The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-13

gro as q slave. with his Dhrsical condi-
ton from a profsssedly humanitarian
standpoint. The Clansnan has to do
with the free negro. his threatened
douaipancy G h white man and his
iridescent dream of social equality:
how he was made the dpe of the
INSCRIPTIONS northern politician. n
how finally the white man of the south
had TO assert himself by a of the
mystic clan by which he so scared the
ignorant blacks that they were incapa-
bic of taking advantage Of what power
was allowed them by the carpet-bag-
gers of the north. Where. then. Is the
similarity of comparison?
In one thing perhaps. The Clansman
is evidently as much of an exaggera-
ton on its subject n side as was
Uncle Toms Cabin of the life at its
period. For instance. h is the his
torical basis for the last act of the
C1ansman? When did a mulato lieu
tenan governor Of South Carolina lock
himself in his library with the daugh-
ter of the leader of the United States
Congress. attempt to force her consent
to a marriage with him by a promise
to pardon her lover. and when she
ATTEMPTED to soap choke her into in
sensibility and summon two negro SOL
diers to carry her into an adjoining
there to guard her and prevent
any outcry. and when her father comes
in to see him and Indignantly refuses
to consider him for a SOn-in-law. holds
the old statesman a prisoner. too. Civ
orders to his two soldiers that If they
hear a shot fired in his room to Kill
the young lady Immediately. then send
for a parson to perform the marriage
ceremony then and there. only to have
his plans cut short by the entrance of
the ku klux Khan in all their insignia
in broad open day light? Where in
any true history of South Carolina,
written or spoken. will hat be found:
\ dilemma is presented by the pro-
duction of this play. Taking one horn
of it. the authors sole object is to
make money If this be true. her
Mr.. Dixon's opinions on sociological
problems cease to have weight. and
the play cannot be regarded as teach
ing any lesson n must be classed
merely with other money-makers
clamorinG for popular favor and get |
ting it.
Taking the other horn. that the au- !
thor meant to teach some lesson, what
can it be? AS said before. it cannot !
be to impress upon US the im~possibility
localized miscegenation. Is it to
teach a lesson to the abolitionist? 1t
that. and to the queens taste. but /
there are no abolitionists now.
Then it II be produced with the
Oh some light upon
what some persons are pleased to call
he present negro problem. But if this
the case. why was not the time OF
play brought down nearer the
present? There has to be considerable
guessing done to connect it with the
legro question Of today. If that is the
OBJECT of the production. it is certainly
'ohcealed as much as possible. and the
;hances are that the average citizen !
witnesses it will never see the
DIN
1t must be conceded that the produc-
ION OF the ClanSman tends to stir up
ace feeling. create bitterness between
whites and blacks. That was evil
fenced strongly bot in Norfolk and
richmond. In the latter city it is re-
ated that the whites in the pit and the
leSroes in the gallery alternately
heered and Kissed according as the.
white man or the black man was on
on the stage. There was a situa-
ION ripe for a race riot right in thar
theatre that night. Omitting
considerations. to set the parties
by the ears is a mighty poor
to solve any problem.
AS for the play itself and the act
ng. L nave only one remark to make.
nd it's a very ~irreverent one. AS 7
BOXED at the performance I could not
clip feeling that the heroine. the old
b~olitionist's daughter. showed very
taste by not falling in love with
lynch instead of Ben Camerou!