Evening journal., 1916-01-10
MONDAY JAN. 10. 1916
An INSULTING ASSUMPTION.

WTTlLLIAM A. BRADY, lessee OF The Playhouse,
w wishes to stage in this city the motion picture
production "The Birth OF a Nation" It's production
has been prohibited by dho Board of Police Commits
sioners the ground that its production here would
racial prejudice and might lead to race riots
Such an attitude think pays little compliment to
the intelligence OF the white and the coored sections
OF population. II is an insulting assumption. II
the position of the Police Commissioners were logical,
they might with equal proprety, prohibit the produc
tion here Of Uncle Toms Cabin" and many other
skis and plays in which white and negro characters
figure In fact. with mixed population there is no
telling to what extent this censorship might not be car
ried asserted defense Of racial and national feel
ing.
II "The Birth Of Nation is not feared by the Off
cias in Philadelphia, Chicago Baltimore and other
cities it certainly should be feared here In Chicago
an effort was made to block this motion picture The
matter was carried into court with the result that
June last Judge Cooper sitting in the Superior Court
OF Cook county granted the application for an injunc-
ton restraining the Chicago officials from interfering
with the production
The ground that il will engender animosity
is based purely assumption" Judge Cooper said in
his decree. TO find that this is good objection to
the allowing Of the injunction. this will have
that white citizens viii know ap-
the fact that the days represented in the photo
play nearly the first years OF the last century
This VIII have that they who will wit
the play viii be stupid that they win be
able comprehend that the people represented the
OF two three generations ago. and that
they do and will appreciate the fact that in the
succeeding time the negro race has advanced almost
immeasurably. The court assume that this
viii be when know that there is universal recog
milton OF the fact that has shown such general
advancement in from two to three generations the
negro race has done. This court is satisfied from
the evidence that in this photo-play the good black
Hrr.
in the play Every night in every fairsized
munity in this broad land where the stage instructs
enterains each and every play has its good char
acers and its bad characters portrayed both OF which
are essential play the rounding out Of the moral
OF the play. and without which moral play is Of no
educational value. Every night every theatre there
is produced the debasod type Of the white race OF
different naonalities and II representative groups Of
various natonaltes presented became acuely
sensitive that such individual portrayal would
them to suffer hatred of their race. and all the
plays in which william had played were stopped on
that account, the thoater educator and enter
tainer Of the people would become memory OF the
past aud there would be nothing to h It's place for the
education and enjoyment OF people.
mo nationality has greater right under the
law than any other has Any race or nationality SO
offended can best give the lie TO the bad characters
so presented by continuing to conduct themselves as
lavabding citizens who do expect greater rights
from the law than it allows all other nation
aies
oIf white appealed to the courts to restrain the
production Of play because OF its characters
portrayed a dssoute white man, whose acting would
bring hatred against the nation which his stage
character assumed their plea would be denied want
Of law TO support the same and the law should and
is the same for black and white alike"
Those sensible utterances from the bench that
certainly should have weight with our Police Com
mssioners and also with Mr. Grady in the matter o.
shaping his legal course in combating the order
prohibition.