New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-18

/ frequently been discussed and 10 most read
ers 1t must be quite tire5ome the lbsen
drama itself The proposition is that "strong
men, when they attend the theatre (an OF them
being. of course, provided not only with herculean
sinews, but with vast carnivorous appetites mental
well as physical. and a mighty digestion).
Quire profuse and ''gamy" form OF sustenance-
beef that is succulent with gore, and birds that
nger on the delicious confines of epicurean putre-
/ faction In other words, strong men" are never
! satisfied at theatre. unless they plays that
resound with erotic delrium and reek with carnal
/ filth. The reasoning is closely analogous to that
of Cousin Eenix, in "Dombey': whats the egtti-
mate object OF the drama?" inquiries that ricketty
| old rounder Human naturei What legs?
! Human natureI Then let's have plenty OF leg
! pieces, and I'll stand by you. my buck!"
/ PRECISELY why Il should be assumed that
! strong men" by virtue Of their strength. are
necessarily DESTROYS of gazing on odious objects,
inhaling bad odors, watching the silly or reckless
behavior Of bestially inclined amorously ipfatu-
ated fools, and having their minds drenched with
a swash OF moral pIatitudes so obvious notori-
Gus. and so hackneyed that they only impart q
| conviction Of chronic imbecty, nobody takes the
trouble to explain. The strong men themselves
have expressed preference Of that kind NO
strong man heard ca1noring about viril-
ity." It IS invariably the weakling who goes into
ecstasies about strength; the dyspeptc who pirates
about his stomach; the conscious coward who is
forever extolling courage; tho nksop who olathers
about strong meat" "A talking about his
I
about her virtue-and let him talk on" One OF
the oommonest of the silly notions of crude III
disciplined. feeble minds-particuldrV among
youths the notion that there is something
''virie" vigorous, free. and splendid in the con-
dition and conduct of profigats men and women.
The ascription to Strong men" of an inveterate
appetite for literary and dramatic ona4 "oul" ha'u
rally emanate from sckly and pullng ounce
Thomas Carlyle was a strong man. IL ANYBODY
| ever was; and uncommonly, refreshing 1t "out1
! bee.1 USte %
plays and Miss Olga Nethersole's acting
Andrew Lang once described, exceedingly We'll
+be obloue uncandid method OF disparagement-
the method that has been chosen by 1.-The FroVl-
dence Journal: Say that man holds posluoii
which he does not hold, then denosh IT. and he ls
confuted. This argument is the unfailiEs resource
OF ignorance. carelessness and spite; OF COURSE
is usually successful with the public
It never has been contended in The Tribune thaN
"a play is immoral because it is unpleasant 1t
never has been contended that the drama should
not deal (properly) with 1.-The relations of men ana
women It has been contended that when
the drama deals (properly) with The relations OF
men and women 1t tends to break down the bar
riers between the sexes. It never has been con-
tended that 'the modern dramatsts are chiefly Dent
upon destroying the institution of marriage Moth
ing OF that kind been said in this paper or
by this pen. has been said, however,-and 1t Is
true-that a play which depicts the proceedings or
q co,lrtesan and life IN e brothel,-such play as
Iris" or "Sapho lis. intrinscally, immoral and
pernicious IN its influence, no matter whether II
teaches or does not teach" the sanctmonlous
/ lesson" that "the wages Of sin is death II mas
/ been sald-and it IS true.-that when the drama
deals with 1.-THE relations Of men and women II
should deal with them inside the limits or decency.
The process Of teaching moral lessons by depict
ing the filthy minutisa OF vice has done more harm
than sny single force that ever was let loose IN the
eaIr,x of literature and art That truth is fortified
by all experience and has been proved to the hllt.
The specification Of those celebrated wages OF sin
has directed far moro practical Afternoon 10 tno
Sin" than ever it did to the wages" There never
WAS greater error Of belief than the notion that
| ,-,ovIadge Of evil will keep human beings from
doing evil Wrong is done. every day. ana by
nearly everybody, with the full CONSCIOUSNESS ce-
II ts wrong and that 1t ought not 10 De ooAeN '
/ tha. introduce audience into the S0U0''
! he-v6s like Mrs Tanqueray, and beasts IKE MI.
zseIdonaldo serve only to famiharze the rniros OF
that audience with disreputable persons ana nasty
themes No thoughtful person ever CaFt4e0 a"o'
from such plays anything but feeling OF cohlen4p'
for human nature and Of humiliation III 'ne coi4-
! seriousness of being nasmper or Inc houla" i0'0
! Many nersons-partierlarly the young-carry away
| from them a mischtevots curiosity about Coul'
sans: r. morbid interest IN an1atory lntrlsue' elo
tho wild notion, which has been the rum Oh 81
-nanv lives that love is above law. mat Is
| the reason why those plays are immoral The
tag at the end OF your filthy screed. does not IN
the least modify amelorate the mlsgulol's' &C.
! basine wicked influence that your hltny screeo
difuses. This has been said mere. anu edlu o0
explicitly and as strongly as possible ana TINS is
true, and this ought be said: and the necessity
fo- saving this has been forced by the multiplicity
OF rotten and pernicious plays-plays that olIuSe
eubtie contamination, deleterious as impure af'
as insidious as the smallpox and as loathsome
You cannot forever have your mind deluGed Win
nastiness without becoming either an invalid or
| cxa;c 1t has been said,-and II is fTWe-that the
4ecdency OF false teaching as TO the marriage rea
tiop and Illicit loveas set forth In certain plays
/ 1s,cy for example as "Francillon." "Rebelious
| susan The Second Mrs Tanqueray Magda'
| and Man and Supremacy, is to break down ne
,1rean the sexes the barriers established Tor the
rrotection Of the community, by turning the minos
! If Young men and women, who mostly compose
! +ba theatrical audience. the close contempla-
4to, and Intimate discussion of exceedingly IL
| delicate subjects. ,,, ,.
| ~. material for art" There are some forms OF
! human folly that can only be viewed with
| a sor+ of compassionate wonder. The hog wal
lowing in his congeuial muck is part or an NE
/ The cesspool and the sewer are adJuncts OF al
,,e Fsestiality in human nature and hideous oe-
| lefty IN human conduct have shown themselves
IN crimes SO loathsome as to be unspeakape- S7'
80 -ore and are, part of all life" (Glance at
.ra peV-spaper account OF the outrage anu h1l u0A
e moor Mrs. HOLSTER in Chicago. last SATURDAY,
/ - -aad the confession Of the miscreant VINO oio
80 awful crime1 The veriest tyro that ever
! .-,d upon the seductive waters OF the nelghoot-
| = s-aeronk could have instructed 'Ihe POW
! go Journal that the first principe ol ar
! Is selection-a principle continually Noialeu pS
= -,,r,ters of the decadent drama the -Ibseis'
Inc ,.-,tDc1,s and Shaws of this woful period MIR.
| - according to The Providence Journal
/ - q message for his time" So had Mother
! 60 So had the drunken tailor. Ludo"lck
CT,zaie+on. who preached that the Supreme