Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-17

exception, for verbal vivacity) bad in
style. The spirit Of this age, however
favors large individual license, and re-
strictions that the experience Of the human
race has shown to be right and sa1utary
produce a noxious and deleterious play Is
free to do so, and, unfortunately, he Will
receive a measure Of public support and
ventures to protest against the enormity
will be assailed as a tedious prude ana
fossil Strong these rancid pieces GER
tainly are; but so Is an onion, OF pole
cat.
II is no adequate defense OF flthy stage
exhibition that II Is made in a clever way.
II should not be made at all. The rectitude
of the moral does not atone for the detile-
ment OF the mind. The greater the clever
greater the mischief. Some things can be
taken for granted-sewer gas, for instance
and garbage. The fact that these things
are Strong has been ascertained People
are not made wiser or better by being
deluged with strength" of that kind; nor
principle in the pretense Of good moral
drift The majority Of peddlers in this
morals" than they do for stewed prunes;
that Is all And they depend on the de;
public to reward and sustain their displays
OF scandalous connubial complications and
sexual sins, not unlike those In which that
public itself is frequently Industrious No
than the doctrine that it is right 10 show
anything and everything in a work OF art,
II only you wind up with moral precept.
Certain spectacles are, In themselves de
"morai" or however pungentiy they may
exploit a lesson EVIL communications
corrupt good ma "a These ssifaP;
have an important truth to learn-which is
that both themselves and their dirty
preachments are superhuous, intrusive and
impairment. Carnal, llbidnous plays like
dissecting room dramas of Mr.. Ibsen and
pTFfNg nm mr. nThf n
base ebulltions Of Mr.. d'Annunzo are not
moral and have no moral effect. The
dramatic scavenger is not made clean be
cause you put a surplice on him. A the
atrioal audience, I'm contact with one Of
these vile plays. is first drenched with slime
called morality" Nothing more clearly
demonstrates the futility OF such moral
gard with which It is received. There never
was any virtue yet In the force OF the
TERED from sin merely by knowledge Of its
evil consequences Experience Is full Of
proof that men and women do wrong with
the wrong and It's probable or certain re-
suits; The fact Is, that whatever may be
form Of drama is freighted, the lesson"
is so absolutely trite as 10 be Of no value
These concoctions Of amatory frenzy and
distress only present for public considera-
ton questions that cannot be publicly dis
eussed without offense to decency-obtrud-
spectacies Of ficentiousness, disease and
crime. The bare existence of such stun Is
In itself. crime against art; The sub
in medical treatise or by a convention OF
social philosophers; they have no right to
presentation on the stage.
No human being-certainly no creature
who Is likely to enter supposedly re-
spectacle Understands I'm need Of illumi-
nation as to the duty Of fidelity to the mar
rage vow, or as to the general conse-
quences Of fracture of the Seventh Com
mandment. 1t is folly to set up, in ex-
fies the views OF men, or fortifes the virtue
OF women, or expounds any practical truth
fnovIedq not All tby TN, thhing OF common
pltsh is the befoulment Of the spectator $
mind with sickening sense OF human
weakness, wickedness and vice, and OF So
cial corruption and decay. And perhaps
the most vicious OF all the results of such
tainted trash Is that It tends TO darken the
mood and defle the tone OF even the purest
mind that is compelled to consider It. When
the proposition is advanced. as It has been
wife who is convinced of her husband s
inhdelity should thereupon seek a para
mfo t' ana either commit, or seem to com
atrocious theme is peppered with fine moral
maixims and ford fulminations OF the ex-
superfuous but insolent Unfortunateiy
sueh pieces are sought and accepted by a
Sest eF ne class OF people who like the
swarm toward any suggestion Of Illicit con-
Duct Just as flies buzz over garbage pail.
made an eminent institution and useful no
society by reason Of splendid acting and
the presentment of ennobling works of art .
and, to a limited extent II Is SO now Rnf
the influence Of noble thought conduct and
spectaGie should be revived II never will
ne revived: however, until the public be-
comes sufficiently wise, intelligent and de-
Cent 70 stay away from all theaters IN
"hlch the decadent drama is presented.
Last week The Bee quoted from John
Corbin on the conditions of the American
drama with its Frightening prospects. and
the very present reward that Is the part
OF the author who has something that Is
worth while 20 produce on the stage. Mr..
Corbin's critical remarks have aroused
Burns Mantle Of the Chicago Inter-Ocean
TO some similar comment, with defense
OF the American writer. couched in the fol-
|. lowing terse and vigorous way, the senti-
, ment Of which will he heartily endorsed
, by those who have given the topic serious
and rational thought:
Being the opponents Of newer and a
brighter civilization, our dramatists have,
indeed. as Mr. Corbln intimates. been lin
tied IN their outlook upon life And likely
, they ever will he. We have no such condi-
tions in America as inspired Ibsen in Nor
way either political or social. There are
few cesspools in our country Into which tho
, sun and the settlement workers do not
, penetrate. at least spasmodically. Neither
do the toilers in even the worst OF our
| Factory towns approach IN misery the con-
, ulllNnS VFNIHANN'ple TOT 'ttanNelP' and THE
Viewers" And n ever we do produce dra
mattsts who will approach the depths ot
soul tragedy through the paths bazed nv
, these and similar dramas It viii only he
when our own people have failed utterly
shameless misery that Is the partially
; hidden curse Of Germany, OF France, and
OF England.
But we win learn-are learning. in fact
that stage stories are life stories and that
people and not puppets awaken IN any and
every audience the response Of reason and
intelligence. Through this knowledge we
Will as Mr.. Payne enthusiastically insists
! approach the problems OF our own land
) and our own people. and the American
dramatist, initiating 70 some but creatine
20 a far greater degree. will produce the
dramas which will stand for vital truths
} and virile lessons I'm the conduct OF Ameri
can Ike.
? Just now the land Is too broad and toe
prosperous. The sun shines and the square
deal policy prevails in theory n not ir
practice. There are problems and there arr
I men, vide Mr., Payne's friend. willing ant
able 10 discuss those problems with az
many hearers as they can gather.
. But play patrons want 10 laugh and grow
4 fat and so DO We maintain our eminenct
!, as comedy purveyOrs and gain no standine
as serious dramatists The time is likely Il
= come, however, when the excessively iov
full countenance OF our prosperous burghel
5 will lengthen into frowns, induced by
No woman'S happt