The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-04-04
THE CREED OF DESPAIR.
4 Play Showing the Great Growth OF
Anarchism.
(From the P:ttsburS Dispatch.)

(From the F:ttsburS DiSpatch.)
Nina Van Zandt is going on the stage,
and is 10 devote her Life to telling the
story OF her lovers fate. Four persons
beside Miss Nina know Of this plan.
One Of them is an Anarchist leader and
another newspaper man. The news
paper man is writing her play. He is 8
German, imaginative, enthusiastic and
red headed. Eor two months the pro
iact has been working, and the play is
nearly finished, only lacking the polish
which the friction wheel OF Intelligent
work alone can give. Miss Van Zandt
is an enthusiast in the project. There
is no question that the young woman
possesses considerable talent. She is
stately, cultivated, polished, self-pos-
sessed. More than this, she is beautiful.
Not pretty, not piqnsntly winning, she
is statuesquely beautiful. Her features
are finely moulded. Their cast is noble.
Her beauty is chaste and pure. Her
neck is Gueerly; she wears her beauty
baughtily. Her form is worthy OF her
face. Not tall, hcr fine proportions and
perfect symmetry. combined with GER
tain freedom and majesty Of movement,
make her presence striking, noble and
always full OF grace.
But this IS not ali, or rather this is
nothing, when compared with the power
she possesses. Whatever may have been
the ridiculous positions II which she has
placed herself by her relations with
August Spies, riGicule has never cracked
his whip Of wit at Ler no. laughed at her
his covert sneer. She has ennobled the
situations in which she has been placed,
and her tragic strength Of mind has
given dignity to what il smother would
have been Stiffness. She has in addition
to all this i low, sweet and strong voice.
Miss Van Zardt can be al actress, prob
ably great, surely q drawing one.
But after al "the plays the thing.
Even 8 pcoc actor can 60 something
with a good play, and without it the
best can do but poorly. Miss Van
Zandt's plsy is good one or . bed one,
as different people may view it, but 1t IS
at least a strong one. Briefly, the plot
of the play is this:
A young, intelligent workman, at
peace with all the world, loved by his
beautiful wife, happy in his home,
though interested IL the welfare Of bus
class, takes little note OF the supposed
oppression of money, nor OF the grow
ing spirit Of communism that pours its
wild arguments il his cars. One day,
however, he hears several capitalists, one
OF whom is his employer, discussing q
plan 10 increase their profits and feed
their greed by forming q combination
with the deliberate purpose Of forcing
their employees cut, reducing their
wages to the lowest point, and by the
aid OF hunger compelling their sabmis-
sion. The man comes home burning
with Indignation. His wife soothes him
with love and words Of hope and faith.
I'll tines come. Events crowd each
other. Wages are reduced. Most Of
the ,1en strike. The rest are locked out.
The mans thoughts turn to those doc
trines lie formerly despisea, but still his
wife keeps him true. EvictionS follow.
TIE young workman and his beautiful
Young wife are turned into the street and
their furniture seized. They are not
able to pay the rent. Enraged by the
sutferings OF his wife, the young man
adopts AnarchiSm-the creed OF despair.
He joins his feliow-workmen. He be-
comes 5heir leader. He says: ''We will
go to our masters and ask tlem to treat
with us as men. If they refuse, we will
try something else" Their employers
refuse to arbitrate with them. Their
cold answer was: "Return to your tasks.
We will pay you what we choose" Then
t2e Young leader says; "They have de-
stroyei our means Of cXlstence-,our
labor. Let us destroy theirs-their
property"
4 raid is made or factory. It is met
by the police. They ire into the crowd.
The leader falls. Then fearful CRY is
heard, the beautiful young wife rushes
to the spot and throws herself on her
husbands corpse. She is rudely dis
turbed by the police. She rises. and
with her hands appraised to heaven ptays
for vengeance She applies to the au-
thorities to have the police who did the
shooting punished. It IS il vain; the
noiice are the authorities. Then foc re-
3enge she is driven into Anarchisrn.
She organizes an ineen&iary band. They
apply thc torch. Fearful destruction
cnsues. The police are on their track.
4 traitcr reveals their plans and the
leaders. The conspirators are arrested
while planning further ruin.
The woman IS arraigred. Calmly Sue
admits her guilt; bitterly she accuses
the moneyed conspirators who caused
the wrong, triumphantly she asserts her
victory il revenge With terrible scorn
size denoGnces their bravery in hunting
down q woman She deties them.
Swiftly snatching vial OF poison CON
cealed in her hair, Size drains it, and
falls corpse at the at1righted feet OF
Justice. This woman is Nina Van Zandt.
The character is we'll suited to her. She
can well portray the calm strength OF
wife!v love ami the fierce torrent OF pas
sicn reused 10 revenge.
There is place fer svvvra! ijne clima1es.
The eviction sccre, tie killing of the
Inns 1,o-2 Al. ,v.fr., >1,l,t:,lC ~ of thn con-