The sun., 1889-11-08
REFORM AT THE WRONG END.
dBoLISH JUNK BELLS AND PEDDLERS
INSTEAD OF STREET MUSIC
A Popular Protest Against the Prohibition
OF Hand Organs by n BODY OF Aldermnnio
Polltiei.ns-,Cha Outrage Condemned.

A Popular Protest Against the Prohibition
OF Hand Organs by n BODY OF Aldermnnic
PolitIeians-The Outrage Condenhed.
IL don't know what this towns coming
to-" said well-known citizen yesterday. Peo-
ple affect TO be horrined when they read oil the
old restrictive laws OF the Purltans but they
we're the lightest shade Of sky blue beside the
indigo enactments that are enforced in New
York nowadays. man can't kiss his wife
good.by at n street corner without risk OF
being grabbed by policeman and lugged oil
to answer charge OF indecent conduct You
can't walk along the street after midnight
carrying q bundle without making yourself
liable to arrest ana incarceration In dirty cell
overnight on suspicion Of being thief. In
some parts Of town II q woman appears on the
street alone after an carly hour In the evening,
she Is locked up as an immoral person. Your
books and pictures are liable to inspection at
any hour By irresponsible officials, and you
may be- arrested and locked up II they discover
anything that seems to their perverted senses
to be immoral
And then ta1o this matter Of music. 1t is
an actual fact that o charitable society, hiring
hall and giving fair or similar entertainment.
cannot have music at 1t without paying $500
license and even II they do have music under
this license they mustn't dance, nor must any
beer or other intoxicating liquor be sold.
Music ia not allowed in saloons or places OF
that sort although the vilest dens are legally
recognized and protected. SO long as they don't
have music. In every other country In the
world and in every other city In this country,
music Is regarded as having an elevating
rather than Q debasinR tendency; but here
music Is placed In the same category with
rum, you can't have 1t without a license. In
deed. it's put lower than rum. for 1t is many
times easier and cheaper TO get license to
peddle rum. no matter how vile or in how low
a place, than It is to get license to dispense
music.
And now comes this prohibition OF music in
the streetsi 1t ought to make an American
blood boil to think that lot of stupid
Aldermen and Mayor have deliberately
enacted that 1t shall be unlawful for anybody
to play or sing for his entertainment and the
Of his neiahbors upon the side-
walk In front of his house. no matter how mugh
he may enjoy the music or how anxious no
may be to have II. For heavens sake. what
next? Is music to be prohibited entirely, or.
like fine pictures that chance TO contain nude
IeTies supported 10 BY tho Tich chiefly for their
own amusement2
The quality Of the music has nothing to do
with It, 30 long as 1t stops short Of being pub,
lie nuisance. My ears are my own; and II l
think hand organs and little German bands the
10 enjoy them US somebody else has to enjoy
Wagner music in a million dollar opera house.
The way it is now the laws make 1t pretty
nearly impossible for poor person to near
out sis goins OUTS outside % Of New York for it Gon-
,iassica M Isl al music M is played are beyond the means
of any but the well-to-do, and music is abso- |
utely prohibited in. the ordinary places of re.
sort for persons OF slender means and now it |
cannot be played even upon the sidewalks OF
Ihe city. Where is there q single place in New |
admission Ice @ Of Is cents or @ over % can y 60 81 aud
,nt with beer OF without it. except in the
te go you WHAT is New York is no place
or free man to live in nowadays, and 1t won't |
wipe out the dunder hoaded chumps that put |
such regulations on the city law books and put |
'ome men IN charge Of affairs who will recos,
light to live and breathe and move about with
,ut policeman and city ordinance to direct
Another citizen speaking of the same subject
rom another point OF view was almost as en-
"Nnisances. are they 2" he said. referring to
he street musiclans; well. II It comes to o
question of abolishing nuIsances. there's lots
zee that stable over there: it makes the whole
sick every time there's damp.
s az Sss ra and holes on tho
treets, and these puddles in the cutters, and
he fakirs in overcrowdsd Park row. Look at
,ver there: they've been there week. Look at
he signs and posts illegally set UP everywhere
Look at the ash carts that scatter dirt
II it's noises you're after. what's
he matter with stopping the junkmens' bells
md the bowling Of the ragmen and other ped
llers. These things are nuisances to every
me and pleasure 10 no one The street musi;
ians were nuisancss TO- scarcely any one. and
pleasure to fully half the people who heard
hem, II we're going to have reform; let It be-
md let the petty things go to the last
II is not the Gsrman tooters and the Italian
Tinders alone that are put under the ban by
he ordinance against the street musicians, but
large number OF colpred strummers and I'D
llers are also deprived 81 their means OF lEeli.
lot been so conspicuous a feature OF the met
opolitan streetscape as the. little German
lands and the italian organ grinders. but they
ave In many instances been pleasant enter
ainmept even for those elaiminga cultivated
musical ear They generally travelled in bands
I four or Ave. with flddles. a banjo. and O
clio, and devoted themselves to negro ballads
nd ditties. which were generally well played
md tolerahlY sung.