The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-04

tuIes in Vermont was declared yesterday |
by 81 representative exhibitors of pictures
in Eagles hall. Organization was effected
to combat the measure with all the |
strength of the industry. j. j. Whalen, |
manager of the Strong theater, Burling- |
ton, was elected chairman and T. W Nc
KAY manager of the Strand and Grand
theaters in Rutland, was made secretary
Chairman Whalcn outlined the general
attitude of the industry at large and of
the Vermont exhibitors in particular on
the matter of censorship. remarks were
also made by II. ID. Sparrow, manager of
theaters in Bellows Falls and Springfield;
j. B. Hart of the Hart theater and Ben
nington opera house of Bennington; A X
Hall of the Strand and Music theater at
Randolph; Walter f.. Grace of the Black
theater at Fair Haven, and Alfred Black
owner OF various theaters IN Vermont.
=, Following the meeting, Chairman
Nhalen issued the following statement:
In many communities there are individ-
uals and groups of individuals who desire
TO control and direct the kind of films
which may be shown fOI reasons, which,
while to them sufficient, are not founded
lack of knowledge of the motion picture
and its most beneficial uses.
censorship affects not only the film in
dustry but the rights OF every citizen
The harm that can be visited upon in
vcstOrs and exhibitors III the motion pic
cents but in the control and direction OF
a great medium for public entertainment
and education in its widest and best
sense, the censorship idea contains ee-
ments of evil which would undo the very
fabric of our democracy
We are Il peODle governed in what we
see and do and hear by settled laws-laws
which state plainly and with accuracy
those things which are prohibited If 4
man builds a house or sells milk, writes
book, produces a play, publishes news
paper or makes a speech, he knows eX-
actly what he can do under the standards
OF established law. Every situation, bust
ness and phase Of life must be regulated
and controlled by definite Jaw. That law
emanates from our legislature and its ii
nal construction is left to our courts. In
no other way can personal liberty and
freedom of action be guaranteed
But now the champions OF film censor
ship argue that the motion picture should
be governed by new method of law and
4 board Of censors should have the abso-
lutte right to determine what other mil
lions shall have the right 10 SEQ and the
Judgment of such board shall be final.
Such an arbitrary and unusual form OF
drastic regulation savors Of the days Of
SPANISH
place i'm modern form OF government.
There are now ON the statute books
ample laws to cover the entire situation
and to prohibit the showing of any pic
turc which Is harmful or of an indecent
nature Why should the motion picture
because it is a successful and popular form
of amusement come IN Tor this unTeasOn-
able sort of control when the principle OF
censorship as applied to the press, the
spoken drama and literature has been ad-
judged evil
The motion picture Is nothing but a
combination of picture, silent drama and
literature. Each of these has been con
trolIed by existing laws and what plea
can there be that the three in cOmbiua-
ton are beyond the abilities Of the courts.
the legislature and the police to control
in the usual and accepted way!
The plea for censorship is really the
entering wedge of Il movement to censor
the press, the stage and to make a final
and deeD stab at the heart of personal
liberty. Three hundred years ago. a group
Of individuals braved the ocean and sought
danger to escape all this and now we
their followers. are forgetting Plymouth
and its lessons to listen to the insidiOus
plea Of censorship and through il to check
the freedom we now enjoy to decide for
ourselves what we shall do and hear
ii control of the. press, the novel and
the stage by handful of official cenSOr5
would be subversive OF the Dublics best
interests, how much more dangerous to
place the future of the screen in the hands
of political appOintees wit no law to guide
them save individual within or bias and no
power superior to their uuaided Judgment
as to what might not be safely shown
to a supposedly free people.
The creation Of censorship as a rem
cdy is far more nimical to our Institutions
than the evils sought TO be corrected
thereby.
No one will deny that there is room
for Improvement in the substance of NOV
ing pictures. But this is no easy task.
Public opinion is neither a definite nor a
constant thing What pleases one group,
offends another. The great body Of mo.
tion picture fans Is the real and natural
censor of the motion picture.
They see enough pictures to know what
they are talking about and it is from that
class should be sought true YER
dict Of what. is what and the
now the most OF the objections
to films are from persons who condemn
without seeing the nictures they object to.
These are the people who are spreading
propaganda as to the harm of the moves
and by constant clamor of improperly
founded opinion are making a lot OF other
people who do not go to pictures believe
thev are Obsence, indecent and harmful.
For sound business reasons, producers
are now doing everything to keep their
product abreast of the times, to make
them responsive to the real, vital, fair
minded public. Nothing can he done or
undertaken in this world which would
receive universal Endorsement. The only
thing possible is to set a legal standard
which is in spirit with our constitution and
prncinleS.
Official censorship is neither OF these
and is dangerous and un-American in the
orv and in practice is unnecessary and cs-
sentially unfair both to the public, the
producer and the exhibitor. Where it has