New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-09
THE TAINTED DRAMA.

wish TO regulate the morals OF other people-per-
sons who are loaded with lessons and who
choose the Theatre a schoolroom in which TO
discharge them. These self-appointed preceptors
declare themselves firm in the faith that 1.-The
wickedness of man is great in the earth. and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart Is
only evil continually; that their desire abdes
that the wicked will 'forsake his way and the
unrighteous his thoughts If some of these
distressed theatrical moralsts would lay TO their
own souls the Biblical monitor, "Oh Jerusalem,
thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest
be saved" the condition of the stage would soon
be amended. But moralists have always been re-
markable for vgilant quest of the foreign mote
and total oblivion of the domestic beam Mean
while therefore, they drench our theatre with
noxious food of gable as to the fracture OF the
seventh commandment 0he other nine seeming to
cause no solicitude) and that they call 1.-The drama
of IDEAS
The motive of these traders in moral punk can
readily be discerned. They want money. And they
care not how they get it. They know that poT-
of the public be lured with dubious topics
and they load the stage with sensational NTH th1t
is tagged with precepts, and then, In speclous sen
defence they valiantly advance the protective DOC
trine of "a good moral lesson" The playwrlgntS
who make these tainted plays the managers VINO
produce them, and the actors who appear III them
are sometimes talented, expert and influential pu'
they are not prompted by intellectual purpose nor
are they constrained by any sense Of moral oblga-
ton or any solcitude for either the pubic good or
the dignity of the Theatre. Their business enter
prise since ever the influence Of the nasty drama
of France first became felt, has ootruoeo an man
ner of offensive spectacles. various as TO detail
~ ,,forn, in tendency to pollute the silver
stream Of literature and 20 confuse and perpeX the
moral sense-the capacity to judge between rlsh'
and wrong.
discussion of putrid plays is neither sought nor
desired by any rational writer on draiIlauc SUI
iects but it has been forced upon such reviewers
| ciO
Ioi, ~ actors to recognition but OF the RESPONSE
biuty of writer's to the public: for 1t Is the duty
of intellectual to oppose materlalisnl anu
plebeian supremacy, and TO promote as Tar ds 'LeS
POSSIBLY can the dominance of spiritual ASPIRATION
n human life Within the last twelve months at
l.ae+ fourteen of these dirty plays have been
ebunted on the local public, and WITHIN the lds'
ten wears the aggregate number OF peTIoil1"Il
~ mis- decadent stuff has been in the Ihousdliu'
Persons who really believe that any lesson" can
he taught by such plays must proceed on ti
.+-o,,ga nresrnption that the whole community Is
IN need of enlightenment as to the diference pc
tween right and wrong,-a presumption which 10
on insult alike to morality and Intelligence. mas
ANYBODY ever met with dipsomaniac who was
kept from drinking spirits by the play or Drllh
tIac ANYBODY ever heard of man, young or ola'
who having.-like Mr.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sc
lac+ed a notorious courtesan fer a VIE SH0s
bic mind on seeing the play of 'Ihe Secohu VIZ
l-ncuerav'? Has a prospect Of "Rebelltous susan
. -, from matrimonial inf1delity by its
!
oostion that his wife will revenge hersen uS
committing the same crime? or has 1t ever MAJ
respect able society any more tolerant VI
Who takes that method Of retaliation; ana Is ~
sariousv contended that such result is ueslra
-. ..c,,,,o,, prevented any dssoiute young man
fro,, forming dsreputable ties with courtesai7'
Has .Zaza' or ''Magda ever contrlputeo " seou
. more tolerant recognition of women VINO nav
chosen a life of shame? Every IIlseraDie SIM -
. he Ti1ied and if possible, to be helpeu' oU' -
| -. . rooson vvhv decent people should be eXpecteu
- ocoord the same respect to ignomlng tnat my
ao "a virtue and honor? Has not the play Vi
,iI1e ,hv presenting, in its Enghsn CURSE d Spe
80 evcen+ional case,-tended to lessen the ooserF
o 20 9oraI 1au, bv exciting pity for trans
seor and bv practically declaring that she IS
quite as good any good woman, anu ~
worthy TO become a wife and mother All ua
! - ..+oacbers,, really have to say is that tine
uav of the transgressor is hard anu t'iat II -
-. no. society is not more charitaDe,-oecause
aaIIv there is no difference between the SAINT anu
-bs sinner except that the sinner mas oe 49,
| ou. The question Of "the social eNlI anu u
| sc,,Ia+ion are no doubt. important supJects
re- rec t+ is NOT the proper place for the discus
CO, Of them The theatre is chlehy suppoi'eu ~
the Young and the presentation OF 'iiese tte
% an average audience only results III Luz i!iiie
-. 80 Young people TO vile subjects, the eoh
! tnIa ton of which cannot do good TO them, ou'
! -. 40 ircsIculable harm. The invariaole thelie
! of these plays is the Illicit amour. "hal Is ~
| expected as a result of discussion OF suca 'of'
carried on between young men anu "o'iie--
! some of the persons who are honesL! opl'
these bad influences have only aooeo To '
custom bv ill-considered or ill-expressed views u
| axa,,,nIe DR. Felix Adler's recently puphsheo $40
| nt as tn the mission of marriage namely that
l. ss 70 keep the flame of human life burning ahu
thar this done, successful marriage mas peel
! found shows Of the doctor has been -correcp'
| o.o5, n strangely erroneous view OF an lnsutu-
| -, mitch is the cornerstone of civilized human
ooiaty The continuity of the human race "ihc''
arrarently is the learned doctors nane OF human
life &" was provided for by nature, ana no CAUSE "
| uviatv on that subject has, thus far, become
/ ;.t,,t. Marriage was not ordained with vie" ~
,,latton hut with a view to justice. decency. anu
- Marriage is a legalized compact, estaolsheu
3. ~ ,,ro+ection. primarily, OF the Individual
e,,aIa and generally, of the community Md
! It, under the legal arrangement MADE by ~
st, g. not only attended Gas II must always pe'
,,,o, a,ar the arrangement with great Ula4 10 tue
,,otbar but IL entails endless laoor ana Response
i,,eo, the father IF the institution of mar
-, we're abolished, the instinct OF sex wouid re-
~ INST as effectual. and the result would De IN.
.i,,,i,a,e license followed in a great number OF
49, ~, the males desertion of the female. u his
| - o,.oj4ance of responsibility and trouble
s,rtbar result would be the accumulation OF aool-
| ,toraI burdens upon those conscientious persons
! - fool constrained to fulfil their duty 10 each
-, and 70 their children; for those persons would
| $50 70 assume the care of deserted women ana
! ,,r,ess tabes otherwise left TO perish The legal
,rirctnle that causes infidelity to be declared a
| artr,e rests IN the assumption that man should
mot he subjected 10 the compulsory degrading haro-
-bi Of rearing children borne by his wife VINO are
| not his own. The tendency OF false teaching on
this gubject.-as it is set forth not only In WIG