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


cities where the play has been pe:-
formed we attended the matinee YES
terd' V afternoon.
We will not in this article attempt 4
criticism of the performance-of the
name in which the play was put be-
fore the public. That will be found
Ii another column Of this paper-the
WORK of another member of The Mes
senger staff Tn TIL article we will
confine ourselves to the play as a play,
giving our unbiased opinion of the
production
In the first place we will say we
were disappointed in the play. 1t was
not what WE expected il TO be. Many
of the scenes fell fiat. While they ex-
cited the passions and created a feel
ing Of repulsion and revulsion against
the negro. they failed to reach the
clim:x which one would expect. A
person u~nauuainted with the story of
he two novels could not we'll under
stand SOME of the scenes.
From what we know by reading the
history OF this n other southern
states in reconstruction days. this play
V a person ignorant of these times
no conception Of the conditions then
existing. AS a means of instruction
by ocular demonstration of events of
those days the play is an utter failure.
One looking at this play can get 10
idea of the conditions then existiD.,
Inc scenes are overdrawn. and at the
same time fail to portray the then
stirring events. AS Hn instructor OF
the present generation of what lis
fathers and mothers endured it is a
perfect failure in that it gives isolated
scenes taken here and there from TWO
novels based upon imaginary scenes
IN a period of the sOuth's history still
fresh in h memory of many men and
women now living. |
While some of the scenes fall fat
there was still throughout the whole
PLAY a succession of incidents which
did nothing III excite the passions of
the SPECTATORS.
The success of the play rests en-
tlreiy uDon sentiment. Southern peu.
Die attend, expecting to see an exposi-
tlon OF attempt at negro rule and the
triumph of whitt SUPREMACY
They go. keyed up to a point of excite
ment which calls for applause VIII a1e
there would be none were the scenes
laid elsewhere or in other times.
AS 10 the so-called Objectionable fea-
lures OF the play, We saw several.
While there is nothing obscene or vul-
gar displayed on the stage thsre
are suggestive scenes which should MOI
be put before an audience of r~eired
women. In the latter part Of the p,,,
the negro Lynch declares his
for Miss Stoneman and. locked
the room with her. threatens hey
and her father with death and The
lady with worse than death
unless they agree that she shall marry
nlm, the scene IS absolutely revolving.
1t should not be put on the boards
before an audience of white people. It
made ones blood run cold and ones
nerves tlngle even to witness a "play"
scene Of such a character.
To sum up. The Clansman" is. in
>ur opinion a failure. While exciting
and calculated to arouse animositv
between the two races it Ices not
a lesson 10 either.
We went to the play yesterday for
ne purpose OF satisfying ourselves as
o the correctness of the criticisms OF it
We have read. We went prepared to
'etract any thing that we have writ,eu
n this department of The Messenger
against the play. if after seeing thel
'erIormance, we felt that we had
lone The Clansman" an Injustice. Ne
ay most emph2tically that we have
% apologies to make for anything we
AVE said heretofore and nothing to-
axe back.
Among the many criticisms of The
lay we have seen one of the best is
following, which is a commun.ca-
io1 to the Raleigh Post of yes err
ay:
o that all the hysteria consequent ]
pom the production of the rather rel
Clansman is in a measure
lbslded. and the many victims are i'm
1alr way to recovery. it looks as if it (;
ere getting safe for me. from nv
rboreal perch. to make a few calm
slnterested remarks. without fear of
eng pulled down and torn limb from
NIB. SO now for a few disconnected t
loughtS. I
In the first place. a question. Is it a
to teach southern people {
lat inter-marriage between white and
lacks is a racial crime?. For in the j
nal analysis. that is the real motive l.
the play. Thirty years ago at the V
ofth. a public lesson of this kind a
1ght nave done some good in certain t
If any real good can result I
1t now it has not yet been salts W
ctorlly pointed out. A bright young a
married woman of Raleigh was in
a that anybody should think that a