Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-20
VOLSTEADlSM FOR THE MIND;
AN AIM OF SOCIAL CENSORS
Magistrate McAdoo, Of New York. a
Broadway Play and the Triumphs
Of the Hush. HI ushers


IF A cautiously formalized. stcrilized po-
Iced and censored order of existence is
the ideal one. then we in this country should
feel assured of a long and successful life.
IL may be joyless life. but that doesn't
seem to matter at the moment
Despite all the savage cries Of objection
that rise now and then from quarters in
which unruly and undsciplned groups hold
out against the onrush of amateur crusa-
ders. the movement to bring all our habits
of thought. action and feeling within the
limits of formulae prescribed by ccnsors is
continuous and progressive. Art has not
escaped. Nor have books. plays songs,
dances. dress. the movies or the dinner
table. The good citizen us the social censor
sees him is one who has permitted himself
TO be roned down to dead and safe level :.
one who refuses to be moved by imagination,
Indignation free will or even a desire for
change from things docrccd by the gentlemen
who labor earnestly to police his mind for
him.
Th" results of all this sort Of thing arc
not inspiring. 4 little while ago there was
terrific outcry against jazz. Jazz was ad-
Now 1t is more prevalent than ever
1t cannot be denied that Mr. VoIstcads
law inspired fresh curiosity about hard
liquor among people who, without him.
might never have had any interest in it.
The righteous ragged about short skirted
bathing suits. Now the one ptecer is the
accepted thing. The progress of social GEN.
sorshtp since it began many years ago in
organized prudery makes IL clear that the
way TO better social discipline lies only
through "a restoration OF the rulc Of self
determination for the people Of the United
States
The censorS will not believe this. Of
course. Their activities are increasing and
they are seeking new fields TO conquer
Mayor Hylan. Of New York souinting
obviously at group by Mr.. Macmonnes
and wondering aloud whether its moral i'm
p!i"ations were all that they should be and
threatening TO "kick the thing out" was
grimly significant of the trend of the new
censorship. Comes now Chief City Masis-
trate McAdoo. limiting that he NAV close a
play that has been having a successful ran
in New York.
II is interesting 70 observe that the plav
is not obscene or, as the cenSorS say vaguely.
suggestive. II is not what broadway calls
girl-show. The author sought merely 70
reflect through his leading character the
psychological results Of ply steal strain and
loneliness and despair upon a human mind.
His subject was ships sokcr.
The stokcr was profane bur NOT co nro
IN mr. rllf,.
drivers or chauffeurs or tiremen can be in n
moving crisis. Magistrate McAdoo and tLe
people who eggcd him on seem 10 feel TINT
the language more or less natural TO a
worker in n ships boiler room might en-
danger the morals or corrupt the vocabulary
of Broadway. Broadway must be KEEP.
chaste. no matter what happens to art.
The futile hypocrisy suggested in such
incidents may be ignored Bu. the expan-
sion OF random censorship into regions where
it functions to suppress discussion of m
familiar but important truths is a most
unwholesome sign Of the times
The desire of the true social censor is .n
eliminate from the public gaze ANYTHING that
might suggest that all life is not easy. effort.
less. untroubled and as sweet as anv Of tho
softer passages from Tennyson. Thus +,
is unsafe to imply through the medium Of
sincerely written play that a stoker on an
Atlantic liner swears and fights and rcscnts
an atmospheric temperature of 13j deprees
and broods on the contrast between his wov
of life and the life of the promenade decks
far overhead.
Every one may dimly suspect that stokers
react in some such manner to the tribula
tions OF the stokehold But It isn't right 70
talk or think about it. II isn't right ,o
talk or think of any imperfect or ll,lpIe.sont
phases Of life. say the men who would police
your mind.
Bur. fortunately for America Il does NOT
submit easily 10 censorship. Long ago rho
collectiv" mind Of the country established it's
own highly intelligent censorship. II killed
dirty shows at the box office. II was grad.
ually putting saloons out of business Lr .
purely rational method. II was too healthy
a mind TO be Mortified by the sight of a prettv
girl in a pretty bathing suit. II turned an.
tOmatcally from unpleasant movies Il
wasn't riddled and weakened by unwbole.
some fears and suspicious dirpcIcd opoips,
every cheerful manifestation of rational
human impulse. 1t wasn't made sick and