Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-04
PORTER ORDERED NOT
TO PREVENT SHOWING
OF BIRTH OF NATION
Judge Ferguson Grants Petition
for Injunction Against City's
Restraining Presentation
of Movie Film
SALE OF TICKETS LARGE

Tho negroes protest against the pres
I ertatlon OF f'The Birth OF n Nation" al
! the Forrest Theatre. tonight, has been In
vain Judge Ferguson In Common Pleas
Court this afternoon, granted an injunc-
! tion restraining Director Porter from In
terfering with the exhibition OF the pic
tvre.
In granting the Injunction which was
| sought by the Epoch Producing Company
and thee management OF the Forrest
Theatre, the Judge said:
Il am eonhdent that the colored people
OF this city will not do anything un-
LAWFUL Z DO not think it's likely that
they will commit any breach OF the peace.
approve o. the Directors zeal In the
matter but I can't see that there Is any
thing In the situation to cause me to
dismiss the petition"
Assistant City Solicitor Ernest Lowen-
grund pointed out that Judge Sulzberger
prevented the appearance here eight
years ago OF the play. THE Clansman."
from which the picture was taken. He
said that Thomas Dixon, the author al
ways wrote TO arouse race hatred. and
that a fight outside the theatre might
cause n panic inside.
Meanwhile the public appears not to he
the least perturbed about the matter, and
there has been a constant line of patrons
at the ticket office. The house was nearly
sold out at noon. No person has asked
that his money for tickets be refunded
As a result Of their protest, the Director
prohibited the pictures presentation. The
management, however. Is determined that
the picture will be shown.
In nearly every city where the picture
has been presented there have been pro-
tests by negroes. While they were sue
cessful in obtaining n police order against
the pictures in every case. this had been
overruled in most cases by the courts.
In many Instances Il was learned that
catering to the negroes regardless of the
opinion of the remainder of the public
was for the purpose OF capturing the
negro vote at the coming election.
In four cases the courts have enJoin I'd
city officials from stopping the film on
the ground of race prejudice. In one
case Judge Reid, of Pittsburgh called
attention to the fact that the picture had
been approved by the State Board of
Censors. a body established by law. He
also declared that the picture had been
shown TO several millions of people with
out causing a breach OF the peace
Director Porter said he had learned that
a large number of negroes had bought
tickets to see the picture, and he under
stood il was their intention to rise in their
seats and protest against the picture in
the theatre tonight In view OF possible
trouble, he said, II was his duty to pro-
tect the public by preventing the pro-
duction.
Il will have to take every method he
added, Ito prevent disturbances. l have
been overwhelmed with protests includ-
ing one from 10000 negro knights OF
Pythias."
II have seen the picture at the request
Of j. Louis Breitinger. chief of the Board
of Censors. and in view OF the negro
population here. it is my opinion, that 1t
should not be shown.