Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-16
THE HAND ORGAN QUESTION.
Many People Anxious That This Kind
of Music Should Continue.

Those who favor the continuance of the
hand organ as means of afiorling music
to the masses say that the one who first
went to the District Commissioners and en-
deavored to have an order issued prohibit
ing the playing of that instrument in the
streets OF the city was one with no more
music in his soul than tide-water clam.
The Star allowed an director to the hand
organ to state his grievance and since then
replies have been coming in thick as the
leaves in Vallambrosa. The 10000 children
to whom the music of the peripate-ic piano
is continual source of pleasure and de-
light have not been heard from directly but
following are three communications, which
are fair samples of the views of those who
believe in letting the hand organ stay:
Let Them Earn a Living.
To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
If the hand organ mems case has not
been closed. will you kindly allow me to
say a word? Heaven knows there are few
enough avenues open to men by which they
can earn an honest living in this city. 1t
certainly seems as if, from the Commits
Sioners down, there is a continuous and an
noying effort made to close what few ways
there are. by petty and persistent persecu-
ton These organ men are trying to earn
living, they pay a license fee IL presume),
they interfere with nobody, they give pleas
ure to good many people. Let them have
a chance.
Today it Is the organ men against whom
the cry is made, tomorrow it will be the
vender of fruits (and we will read of the
police running in a number of them on
some frivolous pretexD, i'll a few days 1t
VIII be the huckster trying to sell his fish
or his berries.
Our officials ought to encourage every ef-
fort men make to keep from beggary or
crime and earn an honest dollar, instead of
dlscouraglnS it, and every citizen who
wishes we'll to his kind ought to support
them. b.
1t PIeases the Children.
Why must the street organ be abolished Z?
1t gives pleasure to many persons who can
not afford to hear either Patti or Paderews-
XII. 1t pleases children and many others
who are prevented from attending evening
concerts. In my own household, when in
Validism has kept us at home, the street
organ has been hailed with delight, and it's
cheering influence has been fully appreci-
ated. 1t has been stated as an objection
that some organs are fiat and discordant
but surely this difficulty exists even with
the brass band. and We have found that the
street organ IS as much attuned to melody
as other instruments. So why break up a
time honored institution? 1t can do no
harm; is not injurious to morals, and while
a few may not appreciate the simple music
means of livelihood it is would suffer and
become Migrants. Let philanthropic folks
consider this. e.
How to Escape 1t.
Your correspondent with the dog Latin
name and long purse asks to be informed
where he can find a spot free from machine
music. He is hereby informed that Con-
gressional cemetery is very quiet and re-
tired spot, SO quiet that the street cars
stopped running there from lack of custom:
it is the ideal spot for him, for the dago
never goes there-dead men have no peanies
to spend on music. There is no charge for
this information.
The organ grinder should be encoura ged
rather than suppressed; he is a source of
pleasure to thousands of poor children in
this city, as witness the black white and
colored who any day and all day dance in
the marketplace to his piping The son of
Italy is doing a good work on small pay;
give him cent and let him play the whole
string, and then put in a fresh barrel; it
Is cheaper and better than the phono-
graph. ANXIOUS.