The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-10
Friday, October 6, 1905
THE CIANSMAN. AGAIN.

\ friend in this city for whose opin-
ion and judgment we have the highest
regard writes The Messenger the fol-
lowing letter regarding the play 1.-The
Clansman" which will be performed
here Tuesday afternoon and night.
We thank our friend for his commen-
dation and his words of approval, con-
tanned in a private note, of what The
Messenger has had to say regarding
the play.
We think twas an evil day when
Mr.. Dixon conceived the idea of put
ting this play on the boards Of south
IN our views as to what the results of
this exhibition will be.
Right here we wish to say a word
to Mr.. Dixon and his advance agents.
If evil does result from this play they
must not try to shift the responsibility,
as at least one of the latter has al
ready attempted 70 do in advance.
We had specified the reasons we had
for opposing the production of this
play in the south. The gentleman
representing the dramatic company, of
course, took issue with us. The fol-
lowing day he came into the office and
said he had been thinking about the
conversation Of the day before and he
had come to the conclusion that there
might re some danger along the line
of our objections, but that were trouble
of this kind to arise it would be-nOJ
through the exhibition Of the play, but
by reason Of the adverse criticisms of
the press; that the line Of argument of
these papers which opposed the play
was The same as that contained in a
pamphlet written by a negro of Wash
ingtOn City; that the negroes of the
south reading that pamphlet and these
newspaper articles might conceive the
IDEA that the white men Of the south
were backing down from their posi-
ton of opposition to social equality
between the two races. Our reply to
this was that the negroes of the north
might take up Such a notion, but those
of the south would hardly do so.
SO here it is--an admission already
that the play of The Clansman" may
have evil effect, but the effort is made
to throw the responsibility for what
may happen on the people who are try
ing to prevent the conditions which
may result III those G~eplOrable events.
Tom DiXen can't do this. AS he has
sown so must he reap. He and he
alone must be held responsible for the
effects of this tour of his dramatic
company. He cannot throw the blame
on those who are doing what they can
to minimize the evil of his money
making scheme.
But We AVE gotten away from the
subject. of this article-the reproduce
ton of the letter to us on this subject:
There appeared in Yesterdays Dis
patch. quite a favorable comment on
Mr.. DiXon's play. The Clansman."
1T is strong" says the critic. lin its
oldneSS it is EliZabethan." and Cover
nor Glenn is quoted as saying that it
teaches a lesson southern youth
should learn. l conclude otherwise.
To me the play seems full of evil.
Its effect on the negro is bad. He is
but too apt to leave the theatre re-
Numbering only that one horrible
crime. and feeding On it in his dis
eaSed imagination until. On the
white man its effect is bad: filling his
mind with bitter anger toward the ne
grOeS of the present generatiOn-a
most serious setback to our most Sc
rious southern problem. On the pure
southern girl its effect is bad. hang
ing before her eyes certain pictures
on which she should not gaze: know
ing this beforehand. doubtless few of
our women of refinement will attend
the play. and this is fortunate.
Its historical value seems to me to
be worthless. There is. / dareSay. not
a southern Joy who does not know
how uniustly the south suffered dur
ing the reconstruction period. The
majority of thinking men in the north
before this cried out "Mea
Culpa" for the greatest crime in
American history. Regarding Mr..
Dixon from this point of view. he oc-
cupfes the ~laughable position of
Lambs Scotchmen. of whom the hum-I
orist said that they were always m
phasizing truths that no IN doubted.
The play is strong? So is a lanyard
1t teaches q lesson? Perhapsi But
one at the end of which the teacher
and not the pupil should be whipped.
1t is like the E~lizabethan master
pieces? Well. the best answer to this
nuite original criticism will be some |
ten years hence. when one man shall
say to smother: who is Dixon"