Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-03-05
TIE GlII'lN NCIDENP.
tHy james Weldon Joi.nexpn, to!Iri-
bu, 'uG Nditor.)

ghr SNSatipn Of the thea p,Gl sclS-
Oh is the report TINT the Dra,n. lnut,
uc l"t.dcl that il world MOI iavit"
Cha,d"S Clpin, the ooinrrd star of
"Thc Erpw,F Jones' playing ~ ;hr
Princess i Iinn ntrr % its anpral lin.
nc:
Tho HrttnA Doagoic is az nf.alI "a
tion whicu has for lis ynlrpG.c the
fostering CF what is best in ~" ,h"e,: r.
bach vcar ii passes OR tNo various
productions and issues n "vlNft. hist"
o: lrlay9 considered worth wllth. &fao
nanh year il gives a dinner IN honor
o. the mcnlbt9' hip as the MOS: dtrtix
euiA!,cd contributors +, dramatic art
H. 'irc preceding ynnr.
AS til" haAoting proceeded .hia
Year it wax found ,{as tNlplu. the
""iored acton; who Uiayri ~: pari Of
JuSttS' in Drinkwatcr'S g~ca. play,
"Abraenm IinHoln." and who created
the stellar character In "rhe tmrs.
or Jones, which is regarded h. mnst
rr't'cS M tho most note worthy MAY
OF the Scab"r,. WA likely ~ ,ank
third or tnurth on the hist. This threw
e"n!" OF th" mtnntcrs Of th" T.rama
League Into coratrrnatiol. They
| thought no, only OF what Il -vrriblc
| rr '>"dent X would he in this grc,u
democracy To give a Ncgro such
rink, hu, also or what n htvw it
would bc to "Angio.Saxon >aIprrm.
| ncy 70 hav" linn ait beside his fellow
artists at the dinner w he ...u II a,
! t!!c lt1tol Mnilpn
| Ceuain members rf the league got
/ busy tmmSiiatelv to head off this
double calnstruphr Tht.ir first hone
| waS that alH management rf the Ito.
! tel hcAlpin would rcf,,se to allow a
| Negro at us tables. Bat wlnn ~.
| prnaslAi the management declared
| that 1t had no objections. rhry then
| decided To wri.r Mn. Uilpin "acn!
nico' leitcr telling him what II fine
! frtl3; tlnV co..sidl sSut him TO be.
! whil". at the same time. Projecting
!; TO send hi maR invitation GO the DIN
| nar.
J But this Clover little pkan did not
work The whole matter got Qua. Vho
incident was carried with Neutlin.t,
on t!ro fr<nN pagVei OF the New York
neTAp;rForH and the reaction has been
;s gacat a:' Mr.. Gilpin and hin friends
could wieh for. PrumEncnt actors
ana artiHoa III once voiced their pro
t*'la. and declared that they would
not ut"id the dinner II mir. Gnpin
wns not invited. Mary Garden in pro
teatinG said: Il would be Wiling to
sit with Gupin. | would like TO know
who III New York would not SIT with
him. Gilda Fares'i telegrnphcd the
Drama League, If you will invite Gil
pin IL he proud 70 alt next 20 him
God Forbid that artists ehunId do the
| American stngp such a wrong as has
| been imputed t. you with rapert C
Gilpin. Several OF tho New Yerk
newa'papTs have carried oddtornls or
the Indictment.
Tribune closed its editorial by re-
/ mnrAing tllAt the only thing gett for
tho Drama League to do TO redeem j,
| self was to give tho dinner il honor
OF Gi1pin.
| AS uniSrttln;tta as Is &h.B whole IN
| cidcnt. it nevertheless reveals somt
| encouraging signs. III the first place
| tho race has produced a great actor
! IN the second place. this actor has II
spite OF tho obstaolcs and handicap.
OF prejudice. gained tho recognition
! OF tho critics. his fellow artists. the
preas and tho public in this grea
city. In the third plnce. the narrow
sn0bb.sh attitslde Of certain members
| OF the Drama Lelgue has lnet with
overwhelming rcbuko. We may wei
stop and ask If ,,!l Of Nl1s could hav,
bean poN@iilo a general Ton ago.
Tho racH might have produced the
| great actor generation ago-in fact
II did produce him more than n pa
Grafton ago in Ira Aldridge--but
auah nm actor could not have gnine,
recognition in the United States, and
much le,s could he have had admin.
tered i'll his behalf tho rebuko which
has bacn administered TO the DYam:
League in tho Glpin lncfdent
| Tho moS gratifying phase OF this
ailh'r ii the d!snlficd and stasiblt
POSITION which Mr.. Ghptn himself has
maiir'aiYad through il all. Many men
undor tho circumstances would have
mad" somo GHally foolish remark
When the storm broke MI. Giip1
kept 5ilcnt. Watcn at last he was
prompted 10 say solncshing, he gave
"t Il statcnncnt in which he took yer,
1 nigh ground. HIS aaid that Ae was
honestly striving to present his art
Gather than hisnself to tho public.
Regarding tho embarrassing poa
'on In which he had been placed. Mr.
Gilpin referred only briefly. He said
"lfasaanat those who do not care L
s!t In The game dining room with m.
have ne complaint. h'rhis only will
eaY Thus far in n!e wor!rls his+.Ors
no p2se or prefeasion hos ever beer
"iFen relative rank permanently ant
none has evS' hen permanently pr,
vented from whining equality OF MT
!ss for atsolf
| "Rsal people everywhere, without
regard to cofor os e8tese, rvnaize tha'
Hoasr aaa nhRsa< fren 30 s0,bsitisI