Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-02-07

in from them gutterish ideas and filthy
lines and obscene songs. =.
"Thers's Money In It."
l do not mean to say that all plays
and all actors are rotten. But you will
have to hunt pretty hard to find those
that are not. They will tell you that
there is money in the theater. Well,
there's money in prostitution and
there's money. in the saloon. Sure,
there's money in It. "
The theater viii give you what you
want and the church will give you
what you need, There's a big diff
ference betwsen want and, need. Some
times my children would ask for, an
orange and they would get the slipper
instead. Pardon me, rMa"--our child
rem.
Divorce Lurking in the Theater.
You,il find the theater trafficking in
love-why, that's the basis Of the aver
age play--and yet they call 1t art
You will find divorce smeared all over
the stage and adultery not even lurk-
ing in the flies. Why, there are shows
where they had beds right in the mid
die of the stage, and carvings on
which, If they happened in your own
homes, would probably result in your
receiving visit from the police.
haven't darkened the doors Of a
theater since 1 was converted, twenty
nine years ago, except, perhaps, to
preach. The last time. I went to a
show was at the Mcvicker theater, in
Chicago, and I'm not sure, but think
/ saw old Joe Jefferson in ''The, Crick-
ct on the Hearth" Now, I'm, not sure;
it might have, been Denman Thompson
in "The Old Homestead" They had
pretty good shows in those days, didn't
they? And you can bet that Old Joe
Jefferson wouldn't have stood for
what's going on on the stage today.
Crude melodrama, mawkish plays
and literary clap trap, from the staple
productions Of the average theater.
Spectacular drama! II 1t were not
for the leg shows the theater would go
bankrupt, All are not bad Who said
they were? ....-..,. -..,,....,,-,.,. 20 80.
But a. man runs no. small risk trying
to see anything elevating in the
theater.
1t is corrupting, educationally, COM
mercially and morally.
1t is upon the charred souls Of wo-
men that most of the men who are a
power in the theatrical world have
climbed to their height.
1t is almost impossible to find in
the theater decency and purity, a
"sow And ,Ye Shall Reap"
You sow bridge whist and auction
pitch and five. hundred ip the home and
you reap a crop of gamblers. ID,
You sow the dance and the ballroom
and you reap crop of brothels.
You SOW saloons and you reap a
harvest Of dSinkards. -. -,
You niust want a lot Of prostitutes,
or you wouldn't sow dances, you must
want a lot of vomiting. puking drunk
ards or you wouldn't, sow saloons and
you must want bunch Of gamblers or
you wouldn't play cards in your home.
If you've got any cards in your home
you'd better throw them in the furnace
when you get back there or else throw
your Bibles in the furnace, The two
won't mix. ..,,... S.. g.,
Oh. you needn't gasp! am hand
ing 1t to you straight! .... ..~nt.
There's no use having Bibles around
your home if you're going to make a
joke Of His word by playing bridge.
The theater is a caterer and the
churchs business Is to be a surgeon
for the truth. ...st, .,....
The only way to reform the theater
is to turn it into something else.
The church stands for what is right,
and the theater cares very little for
what is right and helpful.
You take. the leg shows off the stage
and it viii go on the bum. 49,.
The theater isn't. educational; it's
simply low lived and debasing..
Why, there are ,theaters in New
York that are putting on, shows that
aren't At for decent women to go. to,
let alone men, but you'll find them
crowded with men and women every
night. 1t would not be so bad if there
were signs on them For men only
but it makes me sick to think Of the
country,s womanhood being polluted
by such devilish productions.