A PARSON IN A MUSIC HALL

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2745, 15 February 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

A PARSON IN A MUSIC HALL

Thk appearance of a clergyman in the Pflckham Palace of Varieties—a London music hall—caused a profound sensation. When thone assembled had recovered their* breath and had relieved their pent-up teelings by indulging in a hearty round of applause, the rev. gentleman, Mr H. B. Chapman, explained that he had attended so that he might be able to express his opinion of it as a member of the county council, as a clergyman, as a neighbour, and as « friend. He smoked a cigar during the entertainment, and at its close, having been introduced to the proprietor of the hall, he said he supposed that a good many clergymen would, say that it was a questionable thing for one of their cloth to #o to a music hall, and also 'for one of their cloth to smoke a cigar in such a place ; but if a clergyman couliamoke a cigar in his study at home, he could smoke a cigar anywhere else. He had travelled a L'ooil deal abroad, and he had noticed that in those towns which had no places of amusement and no opeuIngs for cheerfulness and music, the morality was the very worst. If people had ■no places of amusement to go to, then their passions found vent in a, manner they could not possibly do in public. He knew how difficult it was to draw the line, and lie thought that the iicopl* who started thin agitation ought io nave been placed in the position of ..catering for the public before they said jiQW.easy it was todraw.theline. . ~ . ilie tastes of the poor might not be his tastes* but provided the line w_as successfully ■■drawn,..and provided immorality was not infringed, upon, he thought that not only would the music hall do no harm, .but that it would do gwl.