The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-06-08

day excursion would be a good subject for an
American comic opera. 1t is distinctly an
American institution. There is nothing like it
in the rest of the world. There couldn't be any
thing like it anywhere but in this Gland of the
brave and the home of the Free"
don't like professional humor, machine-made
humor. l find very little pleasure in the drivel
aid nonsense with which the so-called funny
columns of the American press abound. There
is no sense in trying to be funny. The effort
defeats the purpose. But we must take things
as we find them. The funny column with the
funny man is an institution. In that fact find
an excuse for Johnson. 1t seems like damning
him with faint praise, but | will say this for
the "Postscript' column in the PoSt-that to
my mind 1t is the best funny column printed in
any American newspaper.
They tell me that the only place in America
where rebel flags are made, the only place
where bunting of any kind is made is at Ben
Buffers factory in Lowell, Mass. The Yankee
manufacturer doesn't all ow sentiment to inter
fere with business The demand for rebel flags
at Richmond is readily supplied at Lowell.
4 4
Representative Quinn, of New York, has a
grievance in relation to the national air Of
America. He has noticed that on occasions
which call for the playing of the American ma
tional air, especially in England and abroad, it
is not the "Star-Spangled Banner that is
played, but ''Yankee Doodle" Now, he
thinks that both in music, poetry, and sense
"Yankee Doodle is beneath the dignity OF
this great nation, and he demands the repeal of
"Yankee Doodlen Well, that will be pretty
difficult, whatever the lawmakers may do,
! "Yankee Doodle' stands good chance of last
ing as long as the Constitution. Songs
are more powerful than either laws
or armies. 1t was possible to
whip the Confederacy, but hundred Union
armies could not whip "Dixie" from among the
songs that will go humming down the ages,
and live as long as history is read written
And as to Yankee Doodle" even if it were pos
sible to annihilate it, why should it be donei
What's the matter with "Yankee Doodlep II
fairly represents the humorous side of the
! American people. ] don't see why nation
should not have a humorous national air as
well as a serious one. When Uncle Sam goes
out visiting his neighbors he should have some
thing to say to suit the occasion. If the occa-
sion be merry one, why, Yankee Doodle" will
serve the purposes; If grave or serious the
! ''Star-Spangled Banner is the thing. / be
lieye that we are the only nation that has
humorous as well as a serious national air. and
II is proper that America should lead the worlC
In this as in other things. Whenever othe
nations come TO realize that an after-dinnei
speech is not suitable at a funeral, they may
prepare something in the way of a humorous
national air, too, after the style of our "Yanke'
Doodle" But it will be long time before The
element OF humor is as strong anywhere else az
1t is in America.
X K
There is an astonishing number OF doubles il
Washington. The elevator man at the south
west corner of the Treasury Building is dali.
mistaken for Col Dudley, and a man who
keeps tailor's shop in the neighberhood o
Sixteenth street and Rhode Island aYenu,
is the picture of President Harrison. But Of al