The times., 1899-01-08
THE PASSING SHOW.


nothing has aroused more discussion in
some time than the deseTtion OF Francis
Wilson from the forces of the Mirrors ed
itor and his announced desire 10
enter the fold of the opposi-
tion. The subject OF the comedians
move has not only served as food for
thought in that little world of people tech
nically known as the profession" but it
has been commented upon widely in circles
so far outside of the amusement line that
one can hardly account for the information
having reached the debaters. For Francis
Wilson is wonderfully popular entertain
er. and the long continued war between
the two factions has been waged so openly
that it has come to the attention of every
one.
Mr. Fiske seems to be distinctly the "un-
der dog now, and still the general run OF
opinion appears to be greatly disfavoring
TO Mr.. Wilson. Whether this feeling is the
result of admiration for u man who has
struggled doggedly and unyieldingly from
the first to the last or whetA.r it is merely
Ipaudlin sympathy for combatant VINO
has now very scant chance of success can
not be told with any degree of accuracy.
But the fact remains that in blaming the
comedian for his action the public is doing
him great injustice. Mr.. Wilson has stood
out against the so-called trust with great
frmness for several years, and that at
considerable personal loss. With every
temptation being offered him. and every
disComfit staring him in the face. he has
remained away from the ranks of his enc
miles, while one by one the stanchest of Mr..
Fiske's supporters - Richard Mansfield,
Madame Modieska and James O'Neill-
have left him. In this age and time men
do not give up their profits and their con-
veniences for the sake OF principle, or il
there are people who do they are not in
the theatrical business. Considering the
difficulties that have beset him, Mr.. Will
sons conduct throughout has been nothing
short of remarkable, and therefore his
final secession takes the nature of capitu-
laton more than of a desertion.
The crash was inevitable-has never been
anything else but inevitable. From the
moment that Nat Goodwin decided TO re-
tract his defiance of the syndicate and
joined the combine at the very time when
his absence would have been fatal TO it.
Mr.. Fiske's only real hope was that the
opposition would fall of its own weight.
His actor friends had no definite reason
for fighting, and when the test grew too
severe abanddned him without compunc-
tion. His newspaper allies were power
less to help him The entire agitation was
futile in so far as Immediate results were
concerned and looked to be SO even in the
most hOpeiui moments.
There is n broad reason for doubling il
Mr.. Fiske's clients were not justified in
succumbing to the difficulties before them.
II the Mirrors editor wanted their help
he should have made some effort TO de-
fend them even while he was leading them
10 assume the aggressive. Had he mar
shaled his forces into an organized 1e-
sistance and booked them as the syndicate
did its attractions there might have been
against their directors sooner than give
up the strong combinations offered But
instead. Mr.. Fiskes fight was scattering
and theoretical one-an attack that left no
means of protection. Under these con-
ditons little could have been expected
from his supporters and little was re-
ceived. They quilted him as soon as they
were incOnvenienced by remaining
of them Immediately after discovering that
| the advertisement to be got out OF the
matter would not repay them for the
enmity of the alleged trust. The average
| actor has little principle at best, and when
| he is not assured of the justice of that
for which he is working but is positive
| of the dangers surrounding the work his
| efforts are bound to be shOrt-liYed
Mr.. Fiske's great mistake from the first
was in imagining that the public would
! take sides with him. Theater- -goers were
never really interested in the struggle un-
| til it reached its elimination. They went
! to the play house for the purpose of see
| ing their fayorite stars or their favorite
| offerings and without the slightest regard
| for the management that lay behind them.
| When the amusement-loving wanted 10
see Richard Mansfield they attended his
| performances and would have done so
| whether he was in the syndicate or not
| The only way in which the war touched
| them was through its results. Accord
| ingIy Mr.. Fiske was but wasting his
| power and his money in endeavorIng 10
| persuade people that they should not wit
| ness trust shows. The fact that BrandeI
| Matthews thought the combination Il mis-
take or that William Dean Howells called
| it an abomination, that the Criterion oi
| Life caricatured and made fun of it had
no effect on the public at large.
The Mirrors part in the contest was
| a desperate and a courageous but hardly
| a skillful one. Mr.. Fiskes paper and the
| Trust Supplement" he issued reached
only theatrical people and got no further
If these folk happened to be his friends
they remarked that the Mirror contained
| another clever roast" on the syndicate
that week and If they We're his foes they
threw the paper into the waste basket
But further than friends or foes the argu.
ments never reached. And this was tn,
burden of the editors mistake.
fight had been provoked because of The
trouble that had occurred between his wifi,
and the combine also decreased the effect
iveness of his efforts. II is so hard nova.
days to believe that man does anythinl
for unselfish reasons. From long persona
acquaintance with MIR. Fiske, however, ant
from observation of his methods the writer
would say that this allegation was mos
unjust The editors motive all through
the quarrel has undoubtedly been the gen
erous one of helping the profession TO
, which he has done so much. Every movt
that he has made in the fight has beel
manly, dignified. courageous and honor
able. Nothing more admirable than Mr.
Fiske's one-sided contest has been brough
to general attention in some time. TIT
reputation and the attitude of the cele
brated critic proved absolutely his disin
| tereStedness. D..
Just now Mr.. Fiske's position is a strang
one. AS an editor he has few dfficultie
to meet His paper has managed to ge
along without help from the trust and viii
probably continue to do so. In due tim
the trouble between them will probably b
forgotten and Messrs. Frohman, Hayman
Klaw, Erlanger, Nixon and Zimmerman
will deal with the Mirror just as they di
before war was declared. In SO far as hi
position as a manager is concerned, thing
!. ,ra Yar,, .I.Harant He will never cOnSeQ