Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-16
Average Daily Circulation Orer
15,OOO,-being more than three
times that of any other daily
paper in Washington.

THANKHEAvKNsl the National Calamity
closes this week. Wonder III John Thomas
has m ade much by his Parsimony and Sticks?
Cupkoi.
Now that the campaign Is closed, we
wonder that d. p. who Is not wanting in
ehivAlous frankness on occasion, does not
own up that he has been badly beaten by John
T.. Ford, or "John Thomas" as he styles
him. And, by the way, how Is Ii that Dom,
who IL in the habit OF complaining that
Only thin-vitted people, who can't handle
any other weapon persist In calling him
''Dunn Piatt," "Dom Pirate" &c, should
have no other weapon In his armory to fling
at Ford than slang name?
The sad truth must be confessed, as Illus
trated by the result of Donn's ferocious raid
upon "John Thomas" that the public care
very little for theatrical "criticism," so call
ei, especially when an animus OF pique or
ersoDal hostility is transparent Since Dom
.Irst came in collision with Ford, aud the
stier wrathfully but not very sensibly
- Itbdre y his advertising from the Capital,
that paper has brought all Its vitriolic bat
tories to bear upon Ford, TO break down his
business. ID. Il. has told the public with
abundant iteration that his name was John
Thomas; that his company were worthless
sticks; that his stars were fifth rate; his
orchestra vile; his stage appointments
execrable; his theater a dingy hole; that
there was undoubtedly q malarial cesspool
under IL; that theater gOers entered the
building at the risk of their lives from fire;
that assassination was the likeliest thing in
the world to happen at any theater managed
by Ford; and the amused public have won
dered that Dom hesitated short OF charging
upon the wicked John Thomas the deliberate
design OF entrapping Congress, the Execu-
five, and the elite OF Washington and the
nation into his "National Calamity" and
blowing the whole concern skyward with an
|unparsino nious amount OF dynamite. Well,
the grand result is that Ford, instead OF be-
Ing crushed out, has had, for these dull times,
m exceptionally successful season. The
public have discounted all the Cnpidrs John
Thomas, stick-stock, fre-fiend ebullitions;
and, sa5dest Of all, have seemed to delight
10 crowd the National Calamity, in the
face Of Donns most terrible blasts OF warn
ing.
The fact is, John T. Ford is a good deal OF
y man; as the people of Washington and
baltimore, who have known him for thirty
years, fully appreciate. His own city has
Shown that appreciation by placing him
|repeated'y in her foremost positions OF honor
and trust Probably no other theatrical
manager In our country was ever so compli-
|mented for integrity, business capacity and
good citizenship. His long record as a sue
cessful manager is especially honorable to
him. He understands his business thor
oughly. iulfils his contracts to the letter, and
pays his bills. He Is not OF the spread eagle
style OF green managers, with which Wash
1ngton is unhappily familiar, who commence
- season with tremendous promises, and
collapse disastrously half way through,
leaving their company and a host OF cred
1tors unpaid. Ford, indeed, deserves the
special good will OF the Washington news
papers as about the only manager who
hasn't swiudled the printer. Taat he knows
how to cater for the public is shown by his
general success; which would seem TO be the
direct test.
Ford In keen, vigorous writer, too. ID. p.
seems to have been considerably astonished
by the quality OF the adversary he had walked
up, and paid Ford the compliment of charg-
Ing that he had employed some trained
writer to carry on his part of the controver-
y. But every word was Ford-s own; and
the public began TO suspect that, instead of
Pfatt being able to instruct Ford as q mana
ger, Ford could teach Piatt q wrinkle or two
In journalism Now, that the two comba-
tants have fully tested each others prowess,
We advise them to drop the profitless con-
test, and learn to entertain that mutual
liking that Col. Dumas tells us In the play,
We feel towards those with whom we have
louRht.