THE BALANCER OF THE UNIVERSE A Drama of the Race Conflict In Four Acta by B. Harrison Peyton CHARACTERS Mauricio Crispin, a dancer from the Argentine, age 25 years. La Corusea, Senora Crispin, his Ar gentine mother, age 42. Agnes, their American guest and dancing pupil, age 22. Mrs. Vincent Widener, a woman journalist, age 35. ACT I. "V, Period: Present. Place: Provl X encia, a city on the Pacific coast. ' SCENE I. The Heart’s Song tf Anguish. Scene—La Corusca’s home and dan cing school in Providenoia; a spacious inner hall. An afternoon in mid-au tumn. Crispin: Senorita Gorland. Yes! Ah, Senor Crispin! Crispin: Dollars to doughnuts, senorita, I can guess what you’re thinking about. Agnes: I was listening to your mother practicing and the music, senor. Crispin: Yes, unavoidably. But weren’t you saying to yourself: "What an immense racket Don Manuel makes with his tortured piano and La Corusea with her pistoling castanets? It’s almost as nerve-rasping as when the senora has a dancing class in practice, and her pupils all in a throng, with riotous shouting and ear-shat tering volleys from their castanets, rush into the impetuous, rhythmic ^movement of a dance. How they stamp their heels and shuffle their feet, raising in stormy thunder little, eddying clouds of dust from the bare, trembling floor! How one must per force imagine one’s self not in an American city, but in that native land of the dance, Spain—in Madrid, or Seville, or Malaga—where its raptur ous spell dominates the very atmos phere and love for it is to every child an ancient national inheritance!” Now, Senorita Gorland, weren’t you think mg that? Agnes: Really, senor, I’m not sure I was thinking of it from that view point. Crispin: Ah, yes, senorita; all the while you were wishing madre and Don Manuel wouldn’t grind on your nerves so unmercifully with such a veritable tempest of sound and fury. Agnes: No, no, senor. There are limes when I really enjoy it, and in yihc few weeks that I’ve spent here, S* I’ve become, I fancy, quite as much accustomed to it as you are. Crispin: And to think it used to affect you much as I’m affected by Congressman Whiteside's vitupera tions against that lowly branch of hu manity he terms "the despicable Ne gro.” I perceive, however, your nerves have largely recovered from the shock of the panic. Yet I should l>e better pleased, senorita, if you’d only sing for me. Agnes: Sing for you, senor? (With a fleeting bit of laughter in self-ridi cule.) Oh, gracious! What witchery of song could render my poor, pitiful voice worthy to be heard? Crispin: 'Twas but yesterday at dusk I heard you singing in your room, senorita, and with such soul-subduing effect that my breast overflowed with sighs of tenderest emotion. Indeed, I hung upon the mellow, appealing in tonations of your voice like one en thralled. Agnes: Senor, I’d never have dared, had I but once suspected you were listening. Crispin: My heart’s as quick to sympathize as are my ears to listen. If you won’t take my word for it, I beg only that you put me to the proof. Senorita, I promise you several extra lessons in la Malaguena, on condition you A ill sing for me. Agnes: You offer an irresistible in ducement. Senor, I’ll sing you just one song. Which shall it be? Crispin: Senorita, among the mel odies I heard you singing, there was one of those irrepressible lays of des pairing life and love the sun has known to go complaining up into the southern heavens through all the ages since the advent of Eve. I’m ignor ant of its name, but I recall it was pitched in the same minor key as the wild, dismal voice of oppressed Af rica I hear from everywhere about me. Merciful heavens! and, senorita, you put so much feeling into it one perforce would’ve thought the racking hand of grief itself had set the chords of your heart to moaning and break ing with all that song’s anguish and distressI Agnes: Ah, me, senor! there comes upon me at times such agonizing fear my little brother will be taken from me to his last sleep! But you probably refer to the song called Ma Mouri ? Crispin: Ma Mouri? Agnes: Yes. It’s an old love song of the Creole slave, senor, in which by a singular habit I often express my griefs. Crispin: Nevertheless, senorita, you will please sing it to me. But one moent. (He goes to the sliding doors and closes them, so that the sounds : from the dancing room are but very faintly heard.) Now, I’m all atten tion, Senorita Gorland. Agnes: Well I know young men, I must die— Yes, crazy, I must die! Well I know young men, I must die— Yes, crazy, I must die! Th-h-h! For the fair Layotte I must crazy die! Yes, crazy, I must die! Well I know young men, I must die— Yes, crazy, I must die! Well I know, young men, I must crazy die— I must die for the fair J.ayotte! Crispin: Thanks, senorita. And may I ask how you came by that plaintful tune? Agnes: Of course I didn’t learn it here in Providencia, this far western city by the Pacific; but ’twas taught me by an aged Negro uncle, a servant i in my home in Shadow City on the j Mississippi. Senor, Ma Mouri often brings to my mind your Spanish song called la Malaguena. 1 What Will People j ' 1 Say ! O 1 r I • | $ I If You Don’t Wear This | Button I I li lI 1 1 j: | j; You know what the Victory Loan Button Ix>oks Y | like. ' % ]j GET ONE AND WEAR IT. | !! If you don’t wear it people won’t know what to X, .I think. •{• ;; Subscribe at once and wear the Button. X j| Victory Liberty Loan Week | /i April 21-26 f <. £ :: DOUGLAS COUNTY VICTORY LOAN COMMITTEE, | J J W. O. W. Building, Ground Floor. *1; J | Telephone Tyler 3456. ? Crispin: I’ve heard songs with the sime savage, wailing soul, senorita, many times during my professional tours in Spain, North Africa, Brazil and Argentine. Anthony Bell used to assure me they were all transported out of the sombre heart of Africa, like the Fandango and many other dances the Spanish claim their own. Certainly la Malaguena’s but an echo from Andalusia of a barbarous mel ody that resounded across the Medi terranean from the swart throats of Egypt—but, senorita, you’ve agreed to let me give you extra lessons in the dance El Torero y la Malaguena. Aren’t you as eager today as always to practice it? Agnes: To that dance I’ve dedi- | cated my whole soul, senor, and to slight practice would be to me very much like neglecting a religious duty. Crispin: Then come with me into' the practice room. Agnes: Yes; but the senora hasn’t yet finished rehearsing. Crispin: Perhaps you’d prefer to wait for the evening class and the ieu:t'y young Senor Bland? Agnes: Oh, I fear the young Senor Bland is proving more fair-spoken than faithful; the last’s the fourth consecutive time he has failed to at tend class. Isn’t it fitting I should confess myself a maiden sadly for saken and unremembered? Oh! my, my, my, my! feminine charms are to the masculine heart such fleeting, fading things! Crispin: But so long as that ap plies to—only such chaps as Bland, oh! shouldn’t I complain, senorita? Ah! just as I hoped; madre’s now resting from her exertions! Well, why shan’t we ourselves begin prac tice right here and this moment? Madre! Madre! it’s Mauricio! Corusca: Bien, Mauricio? Crispin: Isn’t el maestro at liberty ; to give us the music for la Malag uena? Corusca: Si, por una rueda. If "ou please, Don Manuel, Mauricio wishes you to play la Malaguena. Crispin: I’ve the honor to be your humble partner, senorita. Agnes: No; in the province of the dance, senor, I can only acknowledge you a master. (END SCENE I.) Try 666—A reliable remedy for rheumatism and all disorders. For j sale by the People’s Ditjk store. Mrs. Lizzie Connor, of Mt. Pleasant, la., who came to Omaha to bury her sister, has returned. Events and Persons Arnold Black returned Sunday after seven months of overseas service with the British army, finding his wife and infant daughter well. Mr. Black is the son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Wade. Dubois Dramatic club in “Under Two Flags” at Boyd’s, May 9. ’Nuff sed.—Adv. Mrs. C. C. Jackson of Des Moines, la., is the guest of Mrs. W. M. Jack son, 2613 Burdette street. Mrs. Mamie Grant and daughters, June and Florence, left Tuesday for Excelsior Springs, Mo., for a four weeks’ visit. On their return they will visit relatives at Lawrence and Kan sas City, Kan. The Dubois Dramatic club hasn’t ap peared for some time, but it will be a sensation—“Under Two Flags.”—Adv. Mrs. A. L. Bowler, who was called to Galesburg, 111., last week on ac count of the death of her stepfather, has returned home. Don’t fail to see “Under Two Flags” at Boyd’s May 9. It will be a hum mer.—Adv. W. T. Adams has sold his residence at 2118 North Twenty-eighth avenue and bought a strictly modern dwelling at 2517 Blondo street. He removed to his new home March 24. Miss Malinda Chapman, 1238 South Twelfth street, died Sunday night and was buried Tuesday. Mrs. Rosie Rose, mother of Mrs. Susie Trent, passed away this week. The Duboig Dramatic club presents “Under Two Flags” at Boyd’s theater, May 9.—Adv. — “THE HOMESTEADER” In the coming of this super-produc tion, the first play of such propor tions to feature an all-star Colored cast, the people of Omaha will be given an opportunity to see the play that has caused considerable of a sen sation in Chicago and elsewhere. While it is not generally known, “The Homesteader” was booked to appear at the Brandeis theater here four days, commencing Sunday, March .30. It was only when it was discovered that the same was a Negro production that the management cancelled the same on a percentage basis, demand ing a cash rental instead. Based on the romance of Jean Bap tiste—the man—and a Negro—and Agnes Stewart, the woman, who has been raised as a white child, although of Ethiopian extraction, but did not know it, and neither did Baptiste, and therein lies the story. In love with Agnes, off there in the northwest, wherein he alone was black, Baptiste makes a sublime sacrifice, later mar ries a girl in his own race—wherein enters Erlean, the daughter of a min ister, whom Baptiste discovers to be an enemy of his youthful days. N. Justine McCarthy, the girl’s father, is of a narrow, deceitful and pompous and vain disposition. The two men appear to be bom enemies, and there upon falls the burden of Erlean’s love for her husband and the duty she feels she owes to her father. McCarthy deceives Baptiste, takes his daughtei back to Chicago, thinking that in do ing so he will frighten Baptiste, and in this way succeed in having that one kow-tow to his narrow disposition. His interference results disastrously, he meets with ill fate at the hands of this self-same daughter, and in the meantime, Agnes, successful in her musical effort, engaged to marry her publisher, a young white man, dis covers that he is Colored, and—but why more? See the play. ' It has met with great favor everywhere it has been shown. It will be at the Dia mond theater, Omaha, two days only, commencing Monday, April 21. MOB VIOLENCE VERSUS JIMCROWISM (Continued From Page One.) struction and limitation is to con found, confuse and hinder the wings in their advancement. In so far as a community or nation shuts itself off or is shut off from communication , with other communities or nations in so far is its advancement obstructed and impeded. This truth is illustrated in the destinies of the empires of Japan and China. As long as Japan lived within her closed ports and China within her wall their develop ment was marked by no advancement; but when the ports of Japan and the wall of China were opened up to in ternational communication their ad vancement became marked and rapid. Transportation, travel and inter change of visits is the most beneficial and most to-be-demanded mode of communication between wings of an army, between communities, nations or separated wings of a race. Jim crowism as it applies to railway trans portation is a measure of obstruction and a positive impediment to our ra cial intercommunication. It limits the progress of advancement of our race North and South, because the system in effect is prohibitive of travel and visit'by many' of our race both North and South. It is an undemocratic treat ment of a part of our citizenry, which treatment must in consequence amount to a restriction and limitation upon freedom of railway, of interstate and public highway transportation. It is the curtailment of a freedom which by analogy is identical with that curtail ment of freedom of the sea against which this nation took up arms to op pose. Will the nation not treat a part of its citizenry at home as't demands to be treated abroad? Jimcrowism is a moral wrong of surpassing evil ramifications. It imounts to the barred gate and the locked dqor to a liberty that should be accessable to all alike. It is here con tended to be stultifying to our man and womanhood. While it is an of fense against the race in general, it is one that is aggravated in proportion to the degree of the advanced and ad vancing intelligence of the race and the degree of the intelligence of the victims upon whom the system is forced. In the opinion of your writer it is a sinuous, subtle and sinister sub way of racial degradation. It is an evil that has seemingly tried to “sneak by," but the race has raised the “hue and cry,” “It shall not pass!” At present the only great organized force of great men and women, white and Colored, bent on demolishing jim crowism is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peo ple. If jimcrowism is abolished first, mob violence can last but a short time thereafter, as such an event will make possible a relief for the citizenry from the offense which otherwise shall be long delayed. Jimcrowism is not only a strike at the heart of the race, but is an actual wounding of the heart, and every day it continues the demoralizing effects accumulate. May a more intense drive to put it down start at once! (> J. D. Hines THE TAILOR AND CLEANER I l Suits made to order. Hats cleaned and blocked. Alterations of all kinds. Call and give us a trial. ' Phone South 3366 5132 South 24th Street. * ' Coming to the DIAMOND THEATER 24th and Lake Streets, Omaha |WC Monday and Tuesday, April 21-22 Ma^r' Admission* ' ^5c 1 piUe War Tax Admission, -j Children i5cjriuswar Aax* OSCAR MICHEAUX’S Mammoth Photo Play “THE OMESTEADER" A Powerful Drama of the Great American Northwest, in 9 Sensational Reels, Featuring An Entire Negro Cast NOTE—Held up by the Chicago Board of Censors following the protest of three well known race ministers there, one of whom claimed the play was based largely on his daughter’s unhappy marriage to the author, and that he has been featured therein as the arch hypocrite, who caused it. This great play has run twenty days at advanced prices to the Colored people of that city ;done since its release and still going at top speed. Don’t Forget the Date—Two Days Only [Monday and Tuesday, April 21 and 22 pmnmmmmimitriiiunMm^mrinmnnmimTOmmKnmmTfiiTnTriTTm^ ...