The gold leaf., 1908-03-05
"The Clansman" Drew Big Crowd.

"The Clansman" Drew Big Crowd.
''The Clansman" drew a big crowd
] at the Grand Theatre Monday night.
A special train from Oxford brought
| so persons and quite a number came
from Louisburg, Franklinton, Kit
trell, Warrenton and, points nearer
town. The play was apparently
much enjoyed and the stirrin" scenes
and thrilling climaxes provoked
great applause, while the acting OF
| James J. Ryan who portrayed the
character of Silas Lynch. the negro
ieutenant-governOr NJ. }. Jordan as
| Austin StOneman, the Radical leader.
| Murray Woods as William Pitt
Shrimp. Governor of South Carolina,
were repeatedly complimented by
| being hissed-a tribute to their art
no less pronounced than that paid to
those having a more pleasing part.
Some changes have been made in
the personnel OF the company sinceit
was here the first time, notably in
the governor and lieutenant-govern-
or, and the leading female characters,
but the cast is Il strong one and in
the main perhaps it does not suffer
by comparison.
Among the favorite actors i'll the
present east are Franklin Ritchia,
Eugene Hayden, James J. Ryan,
Maude Durand, Barry Maxwell, NJ.
j. Jordan. Bruce Richardson, Guy
b. Hoffman, Murry Woods, Ruth
Hart, Violet Mursereau, Joseph l..
Sweeney, Gaorge A Linderman, Earl
Lee, John V. Mcdonald, Mae Burgess
and Earl Ritchie. None of the fea-
lures that have made "The Clans
man. so popular the two seasons is
omitted. The Ku Klu klan cavalry,
| the beautiful pictures ofSouthern life
and scenery, the chivalric men, lovely
women and comedy darkies Of the
Reconstruction period, were all there.
In order that those who have not
seen the play orread Thomas Dixon's
book from which the play was dra
matized, may have a clearer un-
derstanding OF it we reproduce the
following which was written by IL
critic As to it's merits TO recog-
milton and patronage, the purposes
served by its presentation, opinions
differ, but that it is il strong play as
| such, full of stirring situations and II
| money maker all are agreed:
'The Clansman'' is briefly the story OF
how the descendants of the Scottish
clans, living in the South Carolina hill
country. rose up in the year OF 1867 and
| threw off the carpetbagger yoke. Their
agency in effecting this result was the
celebrated ku klux Klan. The hero of
the play, Ben Cameron, is a leader OF the
klan. His sweetheart, Elsie Stoneman,
is the daughter of Northern Abolition
| list, the organizer of the hated Union
League. Here is the interplay OF love
and hate, Ct passion and circumstance
| in which the dramatist delights.
Elsie's father puts forth every effort to
| enforce negro domination, and Ben as
stoutly resists. The latter is arrested
andl thrown into jail by the scalawag
white Governor OF the State. who is
egged on by the mulatto Lieutenant
Governor, Silas Lynch. A FEDERAL
cohrtmartial sentences Ben to death
Elsie begs the Lieutenant Governor to
save him. The latter says he will if
Elsie will marry him (the mulatto).
Elsie faints at the shocking proposal.
Stoneman enters and is maddened on
learning what his trusted protege
Lynch, has done. He has encouraged
Lynch about social equality and indeed
has told him to go ahead and marry a
white woman; but when lie learns Lynch
wants his own daughter. that is ano ther
story and his rage and disgust are be-
yOnd bounds. Stoneman at last sees
his gigantic mistake in trying to rule the
hxyo
| and in instilling false ideas of social and
political equality. He announces that
he will make yet another trip to Wash
ington to induce the authorities there to
withdraw the Federal troops and allow
the Southern people to manage their af
| fairs in their own way. Ben and Elsie
are united. A fairer day begins for that
| portion OF the stricken South, thanks to
| the purpose, steadfast courage and heroic
| achievements of the Ku Klux Khan. ''an
| Invisible Empire which within a few
| months overspread a territory larger
! than modern Europe, snatched power
| out OF defeat and death, and tore the
fruits OF victory from twenty million
| conquerOrs
The Clansman' reprOduces not only
| the tragedy but also the charmed types,
while the bad negro is the carpetbagger' Is
| dupe. On the other hand, the old time
| chivalry of the South is shown at its
| best. Such figures as those of Dr. Came
ron who gave four sons to the Confeder
acy; Ben, the gallant young leader, and
| Nellie Graham with her sweet loyalty to
an unrequited love, endear themselves to
| the hearts of all playgoers. Among the
striking scenes of the play are the South
| Carolina election in 1867 when the ne
groes carried the State by 100000 ma
| jority; the auction OF Ben Cameron's S
home for taxes and his arrest by the
| scalawag white Governor; the dread
| convocation of the Ku Klux in a noun
tain cave; and the final scene in the home
of the mulatto Lieutenant-G overnor
Lynch where the Clansmen, headed by
Ben, make the negro prisoner and rescue
| the mistaken NOrtherner and his beauti-
| full daughter.
fnnh Fer Ev1rvhnhx