New-York tribune., 1907-12-08

On November - the following letter was sent to
the Editor cf '"The Dramatic Mirror. Mr.. Harrison
Grey Fiske with request that 1T might be published
in that paper or If there published. be re-
turned to its writer. "The Dramatic Mirror ap-
peared six days afterward, December 3,-contain-
ing neither the letter nor any alluson to 1t; nor
has it been acknowledged or returned. The Editor
of 1.-The Dramatic Mlrror thus tacty declines to
publish in his paper reply from writer whom
in that place. he has misrepresented and malgned
The letter accordingly. is published here
The Tribune. y. Y. November %. 1907
To the Editor of the Mirror
Sir: l have to-day received The Mirror OF this
date. and have read in il your article about me.
1t is melancholy news that 1907 has brought. in
theatrical management. the winter OF your discon-
You indicate that have been, at least partly.
the of your anguish. l would therefore sug-
gest that you might have been better pleased If you
had used better Judgment in the selection Of plays
TO be produced and players TO act in them.
have. in the course OF my long and busy life.
been favored with very liberal allowance Of mis-
representation and abuse. proceeding from speneuc
writers and sore-headed theatrical managers. /
have seldom been favored with anything quite COM
parable with your deliverarce in The Mirror" In
perverson OF truth and in the attribute OF insidious
malice.
You have tried 10 persuade your readers that l
object. and in your that have objected. TO
critical comment my published writings; that l
consider such commentary improper and view the
making of it a breach OF friendship That-as
Your attack on me. because of my disapprobatIon
of the bad play of "Sappho and Phaon."-an attack
which critical, hnt pcrsonal.-orignaiiy
published in THE Brooklyn Eagle" was fully
considered. and explicitly answered, by me- In The
Tribune of October 30. That you have not
Notwithstanding 10 make disngenuous aliu-
sons to it, and to other writings of mine. making
tumble of disconnected extracts from my articles,
and. under a vaporous pretence of impartiaity, to
shelter yourself by Misrepresentation.
reply your attack ] remarked that there
room for a momentary surprise because. hav
ing from among the many reviewers who con-
demned the play OF "Sappho and Phaon," selected
the object of your censure, you Were pleased
TO express yourself in the language of personal
abuse. Ignorant" dishonest brutal and
mentally impure" may. to your mind. seem the
terms with which friendship designates friend.
when declaring a difference of opinion protest.
ing mpersOnal grounds, against "A criticism:
they do not seem so to me. and trust that they
do not to your readers
AS difference of opinion you are well aware
after long acquaintance with me. that l would
very gladly. so far my professional and personal
influence might prevail, secure 10 you,-whatever
my critical views might be.-every possible consld-
Grafton. whether in The Tribune anywhere else.
It is because of your personal aspersions and
because of your dissent from my opinions your
protest against my expression of them that | felt
a momentary SURPRISE which I mentioned in pass
ing and that I consider acquaintance
ended.
Your actual motive in attacking me is not OBJ
scure. have steadfasty and consistently opposed
the Ibsen- -Suderman mn -Maeernch-etc. movement in
this country, 10 which you have gradually become
a convert You not really perturbed by any
question to my learning. my honesty, or my
humanity or my critical qualifications. Your
grievance is that my opposition has been deter
mined and explicit to certain fads which in
my judgment. injurious to the stage and mimi
cal to the welfare of society," and that have with
held my support from various productions of yours
made in line of those evil fads Your resent
ment has. at last boiled over and your present
sumption of majestic impartiaty and Rhadaman-
thine justice is merely pose. with which to inn
press the unsophistcated reader An adverse notice
Of bad play badly acted does not suffice to ex-
plain your explosive ebullition-for in my adversely
Of critical opinion. practically the whole press ns
New York coincided.
have not seen THE Eagle" editorial to which
you refer As to the article in The Rochester Post
Express" notice that your friend Mr.. r. Mawson
avoids even more carefully than you do, any
sideraton of my reply
AS to the ancient poet Sappho there has been a
dispute for many generatons-and SO there has
been regarding most of the vile characters in his
tory II you and Mr.. r. Mawson and other per-
cannot accept the evidence OF your own eyes,
the fault is not mine. DIR. johnson once remarked
disputant of your order: "Sr. I cannot under
take TO provide you with brains as well as argu-
nent.'
Your statement that misquotaton is employed
by Mr. Winter to further his arguments is false
Your Brooklyn Eagle" letter was reprinted by
me- exactly 1t first published.
Your citation of Tribune articles about "The
Thief" on September 10 and on October 1s is an
example of unscrupulous deceit You well know
that was in California on September 8, when the
play produced, and that the notice published in
The Tribune of September 10 not written by
me- II was written by reporter who exceeded his
authority expressing critical opinion. Further
more, you aware that all articles important
nd for
some years have been, signed with my initials. !
Once or twice those initials have been omitted be-
cause OF haste in the composing room. and such
occasions mention Of the omission has been made.