New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-03
" THE FIGHT "
Bayard VeiIIer's New Play at
the Hudson Theatre.

Twenty minutes after the fall of the
last curtain on the first performance OF
Ravard VoiIler's new four-act play. The
Fight" AT the Hudson Theatre, ~ is diff
cult to write coherently about all 1t con-
tainq. ones head whirls with mixed i'm
pressions 81 woman suffrage. reform. poll
tics. confused ethics and wild dolngs.
Jane Thomas Is running for reform
Mayor Of Thomaston in Colorado. No.
that IS wrong Let us begin anew.
Jane Thomas s. president OF the Thomas
ton Trust Company. one OF the strongest
financial Institutions In the town. Five
years ago. when her father died, she
took charge and began 20 make It wha.
Il Is al the moment the curtain rises
She has built up the institution single
handed for her staN-a!l men-are ca
pabIe ~ comic relief only. Remember
that Jane is president Of the trust COM
pany. for without that office she could
never have been elected She Is running
FOR Mayor She Is going 10 enforce the
child labor laws the liquor laws. she IS
going 20 purify the police. 10 clean up
the whole place. including. Of COURSE 10
put IL delicately. the closing az all the
scenes Of her own second act In town.
with such a progra NINE. Jane finds her
self confronted by the combined Opposi-
ton u both parties which parties We
are not told. The respectable business
mon OF the town zone party. Of coursel
combine with the boss ~ the other party,
who. equally OF course. is a liquor dealer.
Pic hotrays .he country Of his origin by
his speech Even Senator Woodford
judges q necessary % come on from
Washington 10 take a hand IN this local
campaign James RESPECTABLE" relatives
imp.ore her to retire She refuses. The
fcht wakes hotter and hotter.
The alliance between vice and crime
and politics must be safoguarded. a run
on James trust company is organized .
the other banks refuse 10 come 20 her
assistance. II is In this desperate pass
that Jane comes out strong. She PLAYS
the game Of pure politics with her oppo-
nents' own corrupt weapons. She threat
ems 10 foreclose the mortgage on the
lquor sellers property. she offers TO com
round a felony-a forgery committed By
the son or one OF ueI Nfi'boIA'l ~ ''''
does other things too many and too swift
and too daring and confused 10 put down
caterorically here AZ the hour Of going TO
press And she wins In the end because
the saloonkeeper goes over 10 her side
bringing to her support 800 "loaters from
Denver He says that he will carry the
election for her with more voters thah
the town contains. and Jane laughs with
glee i'm her rdor for reform. The boss
bless the sentimental hearts Of his race
has daughters OF me own ana Jane
has won him by saving the Senator
daughter from the scene of her own sec
ond act aforesaid The Senator himself
had been mixed up in this episode In a
truly shocking manner
II is all widest. crudest melodrama' fuIl
OF improba b.lities. and even impossible
ties. but it is good entertainment none
the less. one cannot take Mr. WELLER
seriously as a socio-political thinker. but
as wrner OF swift moving. eXtravagant
melodrama he is a hummer. lie fur
nlshes more entertainment than he knew
when he wrote this play; and. perhaps
some will even take II seriously