Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-26
ASON OPENS MONDAY WITH MUSICAL CONTESTANTS
D. w. Griffith
on the Evils
of Censorship
The Far-F AIMED Produces
Makes an Eloquent Plea
for the Free Movie

THIS Is the concluding portion of Mr.
| Gfi6iths little brochure on the rice and JdH
| Of free speech IN Americd. Mr. GRIFFITH
Is perhaps best qualified TO speak for the
| free screen because he has suffered much
| aud no, more than any other producer, has
deserUed the liberty Of production because
| the qVdHty Of his ioork Is so wonderfully
ht0h. Mr.. Griffith Is oenius. But he
| makes his plea for the moving picture corr
sidered not as the toork Of a genius but as
the pleasure Of tho common man. It 70
ISinterestin0 TO note that Mr. Grinth's forth.
coming spectacle Is called "IntoIerdnce."
However alluring the theory OF censor.
ship may be to certain we'll meaning peo-
pie, In its practical working out, experience
has taught us that whatever section or
class of the people may feel offended by
particular production, their objection is
found to have n vote value to the politi-
clans, who in turn are very often infiuen-
tial in the actual work Of the censors.
have already quoted a passage from
tho veto message of the late Mayor Gay
nor, of New York. but Mr.. Gaynor went
even further than this In his expression OF
legal opinion. He declared In SO many
words that the censorship Of moving pic
lures is direct violation of the United
States Constitution, because It Is an
abrldgement Of the freedom OF publication.
The press Of the country can awaken
the people to the truth of these conditions.
Already some of tho greatest journalists
OF the country have been brought to see
the light / quote here from Mr.. Louis
Sherwin, the eminent dramatic critic OF
the New York Globe, who, upon hearing
of the efforts to suppress THE Birth Of
Nation" wrote:
This is absolutely against public
policy, against the spirit of the Consti-
tuition, against the very life and es-
sence of what would be true American
and democratic ideas. The mere fact
of ha afi a
tion of the United States being shown
In an unpleasant light Is no argument
whatever. II this factor Is to be seri-
ously considered, there is hardly any
limit to which censorship may not go.
Again Bernard Shaw, the brilliant Irish
dramatist, speaking on the morals OF the
cinema In England, says.
The danger of the cinema
is not the danger of immortality. but of
morality people who, like
myself frequent the cinemas, testify
to their desolating romantic morality
there is no comedy, no wit,
no criticism of morals by ridlculc or
otherwise, no exposure of the unpleas-
ant consequences Of romantic senti-
mentality and reckless tomfoolery in
real life, nothing that could give a dis
agreeable shock to the stupid or shake
the self complacency Of the SNUG
the levellng down has been
thoroughly accomplished.
thoroughly believe that the principal
reason for the popularity of the motion
picture is that 1t softens the hard life Of
the plain people with beauty and sweet
ness, 1t keeps men away from saloons and
drink, because 1t gives them a place OF
recreation in pleasant surroundings; It
brings to the poor who are unable to travel
away from their own dngy surroundings
the beauty and poetry of living foreign
scenes, of people, of flowers and waving
grasses.
One thing remember, however unin1-
portant or however crude may happen to be
the mannikins that tell the story in our
foreground. beneath their feet are green
grasses and flowers. Behind this is a back
drop of beauty, of waving seas ourving
hills, or crested mountain tops, and this
backdrop must express a message of pure
and sweet beauty, for IL we believe, we
must confess that this was done by the
hand OF God Himself.
"The most beautiful picture ever put on
canvas. the finest statue ever carved, Is a
ridiculous caricature OF real life compared
with the flickering shadow of a tattered
film in backwoods nickolodeon," says DR..
Z. e. Slossen. of the Columbia University.
In an article entitled "The Birth of New
Art" and published in the Independent on
April 8, 1914
Nations of today are the result OF the
experiences OF nations OF the past Every
human being is made up of his own past
experiences. If all the people of today
were really educated ana knew the history
OF the world since the beginning OF time,
there would be no wars, there would be no
capital punishment there would be much
less evil from Americas favorite sins OF
hate, hypocrisy and intolerance It is ig-
norance that makes possible the horrible
waves OF hatred that have caused our many
wars and murders. inspired by politics, re-
ligion and all the various other causes
This Is the reason for the teaching of his-
tory. We force our children to spend many
years in school. At least a few months
of this time in an average education are
spent I'm the study OF history Six moving
pictures would give the students more
knowledge OF the history OF the world than
they have obtained from their entire study
Besides these, the vast majority who can
not spare the time for this study. could In
a few hours get an excellent idea OF the
history OF the world since its beginning,
from moving pictures. History is valuable,
since through the experiences and mistakes
of the past we are able to guide our foot
steps into the future.
For example, the moving pictures dare
not even hint the possibility of wrong con-
duct OF the Democrats in Atlanta; of the
Republicans in northern State; OF the
''wets" in another vieinityi OF the police In
of the Germans in Milwaukee: OF
the Irish in another community. Every
time you enter a moving picture theatre,
where films are subject TO censorship you
are forced TO accept such pictures as some
or otherwise appointed
board may allow you to see, and your IN
alienable right of freely selecting your
your literature, your philoso-
ply, your knowledge Of life. has been slylx
taken away from YOU