The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-04-04
PROHIBITION CAMPAIGNING.
Prof. Hopkins on the Efficacy oil
Music.

from recent letter from Prot. A.
A. Hopkins, written from his
home, Rochester, N. Y. 1t is full
of practical suggestions and good
cheer.
"The other night was with the
Silver Lake.Q uartet at Akron, Erie
county, where lives Prof. Chambers
the soprano and organist of the
quartet, Akron is but seventeen
miles from Buffalo, and is famous
for its water lime cement. Hun.
dreds of men are employed in the
cement works, and some of these
are not noted for sobriety. This
fact, and the towns near proxim-
ity to Buffalo, may account for the
presence in it of many saloons.
But the good people there are
thoroughly aroused, and have de-
termined that morality and man.
hood shall rule. How they did
cheer the quartet's new and
"lifting" song, otis Got to COP
Burdick had been there the Sun
day previous-P. A. Burdick,
whose work on gospel temperance
lines is everywhere so admirable
and they were well stirred up be-
fore we opened our fire of song and
speech. They must have been, or
the quartet must have wonderful
drawing power doubt both),
for over 500 people to pay twenty
five and thirty-fve cents each to
attend Prohibition meeting.
This bare fact speaks volumes,
touching the change in public SEN
timent. Nothing can draw an au-
dience now, in the lesser towns and
villages Of this state and other
states, like well advertised Prohi-
bition meeting and good music is
the best "card" which can be an
nounced. With this for sugar coat
ing, people will swallow Prohibi-
ton truth without grimace, and go
home delighted. Under its infu-
ence they will even pay literally
to meet any expense incurred, as
was attested the other night in Par
ma,a small village in this county of
Monroe, where free admission to
hear the quartet set people coming
at 5 80, and a collection resulted in
over $50 at first call.
Let me urge, right now, the early
formation of local quartets and glee
clubs for the campaign at hand.
Let me plead, also, for the endeav-
or on the part of every singing
group to put heart and soul into
the music produced. In some de-
gree we can make this year of 1888
an echo of 'Log Cabin" campaign
times, ringing with song and so
fairly jubilant for the right.
There is no longer any lack of cap
ital ballads, with Prohibition grit
and 'get there" in them. In the
Herbert Quartet's "Battle Cry" are
number.o of such that book can be
had by addressing the Herbert Mu-
sic company. at Monmouth Ills. !;
its price is thirty five cents. The
New Era company, at Springfield,
O., publish Battle Songs" in
which are several excellent things !;
and this collection sells at ten
cents. "Prohibition Bells" by the
Silver Lake Qurtet, as now pub
lished by Funk & Wagnals, New
York, has about 100 pages of CAM
paign music and words, and is
priced in paper at twenty cents, in
boards at thirty cents. With any
one of these new collections any
club may, if it pleases to practice,
insure fine effects. But practice
is necessary. Good voices alone
will not achieve telling results.
And with practice must be exercis-
ed good taste and wise dlscrimin-
alton as to style. Let the best
voices sing the best campaign mu-
sic in lethargic, die away fashion
and listeners will not be moved.
On the other hand, let only moder-
ate singers put soul into such a
song as Keep Your Ballots White,
by the Silver Lake quartet, and an
audience will thrill under it, and
go home with its nobly patriotic