Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-01
NEW YORK LETTER.
A GxxAr PLAY CALLED "AHA1cHY,"
~ STEELE NACxAYy.

The Late Political Chisftsins Kelly ana
Thempson-somsthing Of Contrast
The Clubs in sammsr-Ths For.
lorn Married Hen.
Correspondent OF the Richmond Dispatch.l
New YORK, July 81, 1886.
Mr.. Steele Msckays has written what
I consider very remarkable play.
/ think am entitled TO say this, for
/ have never said it before. His plays
up to this time have bean anything bat
remarkable. / always thought hs had
1t in him, but It did not appear to me
that il came out in Marriage" or
" Rose Michel" or I" Hazel Kirk I" or
4" Dakolah."
He has now seized upon Q stirring
contemporaneous theme and handled it,
/ think, with extraordinary power and
originality. His subject is Anarchy.
/ heard the play read on Monday to .
select company of actors and managers.
Mr.. Mackaye is noted smong these
people ss q play-reader. Whom an su-
thor has play he wants to work off on
q manager be usually remarks with .
sigh Of regret, "If I could only get
Macksys to read it for me-"
Mackaye's method is the tumultuous
one. He reads play as List is said
to play the piano. He Talmsges play
all to pieces, acts every part, shifts all
the scenes, tears his hair, plucks at his
eyes, and, streaming with gore and
perspiration, sweeps his listeners into
agonized acceptance by the torment Of
his own belief.
THEY HANDICAPPED HIM.
You see ! am not inclined to let Mr..
Mackaye off easily. I have heard him
read plays before. / am bound to say
that they did not act SO we'll as they
read. So was cautious this time, and
SO WAS he. We hsndcuffed him aud
tied him in the chair. Mr.. Tom Nc
Donough would not come unless he &C.
cepted these conditions.
have got to say now that l believe
he has made q play that will make .
fortune for somebody, for be has put
into clear, unmistakable eloquent &C.
ton the opposing factors in the modern
social system, and shown with terrible
strength the true character of the mon
ster that calls itself Anarchy.
This is certainly live theme with
the world Just now. And the man who
gets the material plainly before the ey es
of the public and interprets for them
what they all feel but cannot express
will hold their attention and win their
money.
Mr.. Macksye has attempted to do
this, and, l think, successfully. The
play draws q clean line between liberty
and license, between heroism and fanati-
cism. 1t deals with the fiercest mo-
ments of revolution, but it hangs the
terrible incidents upon noble, clean,
and admirable love story. If | were an
actor | would like to play the hero Of
this drama.
Mr.. Tom McDoDough said when it
was over that d'Ennery or Sardou
never made a stronger or nobler play.
That left nothing whatever for me to
say.
OF course, there are half Q score OF
people who want it.
II were Mackaye I would 60 slow,
for there is bigger fortune in a good
play than there is in Wall street.
NEW YORK POLITICIANS.
The last Of the two pillars of Her.
cules that have stood so long at the en-.
trance of the Mediterranean Sea Of New
York politics has disappeared. Genial
Hubert Ogden Thompson has followed
blunt John Kelly to the grave within
ixweeks. The Tammany chieftsin was
thirty years older than the leader OF
the County Democracy. Only thirty.
seven years had rolled over Thompson:
head when death ended his career. liz
entered political life at the age Of Ma
poleon on taking command of the army
Of Italy. In ten years Hubert aros,
from obscurity into national prominence
He Organized Democratic faction 81
powerful that it knocked the under
pinnipg from Tammany and captured
its enormous political patronage within
four years. lie did more than this
lie drove Kelly to the wall, and mad,
his power tell in both State and nation
al politics. In State and National Con
ventions he indirectly dictated the mos
humiliating terms to his antagonist.
THE LATE CHIEFS.
The quarrels of Kelly and Thompson
affected the Democratic party ip tn,
most obscure hamlets of Maine anC
Texas. Kelly defeated Tilden's re
nomination IN Cincinnati in 1880, an
Thompson forced Cleveland's nomna
ton in Chicago in 1884. Kelly stainet
his bands with Hancock's blood il
electirg Grace mayor in 1880, an
Thompson elected Grace mayor in 1884
while forcing Kelly to work SQUARED
for Cleveland. Both Kelly and Thomp
son died poisoned by the ingratitude U
The man whom Thompson nominate
for President, and whom he force
Kelly to elect. Without their aid Gro
YER Cleveland to-day might be chop
ping logic with q dull axe at the bar Q
Buffalo,
| Ii. o. THOMPSON.
Thompson was indeed a remarkabl
man. knew him when he frst shove
his head in local politics. 1t was whe
Thomas Cooper Campbell, the son c
old Allen Campbell, was q csndidat
for Assembly. Campbell was youn
man of extraordinary promise, VII
flashed across the sky Of city polite
like a meteor, and then died. Th
fight was very bitter, but Thompson
deity displayed energy won it. II
entered Tammsny Hall, with Mayo
Cooper as o tutor. The district Was j
a ferment. The turbulent element {
The Democracy asserted itself, and rule
with q high head at the primaries
Kelley cheated both Cooper and ThomI
son after promising them the delegstiO
of the State Convention. 1t WAS the col
yention that first nominated Lucir
Robinson for Governor. Kelly presse
Clarkson N. Potter for the place, an