United Colleges - Vox Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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vox 21 Young Manitoba Lurking somewhere in these halls there may be a future premier of Manitoba, not to mention a host of prospective cabinet ministers. For their sakes as well as our own, for we are all Young Manitobans, we should like to point out a few facts which suggest that we have a job on our hands. In the first place, it is distressing to find that a man, or men, in high public office in Manitoba may have their integrity assailed on evidence which is confessedly too slight to admit of such charges in private life. Thus we have, in Manitoba, the paradox that the more neces¬ sary and vital one ' s reputation may be to a successful career, the more lightly may it be impugned. If Manitoba is to have in its public life men of culture and ideals, who value their good name, then this must be changed. There must be no lower standard when one is “speaking politically.” And, let Young Manitoba say, the best and and indeed only final assurance of honest government in Manitoba, or anywhere, is the value placed upon personal honor and integrity by the men who are in the business of gov¬ ernment. There are other things which concern us Young Manitobans. We want to know if ever we can escape from the sinister influences which may arise from the custom of all parties (with the possible exception of Labor) accepting se¬ cret gifts from interested corpora¬ tions. In the case which is at pres¬ ent so notorious, we do not know what the influence of these contri¬ butions may have been. But we want no such ready way of cor¬ ruption to remain open. We do not believe that it adds to the dig¬ nity and soundness of public life in Manitoba. It is an incubus which works in the dark, and may brood foully. Because we value our democratic institutions and the liberties which our fathers won for us, we young Manitobans are going to ask if any man will dare to tell us that the ancient dignities and salutary rights of our elected representative body are to be measured by a few dollars, or tens of dollars, gained per horse or any other power, on a commer¬ cial contract. Young Manitobans believe that what has been so dearly bought should not be lightly bar¬ tered. If bureaucracy, even if it is financially thrifty, is going to re¬ fuse to minorities the right of ob¬ taining information and the oppor¬ tunity to discuss important public measures, then young Manitoba is going to check bureaucratic ten¬ dencies. Young Manitobans are idealistic (we confess it), and we desire to be practical. Hence, believing it is bad both ideally and practically, we deplore the mistaken notions or doubtful ethics which could lead cabinet ministers, who are con¬ cerned with the disposition of pub¬ lic measures, to involve themselves in personal interests which might prejudice their action. Scripture to the contrary, we cannot prevent our left hand from knowing what our right is doing. Let it be said, how¬ ever, that we are hopeful that henceforth this difficult maxim will not be attempted by our public men. Among us young Manitobans there are those who believe that it is of more advantage to conserve

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20 VOX by lot from the first one. At the end of the contest a third list of five Judges was selected by lot from the second list and these five Judges decided the result of the compe¬ tition. The object of this elabor¬ ate scheme of the election of Judges was to avoid a prejudiced decision on the part of the Judges, although many a time the audience had the deciding vote. During the Dionysia Greeks from all parts of the then known world flocked into the city of Athens, and thus the audience was cosmopolitan in appearance. Actors, Chorus and Costumes The chorus, usually of fifteen, was chosen by the Choregus, any prominent and wealthy citizen who would undertake to meet the cost of the wages, training and cos¬ tumes of the chorus. They per¬ formed in the orchestra. The ac¬ tors, hired by the State, performed on the stage. The number of actors never ex¬ ceeded three, but each actor, owing to the fact that he wore a mask, could take more than one part. There was no limitation to the number of mute and subordinate characters which might be intro¬ duced at any time upon the stage. The only restriction was that no more than three of the more pro¬ minent characters could take part in the dialogue in the course of the same scene. The dress of the actors, always entirely distinct from that of the chorus, was similar to that of or¬ dinary life, but more dignified and flowing. The garments were dyed in every variety of brilliant color. The bulk of the actor was in¬ creased by padding his chest and limbs, and placing hugh wooden soles under his feet. Masks were employed in which every feature was exaggerated, to give super¬ human dignity and terror to the expression. In the earliest period of the Greek drama the chorus, chosen from the general body of citizens, was the sole performer. Gradually it began to dwindle in importance until at length either disappeared altogether, or sank to the position of the band in a modern theatre. Originally the principal part of the training was done by the poet himself. He was assisted by a sub¬ ordinate who looked after the rou¬ tine work and was called Hypodi- daskalos. But towards the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century, a class of men came into existence who made choral in¬ struction their regular business. These professional teachers were paid by the Choregus. When the contest was ended and the decision of the Judges pro¬ nounced, the names of the victori¬ ous poet and of his Choregus were publicly proclaimed by the herald, and they were crowned with gar¬ lands of ivy in the presence of the spectators. As to the rewards for the poets, the tradition was that in the earli¬ est times the prize for Tragedy was a goat, and the prize for Comedy a basket of figs and a jar of wine. Later, when the dramatic con¬ tests were organized, each of the competing poets received payment of money from the State. The value of these prizes is un¬ known. It is apparent, however, that the rewards were sufficiently large to cover the expenses of the old dramatists, who had not only to write the plays, but also to sup¬ erintend their production. (Continued on page 59)

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22 VOX the good of the past than to risk the new and untried project. But we are all one in deploring an un¬ utterably low standard of political mentality which could permit a member of the elected body to see what he believed to be flagrant cor¬ ruption and fail to make it known to the House. Young Manitobans do not want in public life a man, or a group of men (whatever.their political name may be), who could see a money cheque in the hands of a member, be convinced that it was a bribe, and not rise to defend the dignity and honor of the House. That they should use this knowledge equivocally four years later is no palliation of such con¬ duct. We had not believed that such a silence was possible to men who are in the British tradition, and have gained a measure of public confidence. Be that as it may, young Manitobans will be jealous of the honor and integrity of our representative body. Were we hon¬ estly convinced that such gross bribery was taking place, we would at all costs vindicate the ancient dig¬ nity and honesty of the House. To behave otherwise would be suicidal, for government by the people can¬ not live under such conditions. Also, we young Manitobans de¬ plore the mentality which could cause an elected representative to speak of bribery being used to “sweeten” the members of the House. O tempora, O mores! to regard bribery as a “sweetening” process! Besides the conservatores among us, there are radicals—idealists, not unpractical, whose faces are set to¬ wards the future. They believe that their program of social good will be achieved by a steady ad¬ vance, and by a realism in the fac¬ ing of issues. Some of these rad¬ icals will be thoroughly against capitalism, just as keenly as some of us are against socialism. But all we young Manitobans are agreed that if we are avowedly opposed to some economic or social institution, we will retain our integrity as thinkers and advocates, and not try to make private gain out of a sys¬ tem which we publicly oppose. It is fairly clear to us that pub¬ lic life in Manitoba is at present not very healthy. It is suffering from the threefold evil of great oppor¬ tunism, low mentality, and doc¬ trinaire myopia. There is some health still, we believe, in the body politic. It is not, however, mens sana in corpore sano. Here, then, is one of our jobs as young Mani¬ tobans. Unless the job is done, we must not complain if it becomes in¬ creasingly difficult for our best men to turn to politics as an honorable —and honest—career. But in any case, be they high or low, we shall have the men we deserve. DRAMATIC ACTIVITIES United Colleges Dramatic So¬ ciety is to be congratulated upon its splendid offerings on March 1 8 and 19 last, when appreciative houses enjoyed: “Brothers in Arms,” by Merrill Denison; producer, Mrs. Pyper. Caste: Nora Maunders, W. Conly, S. McLeod, D. Phillips. “The Shadow of Peter,” by Harry Green; producer, Mr. Eg- gertson. Caste: Eleanor McCurdy, W. Harland, J. McKidd. “How He Lied to Her Hus¬ band,” by G. B. Shaw; producer. Mr. Jarman. Caste: Phyllis Cates, J. Howlett, G. Punter.