The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-09

author, called The Deed OF Blood; or Tho Mys-
terious Meat Axe;' besides lots oil others
.sYou expect a good season, Them"
First rate. We always do have good seasons. It
wouldn't pay TO have anything else, you know
'Then the late season, financially speaking has
proved a great success"
deed money was plenty. Alb, but there he tipped
back his chair and sighed audibly) what is financial
II 1t is marrsd by recoeo'ions. sad and pain
.what 90 you mean?"
s.Every night" continued Backus. "they are
stolen. and that, too. by men whom you would least
How do you mean stolen ~ qusrisd the reporter,
puzzled at the mins,rel's metaphor.
~ mean our original productlons, or rather my
but never m,nd-our original productions. our trag-
edies, comedies and musical compositions. Produc-
tious on which have spent sometimes as long us an
TWO bodily stolen and reproduced without
wamSod horo broke IN 70 observe that il was no.
surprising that he did not get credit. People were
beginning 70 get their eyes open, he knowingly ex-
VINO are the guilty parties. Mr. Backus ?" asked
the reporter Fastening 10 divert the minstrePs mind
from the sarcasm OF his cola6oreT.
"There are lots of them. he answered. ''Tnore's
Lester wallack, Boucicaul,, Fisks and dozen others
our theatre disguised and taxing notes
eyes, added Birch; "they took the Two Orphans
bold ..And the Celebrated Case,'' added Backus,
and the--and-andwell. in fact, all the great sue
ccsses'
"Cone, let's take look at the scenery" said am
bold rising and leading the way to the stage The re-
porter accepted the invitation and during the tour he
entertained with curious explanations ana mar
velious stores OF wealth and tame.
"And isn't II unfortunate about tho nsurancea said
Birch gazing In sadness on the surrounding scenes
"What is the trouble with the nsurances"
"why. the companies refuse to take tho risk. They
burned it would break them"
ssWhst Is the future OF negro mlnstrelsy, Mr.
ask 81 1ns answered. .hs mpstre rbo
time Is at hand whom the dagger must give way
TO the cork the meioarama to the song ana dance:
cities the greatest OF artists will be engaged
Money win flow IN rivers And thus" added Backus,
.'wi;l tho righteous eve- triumph and virtue be Its
own reward"
A PLEA FOE ACTORS AND AurHoRs-sUaGEs-
T1oNs BY AN OLD PIAYER--wHY ORA
MATIc AUTHORS ASSOCIATION SHOULD BE
ORGANIZED. stsdw ,ae
Few gentlemen connected with the dramatic pro-
fcssion have been industrious with their pens
than Mr.. Harry Watkins, the we'll known actor. And
when a m ember OF the Guild has written or adapted
thirty Ave forty plays his Judgment is entitled to
consideration. A reporter OF the HERALD. therefore,
meeting him day or two ago, suggested thought in
connection with the Dramatic Authors Society.
stop" said Mr. Waikins-and pleasant smile
ripplsd over his iace-'I have paper In my pocket
that deals with that very subject. was going to
send il down to the HERALD; it will save you the
trouble OF an Interview and, using bit OF alhtera
ton IL condenses my conclusions" Thereupon the
old actor produced the following
THE AMERICAN DRAMATIC AUTHORS SOCIETY
Whatever thor merits may be. no worthier motive
ever inspired the formation OF society for mutual
protection than that which prompted ceetan gentle
men to organize association under the above title.
II ever we are to have national drama this is the
first certain step that has yet been taken to insure ITS
establishment. That 1t viii meet with dscouragemsnt
yhn o1ut
that such an institution will prove detrimental to
their interests must be expected That it will be
rdiculed and condemned by parties who entertain
personal pique against some individual member Of
the organization must also be anticipated. That It
will be pooh.poohed and laughed Ut by those who do
not believe there exists any latent talent for dra-
matte authorship among our people may be regarded
as a certainty. But none of these causes should
dishcarten those who have taken this matter In
hand or deter them from attempting to demonstrate
that our countrymen are capable OF accom-
pIishing anything within the scope OF intellectual
development Whom The Continental Congress
vensd at Philadelphia In l776 prominent loyaiist
pronounced u an "assembage OF fools, with only one
sensible man in tho who declared that they must
all hang together" But they succeeded in a task
much difficult than that attempted by the found
ers OF the American Dramatic Authors Society In
every field where brains are needed our people
have the highest honors yet this has only been
to stimulate oxcr,ion.
WHAT EXPERIENCE TEACHES.
connected With the stage since chiaooodl / almost
wonder that an American play with any prstenslons
to literary merit ever received public hearing. Men
letters well men OF muscle have TO depend for
livelihood on the result OF their labor and what tn
centve has yet been gwen tn this country 70 wrte for
ager would argu e:--"Why should pay liberal sum
for American play, which may fail, when can pur:
A
matist reaped nothing from tho representa-
lion Of ~. piay IN ns United mite States
as pirates and ciamored for an international copy
right But THIS not granted on the contrary,
Congress passed law positively aenyug all protec.
ton 10 the dramatic or musical compositions Of
foreign authors The inventive genius, however, OF
nuimy and evaas this Law by keeping his out Ut
the United States courte where II properly belonged,
sU 'ns ms
foreign purchased play was declared valid This Is
papaOie violation OF the United States constitution,
but long II 10 allowed the dramatists OF Europe
will remain cheerfully contsned with q law ruling
which Ia much more effective Tor their purpose
than any international copyright, from the simple
fact that tho proprietary right II permitted to stand
would eventually give them monopoly oil the Amer.
can stage, while inc American dramatist could ind
o correspo ding benefit In Europe where he would
be unceremoniously kicked out Of court did he adj
vance such a claim as the "right OF property" In
abrogauon OF a statute law
THOUGHT MANAGERS.
Its not my desire to create enemies for the A. d.
n.
would rather appeal to the cupidity or sei-interest
that greatest OF motive powers-ol our managers by
showing the delusOn they are laboring under as 10
tho attractivoness Of foreign made plays when COM
pared with our nome made productions Notwith.
standing the paucity OF American dramatists aud the
great disadvantage under which they have always
Iaborcd Is ndisputabe fact, strange as the doc
aration may appear, that the greatest financial sue.
during tho past halt have been achieved
with plays composed by native authors or czens
oil the United States, while their remuneration has
been nothing compared TO that which parallel sue
would have brought to tho Golfers OF the DRAM
atists OF Europe In this country. unfortunately,
they have had 10 depend almost wholly upon "stars"
Tor the sale Of their productions aud the 'stars"
could not white tue managers would not, pay
sufficiently large to tempt our best writer's
their entrc Zinc to the stage Nevertheless
there has boon some very good work done by such
tnors as Judge r. Conrad, Dr. X. NJ Bird, N T. Willis,
Epcs Sargent, Mrs. Mowatt auu others. Mr.. Edwin
Forrest had extensive repertoire selected from the
leading tragic writer's OF England, including Shake
spcare, Buiwer, knowles and Otway, but the bulk OF
his fortune wss derived from "Metamora,' "rhe Glad
iatorv and ~ ick Cade" THIS trio OF plays from the
~ brnu i'm mn mr.