Life — February 16, 1905 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

HE: criminal authorities of New York have invited the Theatrical Trust to come down from the arrogant position it has so long occupied and learn, perhaps for the first time in its existence, that it and its members are subject. to American law and justice Z, Hitherto the Trust's dealings have been ie LF for the most part with actors and act- resses, with local managers having their all invested in their theatres, with per- sons whose property was in plays or productions which they had to. find theatres for or become bankrupt, and with people similarly de- fenceless against the greed of this grasping and insolent combi- nation. Now, however, the Theatrical Trust is brought face to face with American justice, Law and justice are not by any means synonymous terms, and it may be that the former may tend to defeat the ends of the latter, although we are confident that here the right will prevail. This case of oppression—the combination to keep Lire’s dramatic critic from pursuing his legitimate calling—seems to be a plain and simple one, and the law in the case seems to be explicit and to apply perfectly. Even criminal law does not move rapidly, and in the period of delay likely toelapse before it accomplishes its ends in the present case, the Trust may be relied upon to utilize every weapon its money, hatred and fear can command, [thas already begun a campaign of scurrilous and defamatory publication, Lire does not hesitate to assist it in this mode of warfare by notifying every purchasable and indigent journal in America that this is a good time to get some of the Theatrical Trust’s money. There is lots of it and it will be freely on tap. From every quarter there comes to Lirr assurance that the decent press and decent public of this country are on its side HE pious aggregation which is attacking Lire has come up against another snag. This time it is the United States Anti- Trust law, Mr. David Relasco, who is as persistent a fighter as he is an artistic producer of plays, has for a long time been quietly gather- ing evidence to prove that the tyrannical methods of the Trust, in keeping him and other managers who are not under Trust control from presenting their plays except in a few theatres, are really restraints on trade. 1LIEEYE, « Mr. Belasco has long been fighting against tremendous odds, and the mean, despicable, un-American things which have been resorted to by these people to distress, worry, and even bankrupt him are almost beyond belief. To go into detail would be to place before LiFe readers a history of persecution too long for their patience. The petty malice and spite shown would appear to be impossible on the part of men who have any conception of what the word manliness means—which, of course, is an unknown term and quality in the Theatrical Trust, Lire hopes that Mr. Belasco will get Uncle Samuel on bis side. Uncle Samuel is slow to wrath, but once aroused he is likely to put his large foot down hard on all sorts of crawling things. IFES attitude towards the Theatrical Trust in its racial aspect seems still to be m’sunderstood by some of our esteemed contemporaries who have } been commenting on the warfare which the Trust is ) waging upon this journal, It happens that the Trust is composed of Jews. Now, if LiFe were wag- 4g a racial war it would attack the methods of all theatrical managers who w would praise the methods and productions of all managers who were Gentiles. On the one hand, it has accorded large pr: to the management of David Belasco, of the Shubert Brothers, of . On the other, it has not hesi- re Jews, Conversely, it Joseph Weber and others who are Je tated to. condemn some of the work of so eminent a Gentile manager C SURE. 1 YOU'VE ANY DOUBTS ABOU DLD TENNYSON'S LINES YOU'LL RECALLS 11'S BETTER, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE MANGLED AND KILLED THAN TO NEVER MAVE MOTORED AT ALL, ' RACING MACHINES, comicbooks.com