Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-02-18


New York~Tha New York idea
has been a muehdlscmssef play. Peo'
pin have wanted to know why MIR.
IAnEdan Mitchell. sevelimg his satire
u divorce. was at pains To describe
u ~ 4 New York Idea.
II chose New York for my title be-
cause New York IL the greatest oi
American cities and reflects American
life" MFR. Mitchell explained: THE
plzy might have been called The
Chicago Idea or The Philadelphia
Idea inst a. well. 1 suppose. The
most explicit title would probably be
The American Idea"
In other words" remarked the re-
porter, You used the words New
York to mean America. inst m we say
Paris when We mean France. or
speak of Inndon when va think ol
England"
Precisely"
Why do You assume the attitude
you do on the divorce question"
The author settled back In his chair
tas N tn weigh his words. Mr.. Mitch
teii Ia anything but a flippant young
Imam Of the town. His urbane manner
land an almost imperceptihle impres'
Ision Of reserve nc once recall hls a.
lther. DIR. q. Weir Mitchell. the noted
physician. and himself a famous au
thor.
Mrs. Fiske suggested several years
Iago." he said. gravely. that | write
10 play with divorce as the theme"
"Wouid not such q play be- serious -
III there were children In a drama
LOT divorce II would be a great tragedy
u decided. however. that my pla,
lshould be a comedy"
"Acting. | suppose. on the principle
THAT ridicule In the most dangerous oI
weapons" suggested a representative
Of the New York Times.
mo. There Ia a great drama In tht
divorce question. If treated az a seri
u problem. | should like TO write
such a play. My decision was reached
however, to make my play 1
comedy"
ut has been suggested that you
methods resemble those of Bernard
Shaw. Did you have his work In
mind"
ANY resemblance to Mr.. Shaw,
plays In The New York Idea In quit.
unconscious. | assure you" Mr.. Mitch
ell replied. II know MIR, Shaw. hayin,
met him In London while | was liv
Ing there. He raj very kind to m,
when my first play was produced |,
England. | have never been a SUDDEN
Of his plays. though. | can almos
say | have not seen performances O
them. or course. | make a round o
the theaters every season. but | z,
away into the country to write M,
plays"
Life 40 the Author Sees II.
Then your criticisms Of moder,
conditions merely reflect life as W,
gee it?'
Marriages based on affection, low
atty. and n sense of duty are M
affected by the satire and rebuke /,
Imy play. Nearly all married peopi
Ihave quarrels. Where the husban.
land wife have q of loyalty an,
obligation they pass an unpleasant
Iday or 80 and then are good friend
lagain. With people like Cynthia an
lLohn karsIake. on the other hand,
divorce In the first thing that sua
Isests itself-the easy. the usual en-
lof a quarrel In married life.
who Is to blame for such a cond
ltion? The law makes marriage a civ
Icontract: divorces are easy to o.
tain. The church may place n ban o
divorce. Why does not that kee
husband and wife out of the divore
court? Can 1t be that the people | al
criticising have ceased to be guide
by the church,"
Mrs. Parsons recently suggeste
marriages on probation" suggeste
the reporter. lis such a SYSTEM po
sible?"
when we come right down to 1t,
MIR. Mitchell replied. do not som
marriages amount to precisely that:
The real trouble and the blame,
continued Mr.. Mitchell. lies deepe
than the foolish husbands and wive
I have sought to typify in MIR, an
Mrs. Karslake. The people | reall
aim at are the fathers and mother
OF sneh husbands and wives. WI
do they not teach their children th'