Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-25
A PIKoE THAT OUGHT TO 80 sHELvED.

WVkk w ptCoos
A PIECE THAT OUGHT TO BIZ SHELVED.
We have just had another visit OF
Uncle Toms Cabin. About twice or
thrice year this misleading =" histori-
cal" drama is produced here, and al
ways to the qualification of the theater
manager and to the replenishment of
his Golfers. We recollect that a while
ago, In conversation with theatrical
agent, we expressed astonishment at the
tenacity with which this piece held the
stage, when the gentleman assured us
that it was the universal testimony of
managers in all parts OF the union. that
when other attractions failed Uncle
Toms Cabin could always be depended
upon to draw full houses. This testi
mony is certainly corroborated by the
way in which the piece is always re-
ceived in Los Angeles.
1t is strange that a piece which
possesses so little dramatic merit should
SO persistently-retain the boards. But
few of the generation that dates back
to the time when slavery fourished care
about sitting out this overdrawn and
extravagant representation. Its patrons
therefore must come mainly from the
new generation who have grown up
since the civil war, and to these the
piece is doubtless attractive because
they believe that it presents true pic
ture OF common occurrences that tran
spired in the south before the institu-
tion of.slavery was wiped out amid the
carnage. of battle and tragical scenes of
fratricidal strife.
Whilst it cannot be denied that
slavery gave rise to.exceptional exhibit
tions of brutality amongst a class of
low degraded and cruel whites, and that
the slaves were at times subjected to the
unlicensed tyranny of unfeeling and
despotic masters, yet it would
convey a very false idea of the general
condition of the negroes in the south
during slave times to represent them
as covering under the lash of fierce
masters, or suffering from abuses that
rendered their lives one long train
of miseries and expressions. The
negroes, as rule, were humanely
treated, and as rule they were happy
and content. 1t would, therefore, be as
fair to depict the condition of the work
ingmen of the United States today by
presenting the scenes Of starvation and
suffering that occur in the coal mines OF
Pennsylvania or the factories OF the
eastern states, as to single out the ex-
ceptional instances of cruelty that the
negroes were subjected to in the south
during. slave times to show the general
condition of the blacks under the Pc
culiar institution.
If Uncle Toms Cabin is exercising
any educational effect upon the new
generation it is one that is pernicious
and vicious, and which is not justified
by the truths of history. For we as
sumo it as fact which cannot be sue
cessfully disputed that whilst the softer
scenes dramatized from Harriet Beecher
Stoves famous novel will leave no per-
manent impression on the memory of
those who see the piece, the grosser and
more brutal scenes-the lashing of
Uncle Tom with blacksnake and the
chasing of Eliza and her family on the
ice foes OF the Ohio by the slave-catch-
ers and their dogs-will remain upon
their minds as an indelible picture, and
with it will be associated their full
conception of the condition of the me-
groes in the south during slave times.
With this deceptive picture will natur-
ally come prejudice that will reach out
to and embrace the whole people of the
south-certainly not kind of kinder
garten education to be encouraged by
Sensible Americans at the present time.
It is, of course, futile to hope that
piece which pays--however untrue and
meretricious may be the lesson it teaches
will be withdrawn. But we believe
that it would be wise and judicious
act, ifit could be done, to retire Uncle
Toms Cabin to the limbo of things that
are forever buried out of human sight.