New-York tribune., 1908-02-09
ART AND BUSINESS.

On N. occasion of q festival which recently 90.
curred under the auspices Of THE Theatrical Man
80. Agaociation'' the president Of that society.
NJ Charles B,1rnham. manager OF WaliacSs The
o,rs furnished an edlfying tribute to the alleged
.,ce,,enee of existing theatrical conditions
.rhe comrnercialism OF the drama SAID N.Y.
purnham. "has justified itself We again
, ,bs cry There is nothing doing for art: thsrs
q. M shakesneare' The public gets al thu
Shakespeare II wants The theatre or to-day Is no
Chicago University Carnegie library it you
,ook after the financial end Of tine drama Thics 70
the main thing. the PUBIC hidS O0 HNS- - 4iAaA-
tain high standard
The public "may''-and then. again. the publ,
may not Exactly where "the cry heala oy Air-
Burnham has become audible and exactly how hs
knows that the public whch never iOrhuia-es its
wishes gets all the Shakespeare II wants that
o-o,or neglected to state. He was. however fEalk.
at least in acknowledging THE conrnercaiism OF
the drama: all managers are not WILING TO be
eoualIy explicit IL honest to declare that the
main thing is the financial end OF the drama
e. r,oragers of theatres loudly proclaim their
devotion to high ideals while steadily pandering
low
drama and incidentally, OF the entire oceEpa-
ton Of theatrical ulanagement-Justliied itseif?
On January g. at Boyertown Penn. taeat-s
--os burned down and 10 lives were lost The
news dispatch described the cause OF that tsrrbis
holocaust in these words: I'm front OF tne curtain
and serving as footIights was a TIN TANK. perhaps
eight feet long three inches wide. and three inches
80 ~ contained coal OIL and had about ten
TIGHTS ii E. buruersl. In raising me curtain a
nerforner accidentally turned this tank over. and
II fell to the floor within few inches OF the per-
sons in the front row.
Description Of the consequences OA Il1N Occur
renee has been provided
The APOSTLE Of "commercialism. MI Burnhan.
was interested in that calamity. foF ne VISITED
the scene of 1t and subsequently, ne emitted ths
sapient observation that If people would only not
get excited these terrible disasters would not eecr
There are persons who believe that IL the com
rnerciasrn' OF the theatre would justify irseiI oy
expeuding some OF the profits Obtained ny exclusive
attention to financial end OF the drama for me
purchase of footlights for all theatres under conroi
of contemporary magnates or "coInraefcIdi1SIh'
s,,c frightf,,l catastrophes would not be possible
In considering the position in the community taat
theatrical managers are entitled 10 occupy wiz
view TO determine the attitude tnat shou4d %
maintained toward them by conscientious pub
Iicist there is question to be asked Do the-
atrcaI managers conduct theatres solely for the
purpose of making money, or for tne purpose U
benefting society? The answer to that queSuon -
obvious: 1t is the answer supplied oy MI hUIH
ham Their sole object,-with here and tneTe an
excepton-is to make money. There Is no oplec-
ton to the earning of money, If IL is done Win aus
consideration of the rights OF others anu OF 1i-o
effect of the method pursued With theaCrlc@I
managers in general money-ge1inS Is their oniy
concern and many of them. besides -lr. Burndalr.
have plainly said AS matter or right ana
duty, they are under distinct and positive oolga-
ton to consider the public good before they con-
slider their individual prosperity In other words
when a man assumes to make use or one OF tAe
fine arts as a means of doing business, he as
sunles to WELD educational power: he under
takes.-whether he knows it or not. whether ne
means to do so or MOTTO influence the public
taste the public thought and the public ulora-s
Therein. accordingly. he assumes responsibility
much broader and much more important than that
which is incurred in any other business pur-
suit and he assumes IL under less restriction. oy
law as to the possible effect Of his conduct than
is imposed on the specuIator IN almost any other
business
The obligation Of honesty and honor rests with
equal nexorabIe force upon all workers. In all
branches of industry: but it is one thing 70 sell
boots or pickles, and another thing to disseminate
thoughts and emotions The more ascends
in the scale of labor the more exacrlng becomes
his duty to the human race writer OF novels.
for example,-a Scott Dickens. a Thackeray. or
Cooper.-might. perhaps. find the largest amount
OF personal emolurnert in writing stories calculated
to vitiate taste. injure public morality thus de-
base the community. But. IL he wrote such books.
he would be a criminal: and it would be defencs
for him say that made money by his crime.
or 10 aIIege that because he thus made money. the
public approved OF his actions. Intellectual men
have no right to make money by misusng their
powers The same sense OF recttUde.-but broader.
higher and fner.-that bids an honest tradesnan
sell nothing that will tnjure The buyer, entoins
upon the worker in the arts that be should con-
slider. merely the enlolurneut he IS 70 receive
for his work. but the effect OF that work on the
lives and deStinies OF The human beings whOm
it is addressed and whom it is likely to influence
Theatrical managers stand IN that position toward
the public Thoughts and feelings are the wares
in which they deal, and much they are bound 20
consider financial profit (for they have heavy bur-
dens TO carry. they also soernlly bound. first
and most of all. to consider the taste, The morals
and the intellectual advancement of the con1rnI-
nifty The manager who aims at monetary gain
as the first object Of his ambition and endeavor.
to the exclusion Of all higher purpose. IS Z Dis
grace TO his profession an enemy to social vel
fare To him. as TO the weird sisters. fair foul
and foul is fair Such men cOntemptibIe 70
the strong but dangerous 10 the weak There are
many vocauons IN which little IS 10 be considered
except the till No pe-scn IS obliged 10 assume
the management Of a theatre the direction OF
any artistic, educational force. II he deliberately
chooses such occupation and does assume H. he
takes IL Win all its reSpOnSl lDiJieSaad tae great
est OF them is moral and intellectual duty. No
amount OF asSerJIon-SUcl as is frequently heard
from theatrical janitOrs fatuisnt win Self-coul-
piacency-that conduct OF theatre justhes Itself
oy hnanclal gain. can viudicate admins traIiol
OF the theatre that benefits the purse OF al tndi-
vidual at the sacrifice of the public good
Wv