Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-11
MOVING PICTURES
ATTACKED BY DEAN
Representations of Crime and
Murder Worse Than Fight,
Says Rev. MaCCormaCk
ASKS MAYOR TO INVESTIGATE
Conditions in Los Angeles Will
Bear Looking Into, De-
cIareS Speaker
ASKS MAYOR TO INVESTIGATE

ANY boy or girl can dig up or 10
cents, the price. of admission, and at
tend these performances with compara-
tive regularity. Think what effect these
brutal scenes must have on the sensi-
tive mind of the average child. Why,
it will give twist to the moral nature
of the child that he will find it i'm
possible to recover from If he lives to
be the age of Methuselah."
These were the utterances of Very
Rev. Dean William MacCormack last
evening in a forceful sermon at St.
Paurs pro-cathedral on moving pic
lures Of the recent prize fight.
WHO made Israel to SIM" was the
text selected by Dean MacCormack
from Kings 1929.
1.-The Old Testament Scriptures abound
in phrases just like the text" said the
dean. I'm the history which we have
of certain men, this amongst other
things is said that such and such a
one made Israel to sin. This additional
fact must be noted in connection with
this statement, that the wrath of Je-
hovah seemed to be especially stirred
for that reason more-a great deal
more-than for almost any other. L
cite this fact because it is one of those
eternal facts which hold good today as
ever In the past.
IF it were possible for us to look
into the heart of God as did the
prophets of old we should find that his
anger grows warm at the present when
men cause others to sin, as it does on
no other occasion.
"I have long desired TO preach on
this text, but the occasion did not seem
to offer itself until the present. When
1 read of the protests that were made
against the exhibition of the pictures of
the alleged prize fight which took place
at Reno last Monday afternoon my
thoughts travelled back to the words of
this text. 1 sympathiZe with those who
are making a fight against the pictures,
and 1 believe that incalculable harm
will be done If permission is granted TO
present the scenes enacted at the ring
side.
II think of all the utterances 1 read
that of Archbishop Ireland more than
others emphasized the great and grave
dangers of the situation. He called at
tention to the fact that in many in
stances children compose by far the
larger part of the audiences at these
picture shows. Almost any boy or girl
can dig up or 10 cents, the price of ad
mission, and attend these performances
with comparative regularity. Think
what effect these brutal scenes must
have on the sensitive mind of the aver
age child. Why, it will give a twist to
the moral nature of the child that he
will find it impossible to recover from
If he lives to be the age of Methuselah.
1.-The words of our blessed Lord are
not too strong. 1t were better for
man to have a milestone tied around his
neck and to be drowned in the depths
of the sea than to commit such a crime
against the little ones of Gods king
dom.
PROBLEM Is GRAVE
"But in my judgment this local issue
is very small part of the subject. 1
think it must force us to look squarely
at the larger question. The problem
is not should the pictures of the prize
fight be exhibited, but rather is the
moving picture show as it is permitted
to operate at the present time a menace
to the public morals?
"I will say very frankly it need not
necessarily be so. 1t is no difficulty to
see that this form of entertainment is
capable of great possibilities for good.
1T can be a clean and decent form of
innocent enjoyment and the reasonable
charge which is asked puts it prac-
tically within the reach of all. In some
cases in this city think that this high
ideal is constantly in the mind of the
management. Whether 1t Is matter
of dollars and cents do not know, but
/ rejoice just the same that the ideal
is there.
''But in many cases this is not so.
Pictures are exhibited which, as I see
1t, must have a very bad moral effect.
Take the case of a murder. The nfan
commits a crime and escapes without
adequate punishment. Take the case
of a robbery. The thief breaks into the
house in a most romantic way as
though he led a charmed existence; he
appropriates whatever happens to be
lying around loose escapes all danger
and passes from the scene, leaving the
most favorable impression in the mind
of the audience as to the character of
the deed. When q man stands on the
street corner and breaches murder,
arson or theft he is put in the lookup.
Everyone recognizes that as a most
dangerous doctrine.
Personally if had to make a choice
[ would rather see the scenes of the
prize fight exhibited than many of the
pictures that are permitted. In one
case at least one man gets aWfully
punished In the other he escapes scot
free and leaves the impression behind
that he is somewhat of a hero.
81 think that the conditions here in
Los Angeles will bear looking into. l
must respectfully commend to the
mayor for his consideration in relation
to present day problems this verse
which recalls the anger of Jehovah to-
ward those in authority who made
Israel to SIM"
LIMITED COLLECTION