Mr. Birrell in the course of the debate talked excellent
good sense when he declared that nothing that the House could do would prevent people liking objectionable plays. The only effective plan was for people to determine that when they heard an objectionable joke at the theatre they would not laugh at it. This is, of course, only a whim- sical, but none the less striking, way of stating the old truth that a healthy public opinion is the only cure for foul- ness in literature or on the stage. Mr. Birrell also declared, what is, we believe, absolutely true, that things instead of getting worse are getting better. The whole debate was, no doubt, a very futile one, and in many ways irritating, and yet we cannot, in spite of the wrong-headedness displayed, find it in our hearts to be sorry that the English House of Commons still contains representatives of the Puritans. The Puritans made plenty of mistakes, but even when most un- practical they were sound at heart, and one is glad to see their spirit survive into the days which, in spite of Mr. Smith, we do not believe are really degenerate.
Previous page
