OUR SYDNEY LETIER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2972, 1 August 1891, Page 4

OUR SYDNEY LETIER.

jl kuM I'l'K (IV. N C'IKUKsroNDKNT.I SviiNEV, Jnlv 14. V\fkvv.ml'Y -that. is t(j f-ny, " evcrybody its i> anybody " - in nil lur.ig over Die vUil. ~f ill ■ " lvTiili.-irilt." *''-ir mid fiw.'iy the innM tiui.-hcd :i("lrt-m who has errr visited i.mi- -horc.i, flio rotnmunds the admiration (pf (ill wild liiivo cy<;S to discern tho Godgivp'n gift, of genius, (-(-prriiilly when accompanied by mi all-oonquerintf perseverance tind apjilicalion. Sarah Bernhardt is in herself unique. One nmi'f liolp thinking, however, flint the adulation which in poured out upon her is very indiscriminnting, and that n little healthy criticism would not bo out of p .KCO. When wo henr of genius, tho first, question tbat arises to our lips is: To what end is it employed ? Attila was a gonius, Napoleon was a genius, vet ouch left behind him a rooord mainly of destroyed civilisation?, of desolated homes and decimated populations, roriwps these illustrations may be thought far-fetohed, when a French actress—a butterfly of the hour—is under consider ntion. But if the butterfly moves large masses of poople, she moves them oither for ovil or for good. Which is it in this case ? Do poople como away from La Tosc* with a warmer appreciation of tho homely but perennial virtues which tnako up tho strength of a nation, or is vice ennobled ana coucealed by tho glamour of art ? I oan only answer this question by remarking that since tbo appearance the organs of puplio opinion hava been gravely disoussing in their columns the different gradations of Inst. There is tho Inst of the arch-villain in Z« Tosca, who compels his viotim to listen to tho groans of her lover under torture, and promises his release if she will accede to his wishes, and there is the lust of the French scigniur who oasts the handkerchief among tho girls of his village. It e«oms to uio that an exhibition which forms the pretext for discussion of this character is distinctly and horribly bad. It. cannot bo redeemed by any display of genius. It drags down to its own degraded level the genius which stoops to wako uso of it. How different the feeliugs which were excited by the presentation of " Little Lord Fauntleroy," for instance, to those which are roused by these Frouch diabolisms. A point of art is involved also. A (lelicato and discriminating genius, intent upon raising in its admirers an admiration for tho nobility of goodness and a conviction of its practicability does not seek suoh garish and revolting foils as those, It is a confession of weakness when one is compelled to rely on the obviosly horrible and revolting things superlatively evil, which ought only to bo mentioned with bated breath—in order to create a sensation. True art shows the real and all-engrossing significance of tilings which are apparently trivial and commonplace, the momentous issues which imng upon the decisions of the daily existence of all of us. La Tosca and otlior conceptions of the same unhealthy and delirious school is a distinct reversion to savagery—polished, perhaps, and cultivated, but savagery all the name. The people who delight in presentations of this character would, it is fair to suppose, be still more delighted by the reality. They would have revelled in viewing the slaughters of the Roman amphitheatres, and, by-the-way, when Rome had got to that pitch her so-called '"civilisation" was very near, its desewed overthrow. Without pushing this consideration auy further than is legitimate. I can only account for the admiration which these performances havo excited in tolerably staid and virtuous British communities by tho supposition that few of the audience understand the fall significance of what is presented before them, and that when they do understand it the moral faculty is held in abcyance by curiosity or by admiration of dramatic genius. Nevertheless, I maintain that genius, which resorts to sensations of this character, laid on, so to speak, with a whitewash brush, rather than by delicate and accurate touches, is not of tho highest type, and is, moreover, sadly misapplied. Of a similar character is the vulgar cunning which endeavours to attract audiences by tho liberal display of female outliues. Managers who compel their employees to exhibit themselves as nearly nude as the law will permit, would dispense even with these last remaining shreds of dccency if the law would allow them. Prostitution of manly principle, prostitution of the noble dramatic art, prostitution of the human form divine—a wholesale pandering to tho lowest and moat animal propensities of the crowd, in order to get hold of its small change, is about as mean an expedient as was over resorted to. But one cannot walk down ,Sydney streets or look at Sydney posters without recognising that it is becoming more and more common. The blood of youth is hot and headstrong enough, without gratuitous incitements. The tendency to demoralisation is already •ufliciuntly alarming. The drama, rightly used, is a most powerful means of restraining the one and guiding tho other. It is heart-breaking, however, to see the means of reformation itself perverted, and that which should give " light and leadiug " doing precisely the reverse. There is, of course, no outward similarity between the tactics of the exhibitor of ■' legs " in burlesque »nd the exhibitor of horrible crimes and sensual demoralisation in French tragedy. But both of them miss the true purpose of the drama, in that 111 present impure images and 1 ■ 'vo defiling memories where they might prudent tlio.-.e which are pure and elevating. I write in most honest appreciation and admiration of the talent and industry displayed, hut with a strong feeling of regret that it is not employed to better purpose. Politics still progress slowly and in uncertain fashion. As hinted in a previous letter, Mr Frank Cotton, although no leader has been formally elected by the Labour party, is looked upon as a representative man, and Truth, a rabid rcstrictionist " rag," shrieked wildly that overtures lvid not been made to him by the Government, much to the disgust of the compact little clique of would-be manufacturers, who hope by the help of the Labour party and the Custom House to dip their hands deeply into the pockets of the public. Whether it bo true that the Premier has made overtures or not, it is pretty certain that the Labour members will support the present Government until they have had a fair opportunity of expounding their policy. Another significant fact is that the Premier, on behalf of himself and his colleagues, has " recommended " to the l'astoralists' Association that they should meet the shearers' representatives in an unconditional conference. Nothing, by the way, could be better, provided the non-union pastoralists and shearers are also represented and that no breach of faith with the men who havo already been engaged for shearing is permitted. Hut however this may be, these are uumistakeable signs of rapprochement which may help to forecast the immediate future. The real business of Parliament does not commence until to-morrow, when the Governor will rend the speech which will be put into his mouth by his constitutional advisers. From what I have said, it will be gathered tint they have a Kood chanec of surviving the Address-in-Iteply by the help of the Labour men ; hut the latter arc so undisciplined, so torn by class animosities and by internal dissensions, and so utterly destitute of c'lnnilifttoriness or consideration that their support will be more embarrassing than their opposition, and certainly cannot bn relied upon to keep a weak Government in power against the steady pressure of a hostile majority. Therefore, let the events of the next few days be what they will, a change of Government may bo reasonably expected before very long

The Lnoour party have one good plnnk •n bhfir platform, for the sake of which is gw(.l Ueai of their unretwonableneas

and wronghc-adodni'ss has been condoned. T i t.'f. r to the asecitkm of the right of the Statu to t.l ki: l«y taxation the value of which the Statu has created—the unearned increment in the value nf land. No Assembly composed principally of landowners would e.ver wake up to the neeiT.sity of recognising this Mmple trnth of elen.entary honesty. It is this consideration which made so many member!! of the laio Assembly to he superseded by Labour numbers in Buburhan constituencies But many uf the ProtectionistLabour members are very ill-instructed on this point, aud gome of them have thrown it overboard altogether. It may just koppjn that representatives of the existing order of things may " dish " the new Unionism by pledging themselves to act 011 this principle of obvous justice. Iti 1 tiiu case tha so called Labour majorities would be very much diminished. They commit tnemselves to the stupid dogma that brain should bo subservient to muscle, which is as plainly false a s nuttm fitiqitc—to each his owu—is plainly true. Meanwhile, whilst controversy on debateable points waxes hot and strong, the first and most obvious duty of civilized Government—the protection of person and property—is shamefully neglected. Bullies and bruisers maul one another to death in the suburba, peaceable citizens are assailed in city streets by larrikin " pushes," females, one after the f ther, are assaulted in lonely places by some local " Jack tho Ripper," and for all the preventive measures that aro taken, it might be believed that we were destitute of police protection. And this, I believe, arises not so much from lack of zeal or efficiency on the part of members of the force, as from tho fact that they are numerically inadequate to the duties which devolve upon them. We lavish money like water on projects which are worse than useless, but the all-important department of police is stunted and starved.