The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-04-17
AMERICAS INDECENT STAGE.
Decadence I'm Drama Is Poisoning Al,
forms OF Entertainment and In.
creases While 1t Reflects the Cor-
ruptiOn OF the People.


success Magazine has a most in.
teresting article on "The Trail of tho
Ienderloin" in the current issue. an
article on the decadence of the stage
which Is calculated to rouse the neo-
pie or this country to the realization
OF the dangers that menace them
Ihis article lays the blame for the
condition Of things especially on New
fork's tenderloin, which passes on all
plays that go out on the road, and
'hose which are pleasing to the de-
praved taste of those abnormal de-
praved people are the only plays that
stand chance. This country is be-
ing educated down to the level OF the
tenderloin. they are given all the smut
that they will stand and as they tole-
rate more and more, the dose is in
creased. The moving pictures and all
other public entertainments follow
their lead, and the trail of the tender
ioin Is over everything. Styles and
fashions for years have been led by
the New York tenderloin. Modesty
and even chastity is no longer regard
ed as virtue. Anything that oppos-
es the free riot of the licentious is
called most contemptously "high
proved The trail of the tenderloin
IS over everything. and especially ov-
er the women of the country. who
nave been for generations fretting
over their bonds of slavery to con-
ventions."
Another matter that is forceful,y
brought to the attention Of the read
ers of that journas Is the fact that
the terderloin is not wholly the blase
elements of lust glutted New York,
but one of the largest elements in that
support is from the Southern and
western man who goes to New York
on business and pleasure bent and
who wants to take a dip into naughti-
ness The remark is made that of all
the worst features Of the tenderloin,
none is so bad as "the deacon on q
Spree"
There is but one remedy, and that
Is for decent people to absolutely re-
fuse to patronize any of these enter
tainments that by pictures, poses dia-
iogues, lack Of dressing, gestures and
any and all ways, make appeals to
physical passions and to the baser
senses. The men who manage the
theatrical trust are given a vicious
roast, they insist that they must live.
but the writer of this article insists
that 1T would be a great deal better
Of the country If they did not live,
1T least, not in such a position of
power to corrupt the country
The public may find relief in man
aging their own theatricals, shutting
out the trust altogether. 1t is point
ed out that the boys and girls of the
country are being ruined, that morals
are being broken down, and that ey-
erything else Is following in the trail
ot the tender'oin through the infiu-
ence OF the stage and mankind's nat
ural viciousness and inclination to
things that are not clean and nice.
A licentious stage represents a Ii
centious and corrupt people, and the
time has come for reformation when
the public patronizes "the naked
drama'' and the most shocking of ex-
hibitions.
Attention is also called to the fact
that the failure Of the legitimate dra-
ma is not due so much to the fact
that the people do not want it as it is
TO the fact that the stage managers
do not know how to put decent things
on the stage and the public re-
cognizes their failure in this, not in
Shakespeare.
The article has attracted a great
deal Of attention in the country and
liberal extracts are being published
from t. The movement for a refor-
nation in New York is strong and
there is hope of the country aiding
that movement.