The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-07
A GENTLEMAN FROM MISSISSIPPI MAKES
 DEEP IMPRESSI ON
Thomas A. Wise, in the little
 Role, Presents Unique Char acter in a Brilliant Way.

"A Gentlemen From Mississippi which was given at Jackson's, last | night, attracted a large audience, by l whom it was thoroughly enjoyed. 1 Thomas A. Wise, in the title role, 1 presents a novel character in a unique | presented by MT. Wise, as drawn. l The play is one of the many that have l been aimed at graft in government af- 1 fairs. The nature of such plays is to l be over didactic and under amusing. But the. present story is without this | defect. The role of Bud Haines is carried by Douglas Fairbanks, who plays well the part of a young, ingen-
 uous newspaperman, who is filled with an aversion to graft, and who, in the Washington atmosphere, is therefore thought to be idealist.
 The gentleman from Mississippi is elected a United States Senator. He is fat, jolly, easy going and knows lit tie about government. He is honest, however, and wants to do the square
 thing. His sponsors and friends in
 the senate, however, are two senators, notorious for their use of the public power, entrusted to them, to bring gain to themselves and their friends.
 The government is about to build a naval station the Gulf of Mexico, and rival towns seek the honor. But the sensatoria1 clique has determined that the station shall go to a point where they have purchased all the land availa ble for a site, with the end III V1VW OI UnlOdu1I4S upOlf lAS SON0Iu= ment.
 By 8 disgracefu1 intrigue the son and daughter of Senator Wise are induc- ed to- put money into the scheme, but knowledge of the whole matter comes to Bud Haines, who in the meantime has been made private secretary td the Mississippian, who takes steps to thwart the game. But Bud Haines in turn is made the victim of plot, by which he is made to appear a sharer in the scheme. He resigns his place as secretary, but is told of the plot by the pretty, younger daughter of the senator, and begins immediately to up set the well laid schemes of the plot ters.
 The story terminates in a committee room in the capitol, when the Missis- sippian proves that he is neither so unsophisticated nor so witless as his senatorial friends have supposed.
 During the conference with his fel- low senators he obtains from each a statement of the amount of his invest ment in the Naval Station lands.
 To the question, What are you go- ing to do about it2'' he replies:
 ''I will make a speech upon the floor of the senate, in which I will announce the purchase of these lands. will de- clare the amount that each has in vested, including the amounts invest ed by my son and daughter. I will then say that we purchased this land for the government, and that we will turn it over to the government at cost. That made the purchase to prevent the government DelnS V1cL1I4lZeO Dy land grafters and political cliques. Each of you gentlemen will then have a chance to follow me in similar speech, in which you will declare sim liar sent frnents, or each of you may declare that you purchased the land with the purpose of making a profit out of the government of which you are members
 Confronted by this novel alternative the senatorial cable collaDses and the senator from Mississippi stops the scheme and saves the honor of the Langdons.
 From start to finish the play was without a slow minute. It was well staged.
 As a illustration of prevailing meth ods in the United States senate the story is not over, but underdrawn. The iniquities exposed by the late Governor Lilley. for instance, were much more extensive than the imaginary iniqui- ties exposed by the playwrights.
 But the play will help along the fight for better government in Ameri- ca, and is better play, than most that are written for no purpose what ever Two love stories thread the mar rative. One ends in the engagement of the senator's younger daughter to Bud Haines. The other terminates in the rejection of Congressman Norton, I the william of the play, by the older i