The Washington herald., 1911-09-10

Joseph Ryan, treasurer, JolIu oI" D"i
ger.
The society's open letter to theatrical
managers Is as follows:
The American Federation OF Catholic
Societies has observed for some years
how the theater, which has such pow
erful influence for good or evil, has de-
Perforated to a woefully great extent.
We deplore that plays have been pro-
duced upon the stage which mock at
sacred things and moral principles
which the Christian holds in highest re-
spect. We deplore still more deeply that
these plays of first-class houses soon
find their way into cheaper amusement
places, nickelodeons. vaudevilles, and
moving picture shows. and thus reach
out to our American youths and chill
dren.
Plays Under Ban.
plays as Objectionable as Miss In
nocence,' Desperate Chance The
Hypocrites,' 'Kreutzer Sonata and
'Sapho,' which were condemned and
denounced as injecting the moral mind
and fiber of the nation. seem to have
been discarded, but there are still the
aters missing their high and noble aim
and debauching the minds and hearts OF
the theatergoers, and especially of our
young people. When plays like 'Sa-
lone The Blue Mouse The Soul
Kiss. The Girl from Rector's. The
Easiest Way The Girl in the Train,
The Girl in the Taxi Alma. Wo
Wohnst Du,'' La Samaritaine,' are
praised and heralded as attractions, we
feel that the theatrical producers and
managers are menacing the public NOR
ality and the welfare OF the nation. For
these plays, being based on abominable
sexual perversity and setting up a stan
dard of morality which is open licen-
tiousness, will gradually accustom the
spectators, first in thought then in deed,
to disregard and discard all Christian
modesty and will thus prove the grave
Of the nation.
The importation of risky German and
French farces and comedies like The
Foolish Virgin The Woman Passes,
and similar plays by Colus. exhibit such
morbid standard of moral looseness
that we may justly expect them to be
denounced by a sane American public.
If no check is put on such productions
we shall ere long have the lamentable
condition of the French stage duplicated
in America.
Our county federations that have
sometimes requested the managers to
stop salacious plays have been quteted
been expurgated, but the subsequent
facts showed what could have been an
ticipated, viz, that the moral filth and
poison were inherent in the play. At
other times a religious title has been
made the drawing card, or the unsavory
title Of the play has been changed with
out altering the subject. Such made
quate, if not insincere, attempts appear
to us as devices to silence public Criti-
cism without taking away the cancer OF
moral poison. Even Catholic papers were
thus entrapped to advertise nasty plays.
Protest Against Excuses.
We are aware that many times the
excuse is given the people want these
plays; give the people what they want
We most earnestly protest against this
allegation. There are thousands, nay,
millions. OF American people who are
disgusted with these putrid exhibitions.
We most emphatcally assert that themes
of divorce adultery, seduction. double
life. conjugal infidelty. free love. and
other worse performances exhibiting
sexual perversity are not what the de-
cent people want. The decent people are
not a negligible quantity, and the peo-
PIES ideas and desires must not be
measured by the sentiment of the vulgar
crowd of debauchees.
We are gratified to know that sew
eral newspapers have justly and mer-
cilessly pointed out the vulgarity OF a
number of theatrical performances, with
the result that the audience was small
and the financial return showed a loss
We also gladly notice the crusade of the
press against smutty songs on the stage
THE American people can expect to
continue as happy and thrifty nation
only on the sound principles of Chris
tian morality. We therefore demand
of the theatrical producers and man.
ayers that vulgarity, indecency, and
immoral suggestiveness be entirely
eliminated from all plays, programmes
advertisements, and posters. We also
request the Bill Posters Union. in ac-
cordance with the promise made to the
American Federation of Catholic So
cieties. to take notice of our demand
In the interest of our country and peo-
pie as well as of religion, we request
our State and county federations and
all individual members of our societies
to express their disapproval of the low
theater and to avoid conscientiously
all exhibitions of low tendency, all
salacious subjects, all plays that di-
rectly or indirectly ridicule or misrep-
resent religion, our CatnOllc pracllcesi
religious orders and their vows, all
plays that offend against the high re-
gard in which womanhood is held by
us, all performances that offend against
Christian chastity and modesty, either
in the subject matter or in the cos
tunes, especially certain burlesque
shows which seem to be beyond re-
demption.
Would Boycott Theaters.
I'VE earnestly request all members OF
our affiliated societies not only to avoid
such offensive performances, but tc
withdraw their patronage from any
theater which lends itself to offensive
productions. In this connection we also
ask them to watch the theatrical BILL
boards and to use their influence with
public authorities to prevent the exhibit
ton of indecent, immodest, and sug-
gestive theatrical posters which are OF
their nature a menace to the pure and
clean minds of the young.
Finally, we request all the animated
members to let this letter become known
and spread It in all their communities
to exert their influence in the public
press and in dealing with the public
officials, and to build UP in America a
sound and strong public opinion In favor
Of a clean and decent stage"