The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-05-13
ARTIST MAKES PERT
REPLY TO PREACHER
Former Contends the Drama Is
More Effective for Moral Les
sons Than Preaching.
Holds That Church Is Doing
Nothing to Better Economic
Conditions Of the People.

Inc Reverend George w. Grannis,
secretary of the Lords Day alliance
of New York, in opposing a private
theatrical performance on Sunday has
encountered a, tartar.
It came about in this Way. Daniel
Frohman and Julius Hopp, the latter
director Of the Wage Farmers Theat-
r1cal leagues, arranged to give a pri-
vate theatrical performance in the
Lyceum theater on Sunday evening,
April 80. When news of this reached
the ears of the Reverend Grannis, he
girded up his loins and protested.
He wrote a letter to Frohman say
ing that the proposed performance
would constitute a Dissertation of the
Sabbath especially Objectionable. to
the moral and religious sentiment of
the community"
Frohman turned the letter over to
Hopp and Hopp wrote back as fol-
lows: 2
Eyes of Church Is Closed.
Dear Sir:-Mr. Daniel 'Frohman
referred your letter of the 14th and
his reply to the same date to me for
further consideration. The subject is
interesting and important at the same
time and because of this take pains
to add my individual opinion, to the
sentiments already expressed by Mr..
Frohman
To begin with permit me to state
that do not believe in anything that
savors of the church. The church
has closed its eyes and ears to the
terrible economic conditions prevail
ing today; the church is not taking
care of the happiness Of human be-
lngs on earth; people who work for
living are being burned, murdered,
exploited, robbed day by day in fac
tories and mines, and under such con-
d1ctions for any minister Of the gos-
pei to speak of 'divinely appointed
Lords days Of rest and worship de-
secration of the Sabbath moral and
religious sentiment of the community
is hypocrisy.
Charges Churches Are Inconsistent,
III you wish to go Ito church and
pray and at the same time permit
misery to exist and to be perpetuated
in the world you are at liberty to do
so. as are members Of your society.
But do not undertake to tell the COM
munity to be equally deficient in NOR
al purpose, and do not accuse US of
lacking morality, who are fighting for
betterment of the world right here.
This much for an explanation as to
my views
concerning the law, permit me to
state that the law prohibits all pub
lie entertainment of any sort You,
gentlemen of the church, are not OBJ
posing the violation of the law taking
place every Sunday when vaudeville
houses, burlesque theaters, places of
vice. give entertainments under the
name of sacred concerts to the gen.
eral public, Why don't you exert
your efforts along that line?
Drama Conveys Moral Lesson
"A drama is far superior in con-
veying a moral lesson to ministers
eloquence in pulpits for which the
minister gets paid on Sundays This
is business, pure and simple.
Our performances are private and
are attended to by people who prefer
the theater to the church. We don't
ask you to close your church because
we think you are out Of joint with
the age, why should you assume the
rights even to- suggest that we do
what you wish. The churches be-
long to the past and have now no
moral affect on the community, and
they know it. ...ss>.
I'VE. are fully informed as to what
to do. The German theaters on Irv-
ing Place, the Yiddish theaters down.
town, cheap theaters all over the city
are wide open every Sunday with the
full knowledge Of the police. Ours,
as said. is q private performance,
and none of your business. 49,
Cordially yours,
JULIUS HOPP."