San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-03-23
Tlre Daily Eight.
MONDAY, MARCH, %, 1891.
STREET MUSICIANS.
London Telegraph.

London Telegraph.
Trouble is brewing for the organ
grinder, and clouds are gathering
thick and heavy, over the prospects
of the German band, Mr.. Jacoby,
Member for Mid-Derbyshire, has
long had his eye on both classes of
performers, and now only awaits a
opportunity for moving the Legisla-
ture to restrict the almost unbound
ed liberty which they at present en-
joy. AS usual with the British leg
islator, he has commenced his Under
taking by arming himself with stat
istics. The Under-Secretary for For
sign Affairs has connseDted at his re-
quest to procure return which Will
show, 1t Is understood, that stroliing
musicians enjoy an amount OF tolerS-
ton in London which is denied to
them in New York or in any capital
of the continent of Europe. Such |
return will, no doubt, be studied |
with interest, though its alleged pur-
port could, indeed, have been easily
anticipate. We might, at any rate,
have taken it for granted that, of the
strOlling musician is subjected to any
fixed restrictions whatsoever in the
elites in question, he has less
liberty there than he possesses here.
The organ, grinder may 'set up his
rest" among us-and disturb us-at
any place or time that seems good to
him. The German bandsman blow
eth where he listeth, and is unfetter-
ed as the wind which he perverts to
so malignant use. If we cannot say
of him that he enjoys "the desolate
of the will ass" it is because
he differs from that animal, not
SO much in the quality of his
note as In the character IF his sur
He does not seek solitude,
but creates 1t, though it is true he
has no yet had the audacity to call
it peace. 1t is time, Mr.. Jacoby
thinks, that the privileges of these
chartered libertines should be curtail-
ed, and he proposes, on the home
)pathic principle, to correct one
species of license by another. The
bill which he will submit to the
House Of Commons will enable the !;
police by means of q system of
licensing, to exercise a more rigid !
control over offenders than they can
It present bring to bear on them. No
is as yet forthcoming as 7
0 the particular form of permit which
8 to be granted to them, and for
which there seems to us to be no
rec sdent exactly in point. Per-
laps the nearest approach to a par
lei is,that of the shooting license,
which cOnfers upon its possessor GER
ain rights of inflicting injury upon a
lass of his fellow creatures Who'll
ave done him no injury, and who
re unable to make reprisals. What
will be attached to the
ryan or the ss-band license we do =
ot know, nor whether there will be
"close time" for the public, during
which the licenses will be forbidden
o indulge in their formidable past
ime. Equal uncertainty surrounds
he question whether the issue of
licenses will be actually or virtually
and whether any steps
1ill be taken to ascertain the artistic
qualifications of the persons applying
Or them. If, however, the analogy
which has been suggested holds good,
re presume that no such condition
7ill be imposed. A man who applies
or a gun license Is not required to
how that he is good shot, and per-
APPS Mr.. Jacoby's bill will allow the
authorities to place a cornet-
piston in the hands of q German
portsman without any previous in
estigation of his ability to hit the
ight note.