The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-10-06
"HYPOCRITES."

lDlS mOSJ ODlecJlOHdDle HlIH WHICH
has been running throughout the
United State, was played at the AL
hambra Theatre in this city last Friday
during the day and night, without mo-
lestation from the constituted authori-
ties In fact, a board of censors passed
the same 1t was patronized by liO-
eral attendance of the best people of
the city.
Perhaps the vulgarity of the show
was it's least Objectionable feature. The
tenor of the whole play was damnable
assault on christianity and society.
Even the purity of love did not escape
it's blight.
A young preacher, foundering in the
breakers of his own miserable mistakes
and misconceptions of the world, lack
ing mental poise and unable to see the
beauties of the full and even tide of
life, uses the talents which God has
given him to chisel nude woman as
his conception of Truth. The figure
is yelled and at the appointed time, in
the presence of a large crowd assembled
to do honor to his talents, the yelling
is removed, exposing its hideous vul-
garity. Decency is outraged, purity
awed, the people abashed. Indjgna-
ton fans itself into a furious passion
and under its sudden impulse, the
people destroy the statute and kill the
preacher. The pictures depict the re-
surrection, the re-incarnation of Truth
appearing to the world in the form of a
nude woman walking in the woods, al
ways present but ever elusive, like the
rainbow to be seen but never to be
touched. The preacher and a few
faithful worshippers, follow this nude
and pleasant roads, then up the rugged
mountain sides where the earth breaks
with them and rocks fall on and hurt
them till at last all have fallen by the
wayside but the phantom figure and
the preacher. Truth plays hide and
seek game but at last allows the preach
er to speak to her. He says, "Since my
people will not come to you will you
not come to them?" Conserving, Truth
returns to the valley, visits the homes,
public halls and places of the people
and is rejected by them all.
In the whole of this, there is a vi
cious assault on state, church, home,
truth, honor and chastity. The world
is pictured as a mass of corruption.
Even the blissful lovers kiss, the i'm
press of soul purity, becomes the with
ering touch of sensuality. The pictures
make vulgarity the symbol of Truth,
purity, the abiding place of lust; the
smile of the world, the scowl of hate;
the glorious sun of righteousness, the
midnight of despair.
Some people believe that to teach a
moral lesson, a loathsome perversion of
truth must be taken as an object of
comparison and to this class of philos-
pliers, "Hypocrites" is a great story.
The most violent poisons carefully
used by eminent physicians can be
made to serve good purpose; but in
the hands of ignorance they are most
destructive of life. 'Hypocrites" play
ed to unthinking, undiscriminating
minds, leaves the impress of corrupt
state, church, home and society. I'M
questionable childhood will have every
religious instinct blighted while not an
adult will be benefited. The harm
that this picture does will lnger long
and by it many soul will be forever
damned.
That the State and Church need an
awakening no one doubts. They must