The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1902-05-24
"The Second IN Command"

lively few situations. and to the Illus
tration of a few primary and essen
TALLY human characteristics. A play
is not a novel that this man and that
one can pick up from the shelves of
the book store and take home with
him. A play is something which a
thousand or more people must agree
on a certain date to see. Unless a
thousand people consent to simulta-
neously spend sums ranging from fifty
cents to two dollars, the purchaser Of
the play will lose perhaps twenty.
perhaps fifty thousand dollars.
A few people are interested in dress
reform, a few are interested in woman
suffrage, many more are kept awake
by the fluctuations Of the markets. but
Lincoln are a dollars worth interested
In any one of these subjects.
Love, war and religion are the
themes to which the drama is re-
war. In the case of a book a customer
can buy IL when he likes and read ii
when time and opportunity suit. But
in one-night stands a thousand people
play on a given date. 1t is therefore
incumbent on the manager who ac-
cepts the play to be sure that il APP
peals to an emotion common to all
nat-ous of the theatre Ofharuiso n
does not matter how well the play is
written or how intensely interesting it
may be to a few; the only object to at
tain which all plays except amateur
performances by undergraduates are
produced, is defeated. The butcher.
the baker and the undertaken are in
business to make a living. The actor
and manager are in business to make
a living. The public believes appar-
entity. that editors and managers con-
duct papers and theatres to do good
and for arts sake.
But bread with butter on ii and
Rocky Ford melons taste just as good
to editors and managers as to other
people and cost them the same price.
Art for arts sake is enough for a few
wild-eyed devotees Of anarchy or
transcendental paintii g. but most peo-
pie desire to make a living, and after
wards. incidentally, as Carnegie builds
libraries, benefit humanity, or work for
art entirely.
Moreover great fortunes are not
made by selling splendid monuments to
purblind people. but great fortunes
are made by selling them steel rails.
wheat or corn. Pre-eminence is be-
slowed upon the man who satisfies the
simple desires of a million people. This
is why such a play as THE Second In
Command is a success. The hero of
this play is a failure. He is a very
fine fellow. Most men are failures,
however brilliant their success may ap-
pear to the public and even to the
mans intimates. Most men regard
themselves. in the privacy of their own
moments Of reckoning. as very fine fell
lows but failures. II Ii were otherwise
there would be more suicides. 1t is a
desperate moment when we realize
that We have fallen below the average
In character and attainment; and the
desperate at bay kills himself. But in
those moments when we confess to
ourselves what We are and what we
planned to be with all the impetus of
youth to accomplish its ideal, We ad-
nit that We are failures. The finest
artist. the most devoted and acute
the most honored and the
most accomplished and honest of the
sons of men admits to himself that his
own life has been a disappointment and
f..sl Gos .iafo .H,xr