The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-30
Oakley Halls Change of Base.

The announcement that the Hon. A.
Oakley Hall will soon make his appearance
on the theatrical stage as an actor is GER
tainiy startling one. n change of career
so radical is not often undertaken by man
of his prominence in other directions, and
at his time of life. MIR. Halls adoption of
the business of an actor will be an event
in the history of the drama which will oc-
cupy a noteworthy place. Whether he
succeeds or fails, his course in abandoning
the profession of the law and going on the
stage when he is past fifty, is so singular
as to make it of rare significance.
For quarter of a century no man in our
city politics has been more active, restless,
and ambitious than Mr.. Hall. He has
been district attorney and mayor, and his
name. through his association with the late
ring, is known all over the country, while
to the people of New York his personality
is as familiar as that of the most conspicu-
Gus man in town. At one time his politi
cal ambitions were OF the most exalted
sort. lie expected to step from the city
hall to the capitol at Albany, and as things
then looked he had good grounds for in-
dulging the expectation. How far beyond
that his ambitions went,we of course cannot
tell, but we fancy that they by no means
stopped there. He was an exceedingly
adroit politician of the school of those wh)
think to gain advancement not by merit
merely, but also by skillful manipulation.
Though he was associated with Tweed,
Sweeny, Connolly and that crew, yet he
was not vulgar and greedy schemer for
money. He was man who had ambitions
above his pocket, and did not allow
his pocket to govern his conduct Though
in the fall of the ring his
political opportunities went down, and his
professional reputation suffered grievously,
yet we do not believe that Mr. Oakley
Hall shared in their plumber. His
weakness was in his light regard for the
moral responsibilities of his place. To Mr..
Hall the world has always seemed stage
and men and women the players. The
rascal was as necessary and possibly as
entertaining member Of the company as
the man OF sound quality. From first to
last he was essentially an actor fond Of
theatric display, and treating events and
persons as 1t they were not real, but the
sham occurrences and personages of ri
gantic comedy. A punster, humorist,
an effervescent writer, he never seemed to
see the serious side of life nor feel the bur-
den of responsible cares, Strong convic-
tions appeared foreign to him, yet he al
ways had kindly purpose of pleasing his
fellows, as il they and he together were
creatures,put on earth as on stage, to
perform the different roles in the play Of
life. In fact, Mr.. Oakley Hall is the type
OF character of which many other ex-
amples could be given. No one can fail to
have liking for such man, though in
matters OF trust he might put his conf.
dence in some less volatile nature.
Mr.. Hall will take the leading charac-
ter in play in The construction of which
it is understood that both he and Mr.
Boucicault have had hand. Whatever
the critics may say about Mr.. Boucicault
he knows the trade of the playwright bet
ter than any other man who is now writ
ing English dramas, and it is safe to con.
clude that if be has had anything to do
with the writing of the 'Crucible," the
play gives Mr. Hall the opportunity to
display such hlstrionic abilities as he has