The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-25
THE AUTHOR, THE ACTRESS, AND
THE MANAGkR.


DAILY -BatenNn Suit ia NeW YOrk-Cu-
rtSus speecn oil Hon. a. oakley HaAi.
We have already published the evidence in
this case, but deem the following speech for the
plaintiff by Hon. A. Oakley Hall, the eccentric
District Attorney for New York, as worthy of
attention.
Mr.. HALLS SPEECH.
Gentlemen Of the Jury:-For the asst ten davs the
whole people OF the county of New York nave re-
solved themselves INTO d jury TO decde serious
question presented to them about the rights OF a0Or
the whole county has weisned aud cons dered the
claims Of the poor man apainst the rich--of the
mIseIst ly taid car drivers AGAINST the wealthy mo.
noDols,s who opprss them. with one voice tnls
whole pubic and he mig1ty engines OF the press
are WIN these poor men, and am with them AGAINST
the railroad mono ohsts, as am with ever victlm
OF monopoly against hIs Oppressors. as l am to-day
with this plaintiff against the wealthy manager the
neh theatr cat monopolist, who denies m tho poor
with me in tins case too. AS 1 walk ND the steps
that lead to tbis Court as along the thronged
corridors, ! IN every lace the public verdict
already passed upon tins case no matter how your
verdict shall lie found hereafter 10 be see around
now, in this coUTt.room, crowds of anxious eyes,
watching the proceedings here with painlu lnten'
sity because to-day you are 10 settle question which
ir o interest 10 every ntCfary man, everv author,
eyery dramatic winter IN the CITY OF New York. Here
s o oues ion between rich theatrical manager who
believes he has cunnlnRlv evaded ali responsibility,
while he has reaped the benefit OF my clients abOr,
and a young au,hor who, trusting entrelY to the
hOICI OF the dcienuant, iahed to take toe precau-
uODs Tor security which man of business would.
AuU or, IKE all inventors all patentees and men OF
orginal genius, aIe seldom pracucal men. rner
thoughts tend always TO the higher ana emotional
tacuIues, and they live rather in world of imagina
tlou than ot business. All professional men are
caIeess OF the cOmmOnest practical precautiOns II
has become pIOverb that great lawyer the last
person the Ord TO trust with the admlnis ration
of h ow afIsns; you may search the CITY through
and you will find few rich lawyers rich doctors,
Tlcn clergy en-, or rich authors; professional men
are said 10 work hard live well and die poor" In
this pecuiarity of his must be found a reason
FIR Mr.. Daiy 3 making no express con ract with
Bateman and Tor so long period not wrnglng
from this rich monopoli. his rights. DAILY trusted
in the tair promises OF Bateman he believed in the
pretended friendship OF iather and daughter, who
were filling their pockets with the proceeds OF his
labor. But now, at last, wakened to tue character
OF the man he trusted he stands ioTtn TO clam hrs
night. / little of the facts of this case till
yesterday, when they lranspned on tins tna but
that htle showed me the KIND of man with whom
my unsuspecling client has dealt so long; and 1
stand up to-day as the champion OF his rights against
TINS man Bateman, and am ready 10 stand tortn
thus for any man this defen ant mas overborne
and deceived, as / believe there are many such.
What sort OF creature is tins Bateman? Gentlemen,
see among several of my fr ends who belong TO
the Israehte ma iOn-you know how for centuries it
has been customary for every obloquy to be heaped
npon that race, and It has passed mto a prOverb-
let future shakesp, take Tor the butt of scorn
this Southern. Yankee Bateman; let us henceforth
express our contempt by SAYING nNta,as mean e; as
lock Bateman! who says to this poor author
struggling Tor fame and fortune, You have made
not nominated in the bond! / claim the Pound of
Fieshp' Look at the two men! At Daly, who
his daughters ana look at Bateman, who sits here
IN Count to-day. The one you have heard give
only the poor price of his labor, which has
heaped up the riches OF the defendant; and you
have seen the lordly air Of Bateman this fellow who
struts up TO the witness stand-who talks with his
supercillous air about taking kindly interest in the
young man"-who patronzes the poor author that
made him rich, with all the pompousness that has
gwen HIM that nickname OF Lord Bateman," after
the ancient ballad which recites how that noble lord
''stoOd by his castle gate combmg Lis miIk-white
s,eed, this fellow who confesses that his dauphter
plays Leah" oftener than any other piece because
1t Is SO "per1ectly adapted to her talents" Whose
the genius that gave her this opporuutv to be-
come famous and rich! 1t belongs to the il-paid
neglected author that sues here to day N court for
What effort of genius was required to accomplish
this success for HIM and his daughter2 Let us see.
The play of Lean IN the German a very
excellent play -Ior the Germans; are French
plays very excellent pays-fOr the French
play 10 be successful must be specially prepared for
them-adapted TO their tastes moulded to the pecu-
haIihes natural to the Eng ish and American man
ners and feelings. Mr.. DAILY found translation of
"Deborah," dead, soulless translation, into which
ne Dreathed the breath OF me- lie saw IN IL the germ
which he cultivated into q native and original
drama; he adapted 1t to Miss Bateman's powers,
such as they are; he softened its power SO as to fit
her powers; he trimmed its breadth to suit her
cap acity; Whele her hsping utterance might tel
against her, he ARRANGED it TO conceal her lisp
where her voice might not be equal to its demands
he moderated it to suit her harsh voice. where her
1avOrite postures and gestures, her hands crossed
made effective, he adapted it TO find occasions for
them. So with all adapters. They find a foreign
play, like piece of cloth, they cut 1t to fit the
actiess or actor for whom it is Intended 1t is q
humble comparison, but 1t is an apt to compare
this adaptation of play to the cutting OF a coat
Where the garment ls TO be doub ct Tor a masdue.
rade, 1t cut doublet-fashion; where it is 10 be
coat 1t is cuC ike coat. The taIings and the eccen
tTictes of an actress actor to be studied the
piece is written TO the abilities of the company; per
haps one actor is of broadly humorous STYLE, anG
the proposed play has a refined humor running
through IL, then the humor must be broadened
perhaps the actor is OF de Icae and chaster style
comedy, then the broadness of the character must b.
refined to hls standard; wit must be lowered tC
humOr or humor heightened to w.t. This requires
genius not second TO orlgnaunga play Shakespeare
plays were but adap ptatiOns; Boucicaults plays
mostly adaptations. They find the rough gem, anC
they set IL for the special wearer. This is the
with Mr. Days play and Miss Bateman. Such talon
as she possessed he brought out the best light and
TO the best advantage in "Leah," and she is thu
perfect representative of the part de could ht 4
TO another actress, and then she would be as grea
and as effective IL prove this, see Miss Ia emaI
IN "Leah" and then see her in, say "Juha T." in the
Huachbdck. The iormer she can always be great in
but the latter, which was written tor an actress o
Miss Kemble's stamp falls, in Miss Batemans hands
short OF LEAH" II you had seen her ID Julia"
few evenings siuce, you would have seen the theatre
was but barely leu but let her put on "Leah," anC
marx tue difference Yet Shylock Bateman tell
you that without his daughter Leah would DO NJ
suecess Why is it, gentlemen that actresses are sC
seldom admitted to good society," 1t is not because
they are not good enough, but because when they
are taken away from the foOt-lIghs, the hnsel anC
the mechanical bursts and gestures, they are sim
ply stupid. fou remember the hero OF ThackeraYl
novel "Pendennis." The boy falls in love witt
Miss FOtherinPay, the famous actress he was fasci
mated by the brilliant genus she eVInced on the
stage he went 70 see heT, and found her ceanin'
her satin shoes with bread crumbs; but he believed
in her still-belieVed in her until he her rehearsn
her gleat characters IN the drama-saw the chalkeC
line which she toed at cerIain passages-the prac
thar all her genius was in the teaching of the cleVe
Captain Costigan. Why, the dramatst who set