New Britain herald., 1922-02-13
STAGE MORALS

It shocks people whose thoughts 0 Il church edifce have been revercn
 thoughts always, who, even though they were not church attendants have | felt glad that such buildings were To catcd in their cities or communities 1 1t shocks such people to think of {
 debate between clergyman and z theatrical man being conducted iron
 church pulpit. But the propriety O the place where the debate betweer Rev. John k. Straton and w. A
 Brady took place yesterday is not un. der discussion. There may be reason in the suggested ment that Il
 good resulted from the talks possibly
 there was no more fitting place from
 which the words should be spoken
 than a church pulpit. Those who be- lieve, however, that the church is
 sacred to the worship of God will
 not agree with this attitude There is
 much to be said on their side of the
 question, also.
 Dr. Straton has assailed the morals
 of the stage. William A. Brady, pro-
 ducer of note, had listened until he could stand it no longer. He asked to be allowed to speak. The oppor- tunity was given him.
 No defense of stage people for the awful crimes they have committed is intended, and no word must be taken to mean that there are any mitigating circumstances in connection with their misdeeds if they have committed the crimes of which they have been ac- cused recently. When Mir. Brady said, however. that more people Of other callings are in prison than there are stage folks and when he said that the conditions among people following IS bad if not worse than conditions among people of the stage, there was ruth in his remark
 Of the thousands of men and wom- an connected with the stage there is not one but who is latent provider of ne-"s. If an actor or actress does wrong immediately it be- comes news of interest to many people because of the profession of the per son accused. Publicity is given it nec- as news. The alleged deed 8 made the subject of sermons and against crime and wrong. Had q person in one of the ordinary walks of life been accused of the decd | he matter would sink into oblivion, if t were a small matter, without at ention having been called to it. When 1 tage people do wrong the fact be- omes known immediately. They re- eive publicity, sometimes sought | ven by press agents The good deeds hey do and the days. weeks and years # good citizenship they pass, are un- leeded--and there are thousands of [ uch days and years, thousands of | tage people who never know days of he other sort.
 Mir. Brady said some things that were not true or which were xaggerated. He said many things hat it would have been far better had | hey been left unspoken. To his redit be it noted that some time ago e voiced his opinion that the pulpit vas no place where there should be onducted such debate His speak ng yesterday is said to have been by impulse and inability to it still and listen to the charges made y Dr. Straton without reply
 But Mir. Brady said one thing that , worthy of repetition and emphasis. his remark was to the effect that the ublic was to blame for patronzing lays other than decent---that if in- ecent plays were produced it was the ault' of the public. This, indeed, is the ruth. Producers do not put plays on 1e stage to please actors and actresses hey do not select plays upon which 1ey must spend their money merely ) gratify the desires Of those who will { ike part in them. They present plays 'hich the people want. They are to lame for catering to the depraved astc of the people, of course; but they ' re not as much to blame as the peo- le who demand such plays.
 Were a debate between pr. Straton nd MT. Brady to be held in a proper ace--somcthing that seems likely to much good would re- lit. tendency to make general un- statements, to the in
 Try Of an institution which has ought much enlightenment and cud-
 tion and pleasure 10 the world might , corrected and peoples eyes opened
 actual conditions in a field where IS the interest of the people.
 THE DAWNING LIGHT ' In no spirit of gloating. with no