The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-08
A Danrerous ana DissracefuI Play.

The Ciansman" has come and gone;
s se thankful ans fti tSat e tsnrieS
that Mr.. Dixon and those who are as.
scciated With him IN the pr sears Conn., o
pctent actors and efficient stage set
tings. No criticism Of that part of the
performance can r'shtfully be maze,
graduated upon the r. skillful handling
Of tn. dIn.rsit n'ul portions OF the
plav. mss. ais, BE- admitted that
onsiderable skill has been shown in
the various climaxes of the piece and
understanding Of dramatic art. When
these things arr adf.littnd ana we pc.
60 beyond the surface and to- the meat
OF the whole matter what do we hnd!
Simply a play which illustrates. which
presents In actual motion and move
intermarriage between the race. rape
and arson. If any good can come OF
such scenes we have yet to understand
in what manner 1t is brought forth; II
for three hours and seeing and hearing
such things which they cannot get
their consent to even imagine or con-
and lives. we fail to see It, What gotc.
does 1t do pure good women TO sit foS
three hours and see the unfolding OF
have their finer sensibilities shocked
and narrowed by the scenes which are
presented, The great justification for
SO often urged has been that it were
better a hundred friends died than that
one victim be required to undergo the
s NV be opaea II Of ssi ay sel IL pSns sre
CARDS this feeling and presents to the
eyes and minds Of his audiences scenes
which none Of thep would I'd, dare Sat, a55
rather die than witness in real life. He
tears the veil away from the most
sacred, solemn and awful feelings OF
Southern manhood and womanhood and
turns the searchlight of morbid curios-
ity and prurient sensationalism upon
them. lie brings out before the FOOT
lights things which true womanhood
holds so sacred and dear that in the
would blush If their minds turned to. 4:
wards them and in many towns. not
in Selma, be 1t said to the everlasting
paraded in tune to the Kisses Of a negro
gallery. There are some things so
dear, so sacred. SO vital, that 1t is al
them them There are some depths Of the
human heart into which no one has a
right to descend andN which SHOULD
echo only the footballs of the Almighty.
Mr.. Dixon tramps through these sacred
places and fills them with pictures
which will forever leave something or
a shadow therein. The minds Of many
play Saturday night had throw2 upon
them pictures which they could never
have imagined or drawn, and which
marred to some extent their fair white
great teacher, and 1t may bring
straight home to the heart many things
which could never be SO well impressed
otherwise. but 1t goes far beyond its
legitimate sphere when it undertakes
to present such awful and terrible
scenes founded upon such far reaching
and pressing social and political pues-
lions, as this play does. southern
manrood and womanhood does not
nee dsuch teaching in order to hold to
any and every cost. The man or wo-
man who needs the scene presented
by Mr. Dixon as mental and moral
stimulus does not possess sufficient
need and is so utterly weak and con-
temptible to deserve no considera-
tion at any true mans hands in con-
nection with the question. The play
disgraceful to the South because it
shows to the rest of the world that our
people are willing to submit to the par
aiding of their most sacred feelings and
traditions upon the public stage in or
der that this terrible longing for some
thing sensational may be fed. We are
allowing, encouraging and extending
financial aid to Mr.. Dixon, to make
common. to make matter of current
discussion. to make a matter OF negro
kissing and ignorant arSlaudlng, to
make a matter of cheap theatical nickel
gathering of those high and holy feel
fngs of chivalry and honor which have
sssn hindsd of doT kngSy race some
old cynic once said God save me from
my friends" May God save the. South
from any more friends who evlnce 1t
by such productions as THE Clans