The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-10-18
a sCATHING CRITICISM.
g. Williams Writes of ssThe Clans
- man. by Dixon.

3. Williams gives the following
views of The Clansman' in editorial
columns of the Richmond News
Leader:
Sot because it is particularly inn
4.ortant, but because it is the newest
topic and everybody is talking about
Il let us consider. s"The Clansman'
Tor a while in random way, hoping
that we may stagger on an idea or
two while we go along. All ideas are
not on the straight, smooth path OF
logic or Of direct purpose to express
something.
Rey.'' is a. contraction for ''rever-
.endg or revered." Mr.. Dixon was
the REV" Thomas Dixon. He never
was the reverend or the 'revered;;'
he never reached the end of being
reverend. In his case the ..Rev." was
an amputation and not an abbrevia-
tion. It was the mere trademark and
sign of profession and never the
EXPRESSION of a condition. He leaped
from the Baptist pulpit into the show
business, building literature with a
Iight touch. It was quite a bound, but
acrobatic feats are natural and de-
Iightful to him. Now he is an "ex-
pev and is making a. sensation and
some money, two operations in which
his soul delights and we assume that
he is happy.
He indicates that .'The Clansman'
as a play was written and staged with
serious moral and instructive purpose.
The author OF The Dancing Doll"
which was so nastily suggestive that
even New York city would not have
il. made the same claim. With lit
tie ingenuity and sufficient induce
sment. we can work a high purpose
into anything. In the interests of de-
scency and morality and public poll
cv certain parts of the human body
are kept covered. Fer the same rea-
sons. certain elements Of human
character should be kept out of view
as much as possible. They ought not
to be intruded on the public notice
in books or on the stage. .'The Dane
Ing Douo and .aThe Clansman' pa
g = -,
rade before the same thing, the
same primal passion, at its two ex-
tremes of development-the one gid
sed refined and artistically surround
sed. the other in the lowest stages OF
besnaIity. Nothing is to be learned
and no good is. to be gained by either.
and harm must be done by both.
Did you ever see a lynching?
we can say of it, as we cannot say
sof Fhe clansman," that it is an eie-
.zang performance in one sense OF
the word, at least; but it is not pret-
II or nice or artistic, although some
times necessary and improving. It IS
q horrible thing, done usually for
horrible reasons and there is no ro-
lance or elevation about it. It IS
savage assertion OF the primal law OF
seif-defense-of defense Of life Or
something dearer-and OF vengeance
which can only be accomplished
nv s+7,a f.atf, of the offender. It is a
tradition with which the public is IN
happily familiar through the newspa-
pers, but it should not be thrust be-
fore the people of staid and well-or-
derea communities, wearing their
good clothes and seeking an evening
sof pleasant amusement and instruc
ton.
Mr.. Dixon is not even correct his
teriNaily, and if, as may possibly
have been, any old Ku-Klux members
present at any of the performances
of his play, they were amused At
the wide difference between the thing
dS tI ISdtty vas dAio as IL 10 p1
on The stage. The Ku-Klux Klan
sprang intos life mysteriously and
spread silently and in darkness. It
was what it called itself, an invisible
Empire born suddenly. obediently to
a great stress of necessity. 1t vas a
bage, hidden, in many respects
beautiful, conspiracy of a whole peo-
pie against a government attempting
a groeesquely impossible, a tragieally
absurd experiment. 1t was largely
composed Of rough, rude men banded
together for rough, stern and neces-
sary work. It included every class
and condition Of life in the states
where it was strong, and those who
were not in active membership were
in close sympathy. There were no
elaborate white linen robes with red
crosses and suggestions Of the milli-
ners art worn by fancy young men