atre and drama, better expressed than in
the following common sense remarks from
a source no one will accuse of an ‘•other*
worldly” bias—the Universahst Christian
Ambassador:
It will be a long time before we become
convinced that the theatre can be made a
place of innocent amusement, where the
morals of society may be improved, and
their tastes purified and elevated. Let
any particular play-house be so reformed
as to become a fit resort for the moral and
religious portions of society, for
uncontaminated youth, artless childhood,
anti it would be immediately deserted by
the larger portion of its present patrons,
who would vote it a stupid bore, and es
tablish other resorts, where their vitiated
tastes and depraved appetites could be
gratified; and thus nothing would be gain
ed for public morals. * * * The
theatre must be viewed as only the expo
nent of the corrupt morals and lecherous
tendencies of certain classes of the popula
tion where it exists. * * * Theatres
are precisely what their frequenters would
have them; and so long as they depend on
voluntary patronage, they cannot become
anything else.
