Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-01-01
GENERAL MORAL UPIIFT
NEICnl,n

Moral undertaking, on the stage and
off continues 10 receive a marked degree
of attention from the press as well a.
the pulpit. The practical lesson for the
public to draw is that so long as there
is a demand for the pruricnt on the
stage, managers of theatres will pandcr
to that depraved taste and so long as
salacious reading finds ready sale, it will
be provided by INSCRIPTIONS publishers.
Whenever we are moved to call for
the elevation of the stage or the purih,
cation of the press let us obey the bibu-
cal injunction and behold the mote in our
own eyes. How far do we help support
publications that print risque reading,
and TO what extent do We secretly enjoy
dabbling in the mire Of fifth Of lascivious
literature?
We have seen no more timely nor
forceful utterance on this subject than
that of Rabbi Wise, the eloquent Hebrew
divine. who declares that there has been
too much cesspool exploitation minus
high purpose and high art that no use
of chloride of limo ON tho stage. how
ever generous, will cleanse the polluted
minds on the other side Of the footlights
that the censorship which alone is needed
viii be exercised not at the city hail nor
by the police but in the home. and that
such a censorship must be not Of the
drama alone but also of the whole NE.
When all is said and done we men and
women, we fathers and mothers. can NOT
escape from the fact which stands out in
the sea of truth like a bold promontory.
that the home influence of to-day, is not
full enough Of the early companlonship
of our little ones as we'll as of our
maturing boys and girls; that we are
often woefully Indifferent as to what
our dear ones are reading; that while in
sisting that our government shall exert
every effort to assure them pure food"
for their physical bodies, we ourselves
are inexcusably negligent a s to the intel
lectual and spiritual food which should
mean the bread OF life"
If every family In it's own community
were to exert its influence on the side of
pure literature and pure drama and pure
associations as well as pure food, the
problem how to elevate the stage and
now to purify the press would become
merely incidental 10 that greater and all
pervading problem how to make life in
general pure and more noble and more
helpful and uplifting.
Our duty does not deal with New York
or Boston or some of the greater cities
except as we visit them and let our
lights shine dimly, Our duty is In Bur-
lington, and Montpelier, and Rutland and
other communities in which we dwell and
make our influence count on ono side or
the other. whether consciously or uncon-
sciously.
IL We ourselves exert "A clean and noble
influence on the thought and lives and
character Of our loved ones, we shall
not need to worry so much as to the kind
of influence they will exert upon others
but we need to beware lest while we are
trying to lead them Alright insidious in
iluenccs of others are pulling them faster
in another direction. The home influence
VIII follow them to school and into al
the various other associations into which
they come. If we can keep the sweet
and hallowed influences of the home fire,
| side uncontaminated in the lives of oui
children, then shall we truly do our par
to help uplift the stage, to purify tn,
press, and to cleanse the world of pol
luted minds and debascd hearts, both now
and in coming generations.