The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09
CANT GO BILL SHAKESPEARE.
CRY HALL STATESMEN, EXCEPT
MARTY KEESE, AGIN HIM.

Alderman Downing Explains why He CD
poses Giving me Board OF Education .
5000 Auto Truck 10 Garry Around IT'S
supplies -keese quotes and Dissents.
When William Shakespeare was arraigned
in the City Hall by Alderman Frank Bowling
three days q the Alderman had no notion
that he was kicking up a big rough house
in bellies lettres. All yesterday afternoon
statesmen gathered in groups in the corridor
to discuss whether Alderman bowling was
within his rights when he joined with Hall
Caine and g. Bernard Shaw in declaring
Shakespeare a shine.
Little Tim lodged the question when
asked about It with the remark that he
didn't want to a~ntagonize the high brow
vote. but MaJordomo Marty Reese took
up the cudgel for the late playwright with
fire in his eyes. Marty Reese, who was
janitor OF the City Hall when Shakespeare
was turning out best sellers with the ease
n facility of Clyde Fitch, said that higher
criticism was outside the work OF the Board
OF Aldermen, and he found many to agree
with him. Alderman Bowling stuck to his
original statement that Shakespeare, 50 far
as the public schools are concerned, Is a
dead one.
Now, I'll tell you just what this Shake
speare trouble all is" said Alderman Bowling
earnestly. Clerk Jones Of the Bureau of
Supplies and his boss, Commissioner Wilbur
OF the Board of Education, have a notion
that they'd like the city to blow in IS 200
on an automobile truck to haul supplies
for the board. They asked the Alderman
to LEI 'em have the IS 900 to try the expert
ment' OF having an auto truck to"
But where does Shakespeare come in7"
the Alderman was asked.
I'm coming to that. all right. When
they asked for the money 1 opposed it on
the ground that IS 200 is too big a bunch
to experiment with. From that l tool q
shot at Macbeth and Julius Cesar and
that sort Of CUFF for school children. You
know a man doesn't want his little girl
going about the house saying. Out, damned
spotn ! indorse Shakespeare all right, but
l think twenty or thirty lines OF him to be
memoriZed by school children is too much
for them. So | said so to the Board of
Aldermen and also that the teachers would
be doing better il they taught my little girl
more plain and fancy sewing and less blank
ETY. blank verse"
The City Hall in general seemed TO agree
with Alderman bowling in the matter when
the news of the speech got around, all but
Marty Reese. There are only three bits Of
literature in the world to Marty, who, when
he isn't reading the Cly Record or absorb
ing those snappy lodge notes in the paper
published by the Foresters. is bending over
the works of Mr.. Shakespeare, tragedies
preferred.
I'm naming no nance. " said Marty, but
there are a lot Of people around these works
who ought to stick TO franchises and fire
plugs for theirs, and leave books to them
as understands them. Now, ! was for Alder
man Guilfovle a few years z when he
came out officially against Longfellow in
the schools, because Guilfoyle produced the
goods. He saw a little schoolgirl reading
a pOem-you remember. il was in the papers
then-a poem called the Ship Of State, in
which is ines about She starts, she moves,
she seems to feel the thrill of life along her
keel and naturally Alderman Guilfoyle
made a boiler about putting immoral poems
in the hands Of little children. I indorsed
him in that. Keep such stun ont Of the
schools, ! say.
Look AZ all the quotations he wrote right
| ont of his head. Don't You remember how
the Fool yelle TO GloNchester in King Lear,
Speak Do you not love this old man?
WHY. they used 10 saw that on the Bowery
when ! was a kid, and even to-day you VI
find il in the street cars. And that one
about
i've for those that love me.
Whose hearts are kind and true.
For the heaven that shines above me
.Nnd the good things ] can do,
And that one:
\ horse, \ horse. Ny kingdom for a horse
and 5000 automobiles not even thought
Of in his day, either.
They don't get ont that kind of PLAYS
of in these days. declared Marty
"One night this fall Tom Foley gave me
two tickets for a play mp on Broadw ay
! called His House in Order, and. believe
me or not, a lot of actors and actorettes
came out on the stage wearing the kind of
clothes you and I wear. You can see that
kind Of clothes right around herein fact
a darn sight inc when 1t comes to Alder
man Reggie Doull.
There wasn't \ fight in the play that 3
on the level. Sometimes a drama hits the
Third Avenue that makes a try at the Shake
speare kind but even there they don't wear
swords and armor. Did you ever see
Charley Blaney's For H is Brothers Crime?
That comes near il. where the strong boy
comes out dressed in tights and sticks a
sword into seven Of the villains just while
W alking across the stage. But when you
come " ay even from that show you don't
remember good sayings like Look before
YOU leap. and He who hesitates is lost,
and Every cloud has a silver lining, and
things like that which Shal -speare bats on
every other line
Alderman bowling said he didn't mean
to start anything. but that when he got
a chance to say in public that he doesn't
" ant to be awakened by the schoolchildren
in his house carolling the Morning Song
| TO Imogen- and to he put to bed every night
to blank verse, he had his say and sticks
TO II. He says he admits that Shakespeare
is the big breeze so far as he goes but that
he goes too far when he tries to crowd out
nIafn and fancy sew ing from the schools.