The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-04-05
THE cLANsMAN'', a FlaE5RANp

1.-THE CLANSMAN', a Fi2E5RAND
If the negro were still in Africa
where he doubtless would be were it
not for the greed and avarice and in
humanity of the white man-instead of
here in America to the number of
some millions; or, if the negro pro-
blem as it presents itself in the
United States, not with and for us,
but with and for some other nation
if either of these conditions We're true,
then we might with safety, but still
without good taste, and in necessarily
thoughtless way, indulge such pro-
auctions as "The Clansman. Neither
of these conditions being true, how
ever; the negro being right here in
America, and the problem he presents
being our own, we cannot with either
safety, good taste or common sense
countenance such literature and such
performances.
1.-The Clansman" is a most untime-
y and unfortunate presentation. If
the concensus of opinion of conscien-
tious and unbiased students of the
negro problem could be vitalized in
the rule of the American stage and
book counters, the Rev. Thomas Dix
on, jr., and his pestiferous product
would be swept into oblivion, where
they undoubtedly belong, and where
the vital good sense and sound after
thought of the American public will
consign them in due time.
1.-The Clansman. as a melodrama,
is a stirring piece, and it doubtless is
making plenty of money for it's author.
There is much in the mode and extent
of advertising pursued to indicate that
this is the amin object. That criticism
however, may be made of many a
stage production and it need not al
ways be so adverse as in this case.
The point is referred to because, while
Dixon and his managers leave no stone
unturned to bring in the almighty
dollar, the author resents the insinua-
ton OF commercial motive and siren
aously insists that he aims sincerely
to elucidate great problem. If so,
few who witness a production of the
play. but will say the author fails ut
terly in his mission 1t comes to this
that Dixon is either downright dishon-
est in his pretentions to unselfishness
or manner OF doctor whose eruptive
pills should be confiscated. In other
words. Dixon is confidence shark of
the first order or fool.
The race problem of the south never
will be settled along the lines laid
down by Dixon. "The Clansman'' is
skillfully drawn, with every indica-
ton of deliberate aforepurpose, to en-
gender race hatred. The motive of
the play is the ambition and the striv-
ing of the negro for social unity with
the white, the climax being an offer
Of marriage by the mulatto lieutenant
governor of South Carolina of recon-
struction days to the daughter of
stern old abolitionist whose teachings
lead to this, but who seems to have
no thought of its striking his own
family. The concrete and homely ex-
ample is is enough. Even the i'm
placable abolitionist revolts. Mean
while, the Ku Klux Khan is busy at
its nocturnal business of summarily
dispatching insolent and intolerable
upstairs of the black race.
Many of the incidents of the play
are as faithful to history as the incid-
ents of a melodrama need be, but in
its main action the play is lie, and
the lie deals with sensitive subject,
subject that must needs be dealt
with in truth. Or, were it all true
enough, as truth it should rather be
discountenanced and forgotten as an
unfortunate condition of an unfortu-
nate time, than paraded before the
footlights to stir the passions and hat
red of one race against the other,
while the inevitable is that the two
races must continue to live side by
side in such harmony and peace as they
may.
Were the negro problem to be solv-
ed along the line of race eXterminat-
ION, then "The Clansman" would be
a fitting preliminary. In that case it
would be splendid fire brand 1t
would be it now is an inspiration
to hatred, suspicion, crime, murder,
humiliation. But since the negro pro-
blem is not to be solved in this way,
the real influence of the Dixons to
the contrary notwithstanding, "The
Clanmsan" is an outlaw, cutthroat,
an incendiary, a seditionist, an anar
chist, thing of evil in toto, and fit
only for condemnation and suppress
sion. 1t we'll illustrates the possible
dangers of the Unlimited freedom in
such matters that obtains under our
tolerant form of government. Were
we not so mentally strong as a peo-