Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-23
BROADHURST HAS
FLING AT LOCKE
PLAYWRIGHT DENIES CHARGES
OF M. {. PASTOR
CALLS ON MINISTER TO PROVE
HIS ASSERTIONS
Author of Brilliant Comedies Takes
Exception to Attack on Theaters
and Issues Pointed
Statement

4 George BrOadhurst, dramatist au-
thor of many merry comedies and who
is now in Los Angeles, challenges DR..
Charles Edward Locke's assertion that
the theater is bad and Ought to be
pursued and driven out.
DR.. Locke, who is pastor of the First
| Methodist church, in a sermon Sunday
/ scored the stage and the plays that are
being presented. He branded them as
immoral and declared they despoi the
youth of the nation ~
Mr.. Broadhurst, who is ia Los An
geles preparing for the forthcoming
production of his new play, "The Dol
| lar Mark at the Belasco theater, read
in The Herald DR.. Locke's vigorous at
! tack on the theater and promptly chal-
| lenged the minister to prove his asSer-
| tionS or withdraw.
In an open letter to DR.. Locke, Mr.
Broadhurst isays:
Once again a minister of the gospel has
| seen fit to assault the theater: once again 2
/ he either knows to be untrue or things
about which. he of his own knowledge,
| knows nothing whatever. In this instance,
you sir, the man.
If you are correctly reported in the news
! papers this morning, you in your sermon OF
yesterday said to your congregation: It
| the rheater-ought to be pursued and driven
out, as we would be rid of obscenity, arson
| and smallpox. 1t is a pestferous contagion
and should be quarantined and fumigated.
| 1t is a despoiler of our boys and places a
premium on RIGHTEOUSNESS and murder.
! Granting that some. plays are produced,
/ for the absence of which the stage and the
world would be better. does that in any way
| justify your wholesale denunciation of the
stage in it's entirety? Because some news
papers pander to the lower tastes of the
people, would you advocate the suppression
! of all newspapers? Because some books are
| immoral, would you desire that the writing
| of books be forbidden? Because some min
| listers despoil q quote YOU'D the women of
| their congregations would you class all
! ministers immoral and forbid the holding
| by them of church services? If you would
not, will you please inform why you
make an exception of the theater and ad-
] vocate the obliteration of the many because
! of the errors of the few?
This brings me- sir, to a consideration of
a very peculiar phase OF such attacks the
one of which I am now writing. Why is it
| that a minister, who views other things
| sanely and judicia1ly and who considers
| both sides of other questions before coming
| to a judgment, suddenly, when the matter
| of the theater arises becomes rabid intern
| perate and coarse and accepts as true the
statements of prejudiced persons without in
any way considering the testimony of the
| other side?
Read again. if YOU please, your paragraph
! which I have quoted above: "Obscenity,
arson and smallpox" ''pestiferous con-
tagion," "despoier of our boys and so
! forth. Is that the language of calm and
| dispas assionate judge that of a violent
and incorporate special pleader? I leave
! the answer sir, to you
You of course do not know that it is an
! axiom of who live by the theater that it
| is the clean and the wholesome plays which
| have the lasting success and make the most
money. Your whole attitude conveys the
| plays are the most profitable. In this you
| are greatly in error. Ben Hur'' is the
most successful drama in the history Of the
world. Is there anything immoral in that? :?
! The greatest successes of the last five years
! have been The Music Master Paid in
! Full "The Lion and the Mouse" and if 1
| may say so. THE Man of the Hour" Is
! there anything unclean or immoral in any
one of those? You see, my dear sir / give
| specific instances 1 am able to do this be-
cause I know these things of my own knoWl-
edge. You deal in generalities only, because
! you do not know of your own knowledge.
| I know because It is my business to. know
You take unproven things for granted be-
cause you want to preach a sermon
! Now L come to the crux of the whole
| matter.
| You say: ~The theater outrageously assails
| the sanctty Of the marriage vow and is the
| most fruitful cause of the curse Of divorce
| in our country" I challenge this statement
and acil on you for the proof
You say: The theater discounts personal
character and integrity" I challenge this
| statement and call on you for the proof 4
You say: TT burlesques patriotism and
| jeers at the home and the church," I chal-
| lenge this statement and call on you for the
| proof.
You say: 'Tt is despoi1er Of our boys"
I challenge this statement and call on you
! for the proof.
! You say: TT places a premium on licen-
| tiousness and murder" I challenge this
statement and call you for the proof.
The above charges either true or
false. You have made them publicly and I
! call on you either to prove them publicly
| or to withdraw them publicly
Awaiting either the proof or the with
drawal but anticipating nothing but a
| discreet and convenient silence, I am, sir
Yours truly,
| GEORGE BROADHURsT