The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 18, 1905, Image 10
A SCATHING CRITICISM:.
A. B. Williams Writes of "The Clans
man" by Dixon.
A. B. Williams gives the following
views of "The Clansman" in editorial
columns of the Richmond News
Leader:
Not because it is particularly im?
portant, but because it is the newest
topic and everybody is talking about
it let us consider, "The Clansman"
for ? while in a random way, hoping
that we may stagger on an idea or
two while we go along. All ideas are
not on the straight, smooth path of
logic or of direct purpose to express
something.
"Rev." is' a contraction for "rever?
end^ or revered." Mr. Dixon was
the "Rev." Thomas Dixon. He never
was the Reverend" or the "revered;"
he never reached the end of being
reverend. In his case the "Rev." was i
an amputation and not an abbrevia?
tion. It was the mere trademark and
sign of a profession and never the
expression of a condition. He leaped
from the Baptist pulpit into the show
less, building^ literature with a j
rht touch. It was quite a bound, but
:robatic feats are natural and de
jhtful to him Now he is an "ex
?V." and is making a sensation and
some money, two operations in which
? his soul delights and we assume that
he is happy.
He indicates that "The Clansman"
as a play was written and staged with
serious moral and instructive purpose.
The author of "The Dancing Doll,"
which was so nastily suggestive that
even New York city would not have
it, made the same claim. With a lit- I
tie ingenuity and sufficient induce?
ment, we can work a high purpose
into anything. In the interests of de?
cency and jhorality and public poli?
cy, certain /parts of the human body
are kept covered. For the same rea?
sons, certain elements of human
character should be kept out of view
as much as possible. They ought not
to be intruded on the public notice
in books or on the stage. 'The Danc?
ing Doll" and "The Clansman" pa?
rade before the same thing, the
same primal passion, at its two ex?
tremes of development-the one gild
.*ed refined and artistically surround?
ed, the other in the lowest stages of
bestiality. Nothing is to be learned
and no good is to be gained by either
and harm must be done by both.
Did you ever see a lynching?
We can say of it, as we cannot say?
of "The Clansman," that it is an ele- j
???ea??Trg 'performance in one sense of !
the word, at least; but it is not pr?t- j
ty or nice or artistic, although some
. times necessary and improving,. It is
a horrible thing, done usually for
horrible reasons and there is no ro?
mance or elevation about it. It is a
savage assertion of the primal law of
self-defense-of defense of life or j
something dearer-and of vengeance j
which can only be accomplished !
: by the death of the offender. It is' a J
tradition with which the public is un
-. _ happily familar through the newspa?
pers, but it should not be thrust be- ;
fore the people of staid and well-or
, dered communities, wearing their
good clothes and seeking an evening
/Of pleasant amusement and instmc"
rion.
Mr. Dixon is not even correct his?
torically, and if, as may possibly
have been, any old Ku-Klux members
present at any of the performances
of his play, they were amused at
the wide difference between the thing
as it really was and as it is presented
on the 'stage. ' The Ku-Klux Klan
sprang into life mysteriously . and
spread ? silently and in darkness. It
was what it called itself, an invisible
Empire born suddenly, obediently to
a great stress of necessity. It was a
huge, hidden, in many respects
beautiful, ?conspiracy of a whole peo
. pie against a government at^mpiing
a grotesquely impossible, a tragically
absurd experiment. It was largely
composed of rough, rude men banded
together for rough, stern and neces?
sary work. It included every class
and condition of life in' the states
where it was strong, and those who
were not in active membership were
in close sympathy. There were no
elaborate white linen robes with red
crosses and suggestions of the milli?
ner's art worn by fancy young men
with stage accents and inflections. It
was intended for ugly business and it
was an ugly outfit. A handkerchief
more or. less soiled with slits cut for
the eyes was the mask, probably in a
majority of cases, and there was more
cotton bagging than muslin in the
uniforms. Many of the men who rode
at night ploughed all day and there
was a good deal of drinking of corn
whiskey, chewing of tobacco and
country-side swearing and the Klan
on an expedition was sweaty, hot,
reeking and Intent. Some of 4the more
elaborate disguises were made by the
women of the family and occasionally
one was really ingenious, but they ex?
pressed' even in these crude fancies
untrained tastes that their purpose
was to terrify superstitious negroes
rather than to be becoming or effec?
tive as parts of a public spectacle.
The merchant and his clerk, the land?
lord and his tenant, might ride in
the same Klan and while they might
suspect each other, neither would
know; and the clerk or the tenant
1 might be late to work in the mor
and t^e employer would discr<
j ask no questions, even if he was
? personally a member. Livery st
I keepers in small towns and their w
helpers would be alert and busy
diing and bridling horses for unkn
men at late hours of the night,
nobody knew anything. Someti
the raid was largely a frolic anc
others it had a deadly purpose,
executed in a thorough way and
broad principles of public policy
laws which state and local gov?
ments were too vicious, weak or
j norant to enforce. It made itself
j rible and by so doing maintained
j der, peace and a measure of saf
; When gin houses were burned
! dence was not awaited, but the w<
?
! negro leader in the neighborh
was visited. But the Klan did
drive out the radical governments
restore supremacy. It had deger
ated to rowdyism and in places t
means of private malice and nei
borhood feuds and brawls before
collapse in 1869. Even the Uni
States government was power;
against it until it was swerved fr
the purpose which gave it digi
and force and traitors were develo]
within its own ranks. In South Ca
lina the radical government was
even brought into order by the
Klux Klan the excuse for rene-?
outrages and impost on the people ?
for arming more negroes. If Mr. E
on intended his play to teach 1
tory he should have studied histc
In South Carolina the radical gove
ment was finally overthrown in 18
seven years after the Klan had vs
ished, and the work was done
Wade. Hampton's Red Shirts who <
erated very much under the sa
system as the Klan, only substitut:
for grips, signs and passwords a g(
eral understanding so that it was t
necessary for a courier speeding
night along lonely country roads
rein his horse at a white man's ga
and {shout the one? word, "Wantec
for every male thing within capal
or riding a horse and firing a pis:
j to go pelting out to saddle up a
[make for the rendezvous at top spee
I On one occassion more than eig
[thousand armed men were gather
I in Columbia at an emergency call fc
tween ten o'clock of Sunday nig
and midday of Monday.
But why should these old horro
of a long-forgotten crime be parad'
and distorted in fanciful -garb befo
the people of today? What good a
it do? Knowledge of them, as
^fy cl.er historical episode, can
found in various books, giving actu
facts and figures and not the fanci
of a playwright or a novelist, ys
Dixon contends that his book and pli
are answers to '"Uncle Tom's Cabin
but "Uncle Tom's Cabin" did its woi
fifty years ago and it is not regarde
as useful or instructive in this da
If Mrs. Stowe saw fit to invent fae
and to distort actualities hideously^
fire the northern heart for a politic
purpose, what is the sense of Sout:
ern people encouraging a similar pe
formance now for no purpose at a
but to make some money for Mr. Di:
. on and some actors and theatric;
speculators ?
The play itself is melodrama. It
strong in some respects because
deals with a strong and stirring tin:
of which little is known and with av
ful and horrible things. The publ:
loves the morbid, the tragic, th
mysterious, the thrilling, and the ur
usual. If Mr. Dixon could arrange t
have a man actually lynched on th
roof of the capitol here, he woul
fill the square with people at two do.
lars a head. Crowds will linger fe
hours, fascinated by the grewsome rc
mains of a man cut to death by th
merits of the usefulness of a play ths
people rush to see it. In Texas las
year excursion trains were rur
crowded with eager citizens, to see
negro burned to death. The chambe
of horrors at the Eden Musee is th
most popular feature of that enter
tainment. Mr. Dixon has struck ;
new vein of sensationalism for thi
part of the country; but we doubt i
"The Clansman" will succeed bette
in the North than "Uncle Tom's Cab
in" with its bloodhounds and whip
ping post would do in the South . Th
two things attract the same inter?s
in the respective sections-whipping
post, bleeding back and bloodhound:
on the .trail for one side; lynching
the Ku Klux, negro supremacy ani
miscegenation on the other. "Topsy'
and some frightened negroes for thi
humorous touches. Little "Eva" as?
cending to Heaven and little "Flora'
leaping over a bluff to escape a horri?
ble negro pursuer-and there w?
are; one against the other, each con?
taining some elements of the truth
and many falsehoods and slander,
neither a beautiful, a poetic or an im?
proving line or one thing to make thc
world brighter or better. And the
only effect is to carry the public
mind back to old crimes and blunders
and tragedies, which never should
have been, the lessons of which
should be remembered, but the pre?
sentments and hates of which should
be forgotten.
It may be that Mr. Dixon's play will
be a great money-maker, althongh we
doubt it. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" has
been a gold mine these many years.
"The Clansman" certainly is draw?
ing money now. Yet we cannot con?
gratulate Mr. Dixon on his vault from
preaching to playwright. There are
Baptist preachers, humbie and ob?
scure, living cn very meagre 'sala?
ries, ^contending with economical dea?
cons, backsliders, chronic critics, wo?
men born to be bosses and women
born to be tearful and to confide their
troubles to their pastors, and with di?
vergent choirs and depleted collec?
tions, who could not afford to ex?
change places with Mr. Dixon. Opin?
ions as to Heavens and the hereafter
may vary; but there can be no two
opinions as to the existence of con?
science and of the realization of the
difference in a man's own soul be?
tween doing good and doing evil; and
in our opipion Mr. Dixon has done a
distinct evil and is likely to do more.
Russian and Japanese Envoys.
There will be no aisputiug of the
fine gratifying impression made upon
the American people by the large and
attractive personality of Serge Witte.
A mau of moods, a truly Slav charac?
ter, emotional as a child, vigorous
and fearless as an untaught barbarian,
yet schooled in the diplomacy which
is the most subtle known to history,
talkative, confidential, impressive',
this big, burly, blonde Russian is
typical of tbe best that is in his race.
There is the. Muscovite impatience,
swagger, ani bluff, but also the
winning manner, breadth of vision,
and responsiveness which make the
Russian "intellectual" irresistible.
To see him with his more than six
feet and two hundred-pound bulk
standing beside the five-foot, almost
fem nine, stature of Baron ?omura,
the spectator could well imagine be?
fore him the maps of Kassia and
Japan. It seemed impossible to tbe
visitor at Portsmouth to penetrate
behind the courteous tacitunity of the
Japanese baron, Komura, ?apa?ase
foreign minister, one of the fine ex?
amples of the Oriental mind, is philoso?
pher,-a lover of Emerson. One is
amazed to hear him quote from
memory the* English and American
siges. There is a certain stoic calm?
ness, self-possession, mathematical
precision, and relentless logic about
the Japanese which mystifies, yet
attracts. It seemed impossible to
break in upon his reserve, and his
smile, though kindly, was inscrutable.
In certain indefinable but powerful
ways, the visitor at Portsmouth was
couvinced that the quality of the
Japanese mentality admirable stood
the test of comparison with that of the
Russians. The Asiatics, acwever,
were newer bands at the diplomatic
gam-?. They were evidently not so
sure of themselves among the subtle?
ties and intricaacies of interntional
law as were their opponents. The
Russians it canonot be denied, played
their game of international finesse
splendidly, and, ender the leadership
of Martens, more toan once quoted
precedents to the technical discomfi?
ture of their opponents. The .3apa
nese evidently bad a wholesome re,
spect for the statecraft of the Russians,
and'the lather soon kar.-ied to recog?
nize trie high c?liner of the men from
Nippon. "Their minds," said ene of
the Russian envoys," are large enough
to make them real statesmen and
gentlemen."-Lonis ?. Van Norman,
in the American Monthly Review of
Reviews of October.
Danger in Prescriptions.
Some weeks ago the Tribune called
attention to the danger incident to
changes in the pharmcopoeia which
beesm?^effective rm ?euc. 1. The re
vison made by the United States
Pharmacopoeal Convention increases
the strength of many powerful drues
aad, on tb.3 other baud, decreases tbe
strengte of many others, thus a physi?
cian writing "tincture of aconite" in
a prescription without being aware of
the change would have a lu per cent,
tinctue in his medicine, whereas he
wculd have supposed he was getting
35 per cent. Then, if he prescribed
"tincture of trophanthus' he would
be giving his patient twice as powerful
a dose of this remedy as he planned.
It is evident that there are grave possi?
bilities of accident and death in such
a situation if, though iguornace or
forgetfulness, physicians make out
prescriptions without a definite and
exact undeistaanding with the phar?
macist as to the meaning of the terms
they use.
As the Tribune has already suegest
ed, it would be well for all physicians
for a time to indicate on their pre?
scriptions whether they are using the
.new or the old pharmacopoeia, even
if it could Oe assumed that ali would
know and remember the revison. The
dangeis of mistakes through a mis?
understanding between physician and
druggist are great enough at the best.
They are indifinitely increased when
as it now appears, the pharmacopoeia!
convention puts into effect its new
schedule without formal notice to all
physicians ?of the changes. This
neglect is excused, we believe on the
ground that revisions are road?1 Rt re?
gular intervals aud all physicians are
supposed to know it. But everybody
knows that that supposition is not
founded on fact. Hundreds of physi?
cians of skiil and alertness might
fail to realize the change, and hun?
dreds of others who do not keep up to
date very closely would certainly
continue in the old ways until they re?
ceived some definite notice.
New York druggists are alrr-ady
beginning to report mistakes which
might have had serious consequences.
One of them received a prescription
for a strong heart tonic and filled it
according to the new rules, then,
thinking the doctor might have made
a mistake, he telephoned him and
discovered that the physician was not
aware of ~> anges and that the pre?
scripts , written and filled would
probably have killed the patient.
Certainly some formal notice should
be given to all physicians, and all
druggists should be on their guard
and refuse to make up a doubtful pre?
scription without verifying the physi?
cian's intentions-New York Tribune.
Governor Heyward has received a
strong petition asking for the pardon
of S. J. Smith, who was convicted in
Greenwood county of soliciting labor
to leave the State without a license of
$500. The petition states that Smith
was sentenced to four months in the
county jail and that he had practical?
ly served that time before his trial and
the desire is that this time should be
credited to his final sentence.
PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION.
The Modesty of Editor Graves, of
Atlanta, Ga., Candidate for the
Senate.
In the lush, warm imagery of Geor?
gian English the Hon. John Temple
Graves, of Atlanta, announces his can?
didacy for the United States senate, to
succeed the Hon. Augustus Octavius
Bacon. Few men, if any, are gifted
with such unerring accuracy as John
Temple Graves displays in his picture
of himself. Benvenuta Cellini had
such a gift, and his delineation of his
own character has come down as one
of the most dilightful glimpses into
the human heart that could be im?
mortalized in language. But Benven?
uta had his limitations. He never ran
for office, and therefore could not im?
press upon his readers his intense love
of the people and his own surpassing
qualifications for serving them.
John Temple Graves, in two col?
umns of solid nonpariel, paints his
own portrait. He is buxom and come?
ly, endowed with the eloquence so
sadly lacking in' the*senate, and in the
full flush and vigor of a glorious man?
hood. "I am in the full tide of phy?
sical strength and vigor," he says, J
"and have two years between me and
my fiftieth birthday. Every faculty
i of mind and body is at its best and
highest. If I know myself, I am fair
and just by temperament and consti?
tution/'
Note the modest touch-"If I know
myself." Why, the man has studied
himself from-birth and there is no?
body he knows better. And he is in
?love. "I love the Democratic party,
not in the spurious loyalty of spoils,
but from an inherited and cultivated
conception of the mighty mission and
meaning of Democracy. I love the
people, and I have faith in them be?
cause I am one of them." Knowing
himself so well, he knows that he can
love and trust the people so long as
he is one of them.
John Temple Graves does not want
the senatorship for the glory or the
money, but because of an unquecha
ble desire to serve the State. He is
inspired by the belief that if given the
opportunity he can so utilize the store
of experience andvknowledge he has
accumulated, informed as it is with
genius and zeal, as to make the name
of Georgia still more glorious, "and to
sustain the traditions of her forecasr
ing and constructive statesmanship in
the highest arena of eloquent de?
bate."
John Temple Graves' training for
the office he seeks has been assiduous
and varied. "I have joined in con?
troversial debate." he remarks, "with
the assembled legislatures of fiv?
Western and '.Northern States, with
the controversialists of every great
Chautauqua, platform, with interna?
tional parliaments, and with nearly
every great college and university in
the republic." He modestly refrains
from adding what the whole world
knows-that these assc-Oitd legisla?
tures, Chautauqua stars, colleges and
universities bit the dust of humiliat?
ing and utter defeat. Then he asks a
question which can only be answered
by a thunderous affirmative:
"If you agree that I have sustained
national arena, and that you have
suffered no discredit at my hands as a
private citizen, is it presumptuous in
me to believe that, wth the State's
high commission in my hands, I would
be able to represent you in the Amer?
ican senate as faithfully and capably
as it has been my rejoicing privilege
to represent you as a private citizen
in the great assembles of the age?"
Finally, as an ingestible inducement,
John Temple Graves promises ' to
leave the senate when he can hold on
no longer: "I am willing to render
back your high commission in the
very hour that my powers begin to
fail me or my energies to wane."
Can Georgia resist such an appeal?
Will it permit such a wee, modest
flower to blush unseen? It cannot bel
Let the queller of Chautauquas and
interantional parliaments be sent to
the senate by the unanimous vote of
the people he loves with such passion?
ate devotion.-Washington Post.
Tokio, October ll.-The British
steamer Leho struck a floating mine
east of Sheantung and sank. Fifteen
passengers and the crew are missing.
The steamer was completely wrecked
and sank in three minutes.
THE FIRST DOLLAR SAVED IS
.THE BEST.
The Sumter Ranking and Mercan?
tile Company, of Sumter, S. C.. will
open a saving department and receive
deposits of one dollar and over on
which 5 per cent, per annum will be
allowed, payable-quarterly.
The way to have a bank account
ls to start, and you will find it easy
enough to keep it growing. Save your
pennies and nickles and you will soon
lave dollars.
Call and get particulars as to in
erest, deposits, etc.
Deposits, subject to check solicited.
B?MTER BANKING AND MERCAN?
TILE COMPANY,
Sumter, S. C.
Mar 21-tf ,
By buying one of our many styles of
Beautiful Heaters.
They are great fuel savers.
Come and see our large stock of Cook Stoves
and Eanges. We have the right prices,
PARKER, 1
SMITH, !
LEFEVER, [
FOX, J
And a large assortment of other makes of Guns
that should please the most fastidious hunts?
man.
P^N ul B '
Use our celebrated Paint : De
voe, New Era and Hammer, and
wear a continual smile of satis?
faction.
ardware
'Pilli ?^Paysjto Paint
myj^^f?m ?There is nothing that adds to
to the selling value or the renting
ESllw3 , value of a house like good paint
there is nothing that makes home
y/fPyfa^J more home-like than good paint
awBrH^^M ^ Pa^s t0 Pa*nt- The ^etter
S^n?i^ml the paint, the better it pays. x
^?^g THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS PAINT
H?S|S??jj?^l FOR PAINTING BUILDINGS
Wif? BPS OUTSIDE AND INSIDE
Silffil S Pavs *n t^le beginning because it goes
UM&wUI B so ^ar-Pa^s *n ^e enc^ because it
I HEIM wSi lasts so long, and looks so well, as
I Byw^tt *?? l?ng as 'LT lasts. There is no paint
^^H^OESEEgsgamgggggg^ COLOR CARDS >wm^^gs^gg?Ma^;#
-J I J_-J w? j*g
-. "vSSTilt ->r .-?JDC?2rcxr: ? . ... .
-. '^?? . j ; -T. * ?., t
I SD; '. ^ O! ? ifpS1
rl?i Kl! . :: m'U
m . ^ ?
The Farmers' Bank. and Trust Ge.
Cs pita! Stock ?60.&0C. -:
-:- Undivided Ffc?iis $4.000.
C. G. Rowland. Pr>t. R. !.'. II:.;, n.swortb. V. Prst.
li. L. Edmunds. Cashier.
Deposits Sept. 30, end cf 2d
quarter after organization. 8170,
436.45.
Liability of stockholder?, in
addition ro capital stock, ?60.000.
A general bankin*; business.
Solicits yotiKr patronage and
guarantees every courtesy con?
sistent with good I usiness meth?
ods.
WE GUARD OUS PATRON'S' INTERESTS
Effective Augjust 6, 1905
Passenger Trains arriving and leaving Sumter.
Train 35 Florence to An/n- ta Arriver 5 15 am
" 54 Columbia to ^iicam^ton " A IQ am
? *77 Floretee to Sumter M 9 2V aa?
*57 Gibbon to Sumter u y ?o am
" .ol* Charleston to ?.-i-reecville Trav?s 9 31 a ru ;
" +6* OrangebnrgtoChKrle.stcr. (Tuesd'yjThr.rs?'y^?iTnrd'y) ". 9 3."> ana \
u *78 SiyLiter to Lucknow Leaves 9 ? 0 am
** *77 Lucknow to Sumter Ai river. 0 CO pm
" 53 Greenville and Columbia to Charlcstct. " 6 30 pm
" 32 Magasin to Florence x " t? 30 pro
u *56 Sumter to Gibson s ?>o om
" *7? Sun-rer to Fioreice Leaves 7 10 pm
M 47 Charleston to Oransebnrg (TnesiTy, Thcrsd'y, Set?i^^r) w 8 20 pm
* J55 Wirrcin^tcL to Colombia " 9 35 pjjj
" 7S Sumter to BiFhopviiie Leaves i? 50 am
44 77 Biffhopville to Sumt&r . Arrives S 00 pm
Freight Trains carrying Passengers.
Train *24 Sumter to Karts vii le Leaves 8 15 am
" *19 Sumter to Robbinr. Leaves 10 00 am
" *20 ftobbins to Sumter Arrives 7 30 am
" *2;" Hurtsville to Sumter Arrives V 10 pir
Northwestern Railway.
Tram *70 Carn?an TO Sumter Arrives 9 00 au
M *71 Sumte - co Camden Leaves 9 36 am
" *68 Camden to Sumter " 5 45 pm
" *72 Wilson Mill to Sumter Arrives 12 3C pm
" *73 Sumter to Wilson Mill Leaves 3 30 pm
" *69 Sumter to Camden " 6 31 pm
Train? marked * daily except Sunday ; all other trains daily.
For further information, apply to
J. T. CHINA, Ticket A?ent A. C. L.
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