The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-24
MAYOR BARS 1.-THE CLANSMAN"
DIXONrS SHOW GETS MINED UP
IN PHILADELPHIA POLITICS.
Negroes. After . Night Of RIOtInE. Demand
mat Theatre Be Closed. and Being
OannIsh Voters. They Win -Black Belt
Turns Out to Celebrate DtxOn's Defeat.

AA-
uannlsh Voters, They Win -Black Belt
Turns Out to Celebrate Dixon Defeat.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 2S.-After an all
day conference with negro ministers and
representative citizens Of the black belt,
brought about by the rioting before the
Walnut Street Theatre last night, Mayor
Weaver this evening forbade all further
performances Of the Rev. Thos. Dixon's
reconstruction play, THE Clansman,' in
this city. The theatre was closed.
Former Judge Maxwell Stevenson has
been retained BY the Dixon company. and
tomorrow will apply for an injunction to
restrain the Mayor from preventing the
production OF the play,
In the "black belt whose population is
more than 1000, the result Of the Mayors
action was at once apparent. The negroes
paraded about in mobs, and tonight hun
dreds AVE surged past the closed theatre,
shouting menacingly.
Squads Of police are guarding the place
and keep the crowds moving.
Gangs Of whites from the tough parts Of
the city have made their appe arance,
fights have beer frequent and the tension
is great.
Mayor Weaver began the conference
with the negroes this morning. Fully a
hundred OF the negro leaders packed his
Office, among them being h three minis
ters who had signed the call to action
yesterday.
The management Of The Clansman"
was also there. including the press agent
whose efforts started the mob ball rolling.
The blacks were severely arraigned by
the Mayor. who said: Il will listen to every
thing you may have to say, but l want to
tell you right here that had a single drop
Of blood been shed in the theatre last night
every man whose name is signed 70 that call
would lave been arrested. l am surprised
that ministers OF the Gospel should lend
their names to such a document"
At noon the conference broke up, but il
was resumed about ? O'Clock. Until Q
O'Clock the matter was argued and then the
Mayor issued his order closing the theatre
in the following terms:
From the evidence that has been brought
to me I am convinced that the intention OF
the play is to intensity the racial hatred
that existed between our white and our
colored citizens in the Southern States
during the reconstruction period and that
the tendency Of the play is to produce racial
hatred.
"lnasmuch az the wise administration OF
the laws has to a very great extent removed
racial hatred l am of the opinion that moth
ing should be done to revive it, but that we
should do everything in our power to en-
tirely remove it.
Il am under the impression that the
agitation in regard to his how was COM
menced by its agents and hat they did it
for the purpose Of advertising the pro-
duction. This has been carried on to such
an extent that il has aroused u colored
citizens to a state Of frenzy, and il per-
| mitted to go on | believe it would produce
a very bitter feeling.
Il deem it my duty as Chief Executive
TO prevent any such act that tends to vio-
lence and l therefore forbid the play known
as The Clansman' to be continued and ]
instruct the director of the Department OF
Public Safety to see that there shall be NO
further performance OF the play in this city.
Immediately the negroes proposed a vote
Of thanks to Mayor Weaver and the dis
order in the black belt began.
/ There is a general belief that the Mayors
action in the case was dictated by politics
and was forced upon him by the attitude
this morning Of the newspapers that are
supporting his enemies. In an effort to
further enrage the blacks and direct their
hatred toward the Mayor these papers
declared that the Mayor had caused the
riot by allowing the play t. go on in the
face of earnest protests from representative
citizens Of the race The intent was To
ALLEVIATE the ne no vote from the Republican
organization candidates toward City party
nominees.
By his action Weaver has effeotually
halted this threatened detection and has
swung the black belt over to the organiza-
ton.
The Clansman " is a sacrifice on the politi-
cal altar and the press agent who builded