Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-20
STAGE CENSORSHIP NEXT
SLOGAN IN NEW YORK
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

NEW YORK CITY. April 1T
shall not pass"
This is the new slogan of New
York theatrical producers who are
now mobiliZing their forces to fight
the bill providing for state censor
ship of the stage when it comes up
in the legislature at Albany. In their
frantic efforts to avert such a calam-
ity, they have hit upon a novel idea.
They will consent, they assert, to
have all productions against which
complaints are made tried by a pub
lie jury.
According to this plan, the city
authorities would draw from a panel
Of 300 names a jury of twelve rep
resentative citizens to consider the
character of the production under
attack. If this jury, after studying
the show, should report against it.
then by a previous binding contract
all interest concerned-including the
manager. playwright and actors
would be compelled either to re-
model the Objectionable parts or
promptly withdraw the play. If. on
the other hand, the jury failed to
support the complaints, the play
would be allowed to continue.
In other words, by this unique
scheme. the producers hope to be
able to make the public the arbiter
In the matter of questionable shows
instead of a prejudiced state board
of censorship. probably chosen by
the very reform organization. re-
sponsible for its creation.
There is no board imaginable"
declares n opponent to censorship,
(which will not be personal in its
s,tI9panpta AND 20 that aytant 90
PRECIOUS and tyrannical. There is
no board imaginable which will not
do more harm than good IF
the board is radical. the range of
drama is as sur to be narrowed to
suit radical preference and purpose
as il must be narrowed to suit the
conservatives if the conservatives
should dominate. The state, in
other words. cannot possibly employ
censorship without to that extent
entrenching personal government.
That is the evil of censorship, which
is a deliberate accentuation of the
most dangerous element in public
control"
Even by the jury system a plays
fate would be determined by the
personal prejudices of twelve jurors,
but at least the jury would not be
dANdN AktS III II
would have the benefit of a variety
OF opinion. since that which seems
indecent to some people appears in
nocuous to others.
Professional Reformers May Object
The great difficulty, of course, is
in getting the reformers to abandon
their will-to-power activities and to
agree to the plan. To those who
recently witnessed the brave but fu-
tile efforts of the movie producers
TO prevent censorship in this state.
this difficulty would appear insur-
m%ountable, but the theatrical pro-
ducers evidently do not intend to
submit without a fight. So far,
however. their campaign has been
more subtle than offensive, their OBJ
ject apparently being to conciliate
rather than to antagonize the GEN.
sorship advocates. Thus. 1t is no
ticeable that the theatre and the
| pulpit have recently become very
friendly. Ministers of the Gospel
are now admitted to new plays on
the same footing with celebrated
dramatic critics; prominent act
resses invite them to tea, and the
theatres have beer offered to them
for the holding of religious services.
I IL all 6ldIAtu will lhC ACSthN w
bate in a Baptist church between
William A. Brady and DIR. John
| Roach Straton, who is the leader
of the movement for stage censor
ship. On this occasion DIR. Straton
indicted the modern theatre first
of all because Of the harm 1t does
to the girls and women upon the
stage itself, and secondly. because
the theatrical managers are capital
ling womanly modesty and making
merchandise of those female graces
and charms that God designed for
holy purposes.
Things that used TO be said at
stag parties are now openly dis
cussed for the benefit OF both sexes,
he declared. THE red light district
has been supplanted by the white
light district and the price of pro-
motion in many cases is the sur
render of virtue. 1t is no wonder
that under these sad and tragic con-
ditions one of these directors turns
lup now and then with a bullet in
his brain or heart" This last was
a reference to the Taylor murder.
In reply. Mr.. Brady commended
that DIR. straton had failed 10 pro-
duce a single fact. why doesn't
he pick out conditions in society
or in the department store, or any