Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb 1914 - Sep 1916 (assorted issues))

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74 MOT/OX PICTURE MAGAZISE tude, deterioration will surely come; and. with it. the end of the business, from an amusement standpoint. Perhaps Motion Pictures may, in the future, be used for educational purposes in colleges and schools and as an auxiliary to lectures, but if censorship is adopted as a principle, the inevitable deterioration in drawingpower will, in the end, work a total dest ruction of the exhibition busi ness. So let us prove our cause to the short-sighted — let the theaters be on the alert — let all who may be enthusiastic in their support of Motion Pictures be on the sharp lookout — let all of our friends and allies stand firmly together, each with a good, big stick in his hand, and whenever a censorship head (and it is a myriadheaded dragon) makes its appearance, give it a good, hard crack ! THIRD ARTICLE FOR THE AFFIRMATIVE By CANON CHASE MY opponent, in his second article, says: "It is not the duty of the State to protect the children, but of the parents and guardians." In reality, the first duty of the State is to protect all her citizens, especially those who most need her help. A mad dog is running down the street. Children are playing on the pavement. The policeman has a duty in the case as well as the parents. My claim is that wery child has a right to be protected by the State, in the most effective way possible, from immoral pictures, precisely as he has a right to be protected from smallpox or from criminal assault. My reason for not desiring any pictures to be censored, except those shown for pay greed for gain is the motive for showing pictures full of evil suggestions to the young. No one else will corrupt police for the privilege of degrading children. My opponent errs when he says that I am arguing that "a small number of men and women shall be given the right to decide for the American people what films they shall or shall not see, the right to exclude not only grossly immoral films, but also subjects to which the censors may object REV. WM. SHEAFE CHASE, D.D is that the merely because of personal idiosyncrasy," or that I want power to be given to the censors to reject whatever offends their taste or sense of propriety. I am asking that the ooard of licensers be given no other power than to reject films which, to trained minds, are clearly immoral. If the board exceeds these powers or makes a mistaken judgment, its decision can be reversed by the courts. It is more American to have »a few official censors, u n d e r legal control, supervise what is shown in Motion Picture shows than a few film-makers without effective legal restraint. Mr. Dyer says: "If the censors, in their decisions before the exhibition of the picture, would go no farther than the courts might go in their decision after the exhibition of the picture," then censorship is not necessary. I say it is necessary, because of the inefficiency, inexperience and ignorance of the police, juries and judges concerning the moral and psychological effect of bad pictures upon children. By Mr. Dyer's method many bad pictures are being shown, but very few are being brought to the attention of the court. By my method very few bad pictures could