The managers and heads of departments held a meeting to devise
some way to get both classes interested, and everybody was asked to
state their views. After they all got through talking pa asked me what I
thought would be the best way to get the people excited about the show,
and I told him there was no way except to inject a little politics into
it. I said if they would give me $50 or so, to buy Chinese lanterns, and
about a hundred complimentary tickets to give away, pa and I could go to
Atlanta a couple of days ahead of the show and we could organize a
Roosevelt club among the negroes, and a Bryan club among the white
fellows, and at the evening performance we could have the two clubs
march into the main tent, one from the main entrance, and one from the
dressing room, with Chinese lanterns, and one could yell for Roosevelt
and the other for Bryan, and advertise that a great sensation would be
sprung at the evening performance. I said the tent wouldn't begin to
hold the people.
Every one of the managers and heads of departments said it would be
great stuff. Pa was the only one that kicked. He said the two
processions might get into a fight, but I said what if they did, we
wouldn't be to blame. Let 'em fight if they want to, and we can see fair
play.
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