyndham had been divorced
from 2, 800 wives on the stage, and so
on along the list OF popular actors.
Can any intelligent person, asks Dr.
Trumbull, any person OF refined sen
sibilites or with fair knowledge OF
psychological laws and influences, be-
lieve that the deliberate purposed in
dulgence in simulated evil has had
no effect in deadening the moral ma.
tuie OF the actor to the elnrmity OF
the offences simulated, or dallied
with?
at is we'll known bv those who at
ten theaters that the absence OF
vuigarisms. profanities, indecencies,
IS not conspicuous even in the best
plays. Lit there be left out the friv.
olities, the sneers at purity, the SCOTS
At piety, and let there be Inserted the
good morals and the pure sentiments
which make for righteousness, and
the theaters would not be damned
to the doors. for the simple reason
that play goers do not 70 to the
theater to learn moral lessons.
"William Charles Macready, the
distinguished actor, would not per-
mit his own children to attend the
theater because he so well knew its
Influence and tendency.
when you attend the theater is
the company you move in the most
choice? l do not say there are no
respectable. spotles'ly pure ones in
the company. But do say that the
theater is the resort Of the idle, the
.dissolute and the off-scouring OF every
community. Where plays are made
up OF stories Of infidelity on the part
OF husbands and wives and marriage
Is treated as joke and the home is
depxeciated, there will be gathered,
to laugh and applaud, the husbands
who have deserted their wives and
children, the men and women who
know right we'll that the bill Of fare
will be suited to crafty the lower
appetites and passions. Do you who
are parents expect that your boys and
girls will not come under the in
fuence OF gay companions, the pimps
Of pleasure who In very short time
will undo your Christian teaching :?
The actors are not reputed as being
the most moral beings on earth.
While there are exceptions, 1t
II a notorious fact that scores and
hundreds Of these play mOngers are