The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-05-18
Clarifying immortality
SOME EVILS OF THE MOVING
PICTURE WORLD - DRASTIC
CONTROL is NECESSARY TO
SAT- G U ARD MORALS OF
YOUTH.

Through the efforts of the Fedora
ton of Catholic Societies drastic laws
are proposed to govern the moving
picture shows of st. Louis. A bill has
been drafted by Circuit Judge Hen
nings, which requires owners of pic
ture shows to post signs at the
entrance of theatres on nights when
films of problem and sex plays are
exhibited and to refuse to permit
boys and girls under sixteen to enter
The bill provides a penalty for the
| owners who violate the law and also
for children who conceal their age to
gain admittance.
At a public hearing before the
Legislation Committee of the Board
of Aldermen, Judge Hennings declared
| that the morals attached to such
films are only fimsy thoughts to con-
ceal and excuse the exhibition Of in
decent pictures" The bill also places
| under the ban films that show abduc-
lions, kidnappings, Opponents of
married persons, mock marriages,
| robbery, murder or the interior of
disorderly house or thieves resort
| At the hearing it was pointed out that
| one of the largest and most popular
moving picture theatres in ST. Louis
had just presented two plays that
| were particularly nauseous to the
sense of decency. The theatre has a
large patronage of the best people of
the city yet it seemed to think it
must step over the bounds of decency
| to compete with the other moving pic
| ture theatres. The incident indicates
what is common in all our large cities
the tendency to exalt sex and dis
tinctly illicit relations of sex to appeal
to morbid instincts. One cannot be
| accused of being prude unless it
means to abandon the idea that
morality is virtue and that the ex-
position of immortality is not a crime
In many of the most popular dramatic
productions of the day immortality is
not only excused but justified and
sometimes even glorifed. The modern
author does. not go to the trouble of
presenting it delicately or by insinua-
tons or suggestion. The new realism
of sex discards figures of speech.
Nothing is left to the imagination.
The little child may read the lesson
| because it is plainly presented to him
in vivid pictures on the screen. In
unblushing nakedness the most in
innate details are presented to the
eye.
We have on occasion pointed out
the danger in many of our best
sellers Two of the most popular
books of the past year were frankly
land openly indecent. The theme of
one of them is seduction, while the
other glorifies adultery. The books
are called studies in psychology"
There was no Psychology in them
only a plain exhibition of anatomy
that taught no lesson and had no
ethical purpose for existence. The
only end that such books can accom-
plish is that they debase literature
and corrupt morals.
| Great as is the harm done by i'm
moral books it is greater when their
scenes are thrown on the screen. The
moving picture theatre is the popular
place of amusement in our day. 1t is
patroniZed by millions and is the chief
place in which the boys and girls
spend their evenings. Opponents of
the bill proposed by Judge Hennings
raised the question of personal
liberty and the interference with
parental rights" No plea of per-
sonal liberty or parental rights can
be invoked to justify or legalize the
corruption Of youth.