The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-08
GIVE THEIR SIDE.


Statement About Sunday CLOSING.
To the Editor of the State Journal:
In Christian community Of the
type OF Topeka, where the standard of
citizenship is high. many bubbles
right and what wrong. AS a rule the
theatrical managers here have been
OF the better class. There have been
possible exceptions but It il to the
credit OF the city that they did not last
long.
started by minister at Leavenworth.
taken up by Judge Wallace at Kansas
City. and echoed all over the land.
against the Sunday theater. Going
back many years when the theatrical
profession was much like the obsolete
tramp printer, arguments were ad-
duced tending to show that the thea
ters are an immoral institution.
Although the idea has many times
been proven to be utterly false and
that immortality exists on the stage
only as it exists everywhere-in iso-
lated instances-yet this old preiu-
dice has been the basis Of a crusade
which eliminated in the bringing of
an action against the show houses of
Topeka to close them under q Sunday
labor law.
The law was sustained last week in
the theaters see no reason why II they
are violating the law and are compell-
ed to close their houses on Sunday
that others who are laboring on Sun
day should not also be compelled to
desist.
One Of the highest attributes OF the
American character evinces q spirit
of fairness that Is best symbolized by
the phrase "a square DEAL" Fair
minded men Will not countenance tho
punishment of one man where an
other equally guilty goes free. The
cry OF graft" that shook the whole
| union was the expression of this trait
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS rights for ev-
eryone.
The Declaration of Independence
itself was framed against measures not
| less unjust. il greater.
The theatrical managers of Topeka
| take the broad ground that their shows
are moral and high class productions.
That they are educational ami enter
tanning and of a character to be en-
| couraged rather than suppressed.
Seventy-five per cent of the people of
Topeka are non-church goers. A still
| larger per cent are theaters goers, as
| record of the attendance taken by
the City Y. M. c. A will testify. Laws
| are man-made. They are framed to
do the greatest good to the greatest
| number. No man is compelled to at
| tend church or a theater and the
| surest way to suppress either is to
withhold the patronage Of the COM
| munity and the very fact that Sunday
theaters have been a success in Topeka
is an absolute assurance that the peo-
| pie want them.
Any man who will look over a SUM-
| day night audience will quickly per-
ceive that the majority are working
people. The reason has been aptly ex-
| pressed by Mr.. Ward. an employe of
I =
for the Sunday show on the ground
that it is the only night on which a
| workingman can see a show. On other
nights he is weary from his labor. To
curtail the Sunday show privilege is
to doom him to work week after week
without amusement. For should tho
theaters close it is logical to presume
that all amusements-Vinewo includ-
ed-will in time share the same fate.
The opponents of the Sunday theate,
| are no doubt actuated by the highest
| motives. They believe that the per-
Torrance is dissertation of the holy
| day, but it is probable that nine-tenths
| of them are working without the per-
| sonal observation which should be the
| basis of verdict. Some time ago a
committee of church men was appoint
ed by the Ministerial Union to visit
| the theaters Of the city. They were
escorted to every playhouse by the
secretary Of the managers association.
They were shown the houses in action.
| Not a particle of variation from the
| usual routine was made. The only
criticism this committee-appointed to
| find the worst-could offer was that at
one of the moving picture houses a
picture was being shown that depicted
| a step-mother abusing child, and at
| another house a white woman was In
| an act with two small negro boys. III
nothing worse than these two acts ever
| happens in Topeka, the jails will be
| empty, and there will be no reason for
a law and order movement OF any
| kind.
| The managers of Topeka want to ap-
peal to all the fairness for which the
| city is noted. We want to point out
| the manifest injustice of declaring the
selling OF a ticket labor, while the man
who shovels coal at the Edison plant,
| the man who works the air and the
brake on the Vinewood cars and the
man who fills your auto with gasoline
are not working-or at least are held
not to be working under the present
Interpretation of the law
| We ask you to put the shoe on your
| foot and see If you would stand IDLY
by and be branded as law-violators
while others engaged in similar acts
are permitted to pursue their avoca-
tions without molestation.
TOPEKA THEATRICAL MGRS. As
| ISOLATION.
- RlIIl nlNCS BlIRNE0.