The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-10-12

a few days ago, will care not to seeit
again. To those, however, who have
not witnessed it's presentation we
Join in with others and add to their
wish the desire that all of the South
both the older and younger gene
rations-shall see such a thing and
see it this time.
The criticism of the players appears
in another part of this paper. The
theme is apart from the players.
They are workers as human beings.
toiling along their own lines. While
there is a terribleness about the piece,
there is that which is transcendent in
the actuality ofpainwrOught history.
The time will come when the people
of the North country will cease to carp
and condemn their fellows on this side
the Potomac Truth is ever truth
and it has come to be the trying lot
of Thomas Dixon to tell it in print
and from the lips of player folk be-
fore the footlights.
Success and yet more greatness to
this man, minister and playwright,
who has lived and conceived by right
/
the privilege OF appearing as the true
exponent of a great chapter in the
history of the world that of naming
and branding crime and false citizen
ship and proclaiming for all time and
to all peoples Anglo-Saxon superior
ity, in it's real cradle which was and
is the South.
Raleigh Post.
If there is one excuse for putting
''The Clansman" on the stage, that
stands paramount to all other eNcus-
es, it is to make money. In that light
it is a great success. The play ispop-
ular with the masses. The shrewd
and brilliant author has wrought
masterfully. He has compounded a
remarkably mixture of good and
evil These elements are SO adrOitly
interviewer that an attempt to sum
it all up leaves the majority of audi
| tors guessing.
But for the statement of the author
that he regards the play as the most
important work of his life land he
has wrought in Legislative halls, in
the legal forum and in the pulpit,
and that his object is to teach the
young and coming generations the
truth about a grave problem, there
| would be little reason for any notice
| of the play further than the usual
| passing criticism that is given to
stage attractions. The claim that
every situation it presents had a
| counterpart in real life during recon-
struction days, and that its teach
ings have a bearing and an applica-
tion as to the racial question at the
present time, makes the wisdom OF the
performance a matter of extreme
| doubt.
The Clansman is, as we have said,
a mixture OF good and evil, In one
| aspect it shows the friendliness, OF
one to the other, of former master
and slave, their love for, and faith
fulness to, each other. That is not
bad; but it is a story OF past years.
1t has nothing to do with the pres
ent. 1t is not a living issue, and
never will be again. The play may
possibly give the younger genera
tions better conception of the mo-
tives and reasons behind the organi-
cation of the ku klux Klan. and in
this we see the best that can be said
of the play, because it is deplorable
fact that the original object and in
tentions of the klan were later car
ried to unwarranted extremes and
recklessly and outrageously abused.
The evils portrayed grew solely out
OF base politics, and the social dream
was whispered by scoundrelly carpet
bag politicians. The conditions
which rendered that situation possi-
BILE have long since passed away. and
they will never come again. There is
no negro domination in this country
and no such horrible lessons as The
Clansman is giving are needed to
prevent it's return.
The negro Acknowledgements is
made the strongest character in the
play. This we do not regard as true
to life. The negro was the tool OF
the designing rpet-bagger, and was
a lump of putty in his hands. The
Clansman story shows the reverse
and alleges it to be true. 1t is not on
record that any negro has ever gone