Censorship Menaces Stage
But Producers' Own Fault
Vile IMuy* And Kcviii1!. On This S<a?on Have Set In Motion
Forces Ol' itcforin Tliul V> ill .Not He Stopped I'ntil
Slafi?' 1 - tltancd Lip Or Shut I'p
ii> HoltlKT T. sma LI,
t r?ii''lNI ?rtJ Th? UalU A4rmn?
New York. December 1?Censorship, gaunt and puritanical,
threatens the American xtajfe.
The reform forces wrr.ch
have'combined in ; n attack on
the vile plays ami revues pro
duced in New York this season,
are in such full cry at this time
that nothing short of a state
censor is likely to appease
them.
Theatrical munu;:< rs have failed
to heed the many warning signs h?-l?l
up to them. Tin y liaye Insisted that
the public wanted risque comedy an<l
costumes as n? ar I He >nud?* an urtj"*
tic considerations would permit. rhe
boldness of some of the producers*
has been little short of startling.
But now they are in a fair way of
reaping the whirlwind. Not only
are the professional reformers
aroused, but various church organi
sations whclh work quietly and with
out ostenstation. have taken a band
ill the movement to clean up the
stage and it i? not likely* they will
stop until the job Is completed.
A state censor here In New \ ork
would be the stage censor for the
entire country because of the fact
that more than ninety per cent of
theatrical productions nowadays ap*
planned and put on in thin city. The
New York stag*' has its influence on
all American drama. A New \ ork
"run" is the hallmark of dramatic
quality. Lately it has been in too
many Instances the hallmark of In
decency. So true is this that most of
the New York productions have had
to 'be toned down for the road. Two
pieces which were not toned down
recently were, suppressed?one in
Philadelphia and one iu Los Angeles.
Many persons In the "busines"
thought that nothing would shock
Los Angeles, but "Getting Gertie's
Garter." after an uninterrupted and
unexpurgated run in the Eastern halt
of the country, got the goat of the
hornet of the movies and the police
stepped in. ,
Augustus Thomas, the eminent
playwright, who a year ago was
named as the Will Hays of the spok
en drama, has not had the same right
of censorship over plays th-? t young
Mr. liays had exercised ov? r movie
production. Mr. Thomas has been
Inclined to stand aside and let the
managers try out almost anything
they wanted on the llroudway "dogs." !
Some of these dogs are now about
to turn around and bite them.
In the extremity of the danger
that confronted them, the producer*
are clamoring today to have the clti
sens* Jury plan placed In operation
They realize that is the most liberal
alement in all the reform ideas which
are abroad in the city. The jury
idea was evolved something more
than a year ago and was generlly ac
cepted at that-time, both by the man
agers and by the officers of the com
missioner of licenses for his guid
ance in granting permits to certain
play houses to continue in operation.
The stage wasn't so very bad a year
ago and so the plan fell into inno
cuous desuetude, or something akin
to that.
Now the stage is about nt the
depths and the jury agreement has
run out. The managers want It re
stored at onco and Mr. Thomas is
leading them In the hope that an at
tire Jury may shut r ff the more fu
rious and narrow minded Of the re
formers.
Certainly the established panel
from which the play juries of 12
men and women are to be druwn
has a liberal enough personnel.
Prominent among those near the
top of the list Is Bernard M. Baruch.
the distinguished chairman of the
war Industries board under Presi
dent Wilson. It also Includes Col
onel Tilllnghast L'Honimedleu Hus
ton. until recently half owner of the
New York American League base
ball team, a man who 'believes In
the doctrine of live and let live.
Christopher Morley. the scrivener;
Owen I>avls, the playwright; Morti
mer Schlff, the banker; Prince Pierre
Troubetkay. the artist; Will Irwin,
the writer; Otto II. Kahn. Interna
tional financier and head of the Me
tropolitan Opera Company; these ar?
some of the panel of 150 prominent
citlxens suggested for jury duty.
The managers today are eager to
place themselves at the mercy of the
Jury. They beg that some one pro
tect them from the gathering storm
and show them, miserable sinners
that they are. Just how they can put
their houses In order.
Until this new /uror ngalnst the
stage arose there has been organized
EAT!
NVinekream
It is no! only the brut,
bat it'i made in Eliza
beth City.
Wrote of Travels
And Discoveries
Colurobur and Son Ferdinand
Gave World Interesting
Travels
Washington. Dec. II.?Ask your
friends lo name a fi'W of tin- great
travel writers of all and you
will many names?Marco Polo.
Ilichard Hakluyl. Henry M. Stanley
?probably none will mention Co
lumbus.
If lie did and you inquired "which
Columbus" ho would conclude you
were asking a trick question
"The fame of Christopher Coiiim
bus as the discovered of America has
both overshadowed hi* own remark
ably observant account ??f what he
found amonu the Indies and the hio
graphical narrative*, of his son. Fer j
dinand CoPimbus." says a bulletin
from the National Geographic Sod
ety. -v?
"notli documents are accesslblc
and known to geographers* and his
torians. Indeed the lattcr's author
ship has aroused considerable con
troversy. yet they, are not read so
popularly as are"many other travel
rlassics."
Trees "StretchInir to Star***'
An example of the descriptive
style of Columbus is quoted from his
remarks about Cuba, which he called
Jnana, and nt first believed to |?e a
part of the China coast. Columbus
wrote;
"This Island Is surrounded by
many very safe and wide harbors,
not excelled by any others that 1
have ever seen. Many great and sal ?
uhrlous rivers flow through It. There;
are also many very high mountains
there.
''All these Islands are very beau
tiful. and distinuuislw d bv various
qualities; they are accessible, and
full of a great variety of trees
stretching up to the stars; the leaves!
of whloh I believe an* never shed,
for I saw them.as green, and flour
ishing ns they nre usually in S,?ain
in the month of May; some of them |
were blossoming. som?- were hearing
fruit, some were in other conditions;
each one was thriving In Its own
way. The nlghtlngalo and varlotu
other birds without number were
singinc in the month of Novemoer
when I was exploring them. There
nre besides In the raid Island J.ianai
seven or eight kinds of palm trees !
which far excel ours In height ana
beauty. Just as all the other trees;1
herbs, and fruits do."
Visitor* Were Celestial
Of the natives of the island* Co-!
Illmbus wrote:
"These people practice no kind of
Idolatry; on the contrary they firm
ly believe that all strength and pow
er. and In fact all good things art'
n pretty general demand for the abol
ishment of the state censorship of
films. It looks now as though that
movement were doomed to defeat
and Instead the censorship may he
broadened to Include every stage
production. legislation to that ef
fect already Is being prepared for In
troduction at Albany. Under such a
censorship (ho stage might easily
I lose much of Its legitimate virility,
'?but the producers will have only
themselves to blame.
In heaven. and that I had come down '
from thence with these ships and
sailors; and in this belief I was re *
c?*ived there after they had put aside
ftar. Nor are they slow or un
skilled. but of excellent and acute
understand!;:'.;; and - the men who
have navkpt'tl that s*-a give ai? ac
count of ev? r> thlu^ in an adinlrubie
manner; but Ihey never saw people
clothed, lu r this l.ind of ships."
.On* island v hicji jColuinbus calhd
Maleunin. probably Martinique. h<
b* 11?\? (1 to b?- inhabited only b> vo
llie'i.
"Tlies*" women." He said, "perforin
no kind of v.*ork of their m?x. for
they use b??*vs and darts; th?y pro
tect themselves with sh* ? is of iop
r. The;, t? lI nie r.f another |>l
:;i;d. wl.i?s?Inb il are without
hair, and which , abounds in ..olu
above all ot*i? r-."
A t' ?IMIlletvi.il l{e|M?|*t
i The evplot. r"> KUi.insary of th?
commercial aovanta-e* of t!ie i>i
ands said:
? "I promise ibis, thai if I am sup
ported by our mo??t invincible sover
eigns with :i little of tlielr help, a
much gold can be* supplied as they
will need. I?uhed as much of spice*,
of cotton, of clu wlnu^um (which Is
only found in Chios I, also as much
of aloes-wood, and as many slaves
for the navy, as their majesties will
wish to demand."
Interesting sidelights on the first
trans-Atlantic voyage abound in the
biography of Ferdinand Columbus,
based on his illustrious father's log
This Journal contained a surprising
amount of data telling what winds
blew, how far lie sailed with each
particular wind, what currents are!
found, and "everything that was I
j seen by the way, whether birds. fish
ea, or any other thin*."
Ix)b?trr Played Part
Every school child knows that the
birds cave the mariners their first [
tnklinu of their approach to land;,
the lobater has scarcely had his due|
for contlrmlnu the portent of the
bird*. Ferdinand Columbus writes: *
"N' \t day 4 September 17? the
y .iwi i d wih seen In much ureutei
?iu.iutity. and a -mall live lobster
w.ts observed aiuoiia tin* we*ds:
from this circumstance many af-J
li 1 in* ti that tin > were certainly ucar
the lantl."
dlt
t am! hi t::s!? ? f k? ? piliv a voium*
jtiri.al CohiuibuM frequently
I m! to 1.4 p his in*-11 from turninuj
ijf'i by ?:i|. 'vi| ai d ihu?'tiioiin ap-l
peal*. Following the excitement of
- 1 :? j? ia.r lli?. irregularities ol 1
f! ? fi t i|.;e - the i.; rratur sax s that
t',;>Jti:.?hu>-. II* c-il th.it it was ??cc:t-|
-i* ?:? d !?;. the poiar star makltiu a
rueiiit round th? by which they ;
? 1 ? ?.** a little satieli'd."
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l.iiilits Hot iiikI Colli Water, Hot
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124) POINDKXTKH ST,
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DOINGS OF TIIE DUFFS Thanks to Belly Jano BY ALLMAN
IT'S FUNNY HOW
TOM, VOU HAD ,
BETTER START TO ( vouR WIFE ALWAYS
GET READY" YOU nfTr? PICKS OUT THE NIGHT
KNOW WE ARE GOING
OVER TO BAILEY'S TO
SPEND THE EVENING
OH .TOM-YOU HAD
BETTER CALL MRS.
BAILEY ON THE PHONE
AND TELL HCR WE WILL
NOT 8E OVER THIS
EVENING- I THINK
BETTY JANE HAS
the COLIC ?
I'LL CALL HER \
RIGHT AWAY! /
v?V
TO GO SOME PLACE
WHEN YOU ARE ALL
TIRED OUT-WOW-BETTY
JANE MAKES HERSELF
KNOWN !
THERE ARE ADVANTAGES
IN HAVING A COUPLE
OF CHILDREN IN YOUR
HOME SOME TIMES"
THIS HAPPEN5 TO BE
ONE OF THEM" COLIC
1.00E5N T LAST LONG -
K
To The Kiddies
DO\'T FOm.ET TO Mill. THAT LETTER
TO S <\T I ( f. il S IX THE BOX AT OUR
STORE. HE fT ILL BE HERE I V PERSQ\
()\ THE III TEEM II OF THIS MOXTH.
BE SURE t \l) SEE HIM.
M.G.Morrisette&Co
MAIN STKEET FlIHMTUKE STOKE
-?*t -??: -fi -c-t -c-t -*?? -?.i -??!
S'posin'
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S'POSIN'. ?Oh, set your CHRISTMAS GIFTS AT
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f ancy Classitare
Floor Lamps
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Furniture of any kind
Toys
Wagons
Velocipedes
Doll Carriages
dames and Hooks
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Dolls in
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A
ta#:
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