The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-11
TALlIE MORGAN REPLIES.
Editor of THE TRIBUNE:

Sr:-After reading in this mornings
TRIBUNE Professor George d. Carter's crit
icisms on part Of my letter in last Satur-
days Truth, feel that Handel, Haydn,
Beethoven and all the rest mentioned in
Mr.. Carter's catalogue should arise and
tender this eminent musician and the AL
bright library ghostly vote Of thanks
for 50 ably defending their music from an
imaginary attack conceived and born Of
Mr.. Carter's overworked brain.
If it were not for the fact that my most
amiable and peculiar friend, George, had
totally misrepresented the intent of my
words in the Truth, ] should have, as in
the past, permitted him to occupy the
fighting field himself, and got all the glory
and notoriety out of it he desired.
Mr.. Carter begins his letter by quoting
from me as whole sentence part OF q
sentence. which is only half truth, and
as some say. the worst kind of lie.
Here's his quotation:
"Whie the music Of the great compos-
ers is grand study, yet it is more the
music of the head than of the heart"
What | said was: ''While the music of
the great composers is grand study, yet
it is more the music Of the head than of
the heart, and does not reach the Masses"
You see. the last part of the sentence
shows that l was discussing the relation
of music to the masses and not to the
musicians, but Mr.. Carter very shrewdly
omitted that part of the sentence. In
order to make the case clear to the reader,
| will here give the whole paragraph as
printed in the Truth:
"During one Of my talks with Mr. Steb-
bins, he called my attention to one peculiar
fact: Nearly all Of the best known gospel
song writers and singers were all born in
tba oY,nap of tho Nation, ok ook MD
a radius of two or three hundred miles,
Take Philip Phillips, James McGranahan,
Sankey, Stebbins, e. o. Excel, Ii. r.
Palmer, @. G. Case, Professor Towner, p. p.
Bliss. 1t is impossible to account for this
fact, but it is strangely true. There are mus-
clans who like to air their superior knowl-
edge and pose as lovers Of "Waguer, and
the masters who declare that the work Of
these gifted men is simply 'trash," and
should not be taught or sung. Yet the fact
| remains that the thousands Of gospel hymns
written by these composers have done more
good in the world a million times
than the work of the masters"
While the music of the great composers
music of the head than Of the heart, and
does not reach the masses Of the people
The music of these gospel hymns ON the
other hand has reached the great heart Of
the people and has cheered them in hours
of afflction, supported them in times of
| trial, comforted in the hours of sorrow
and then lifted up into higher, purer,
better atmosphere Eternity alone can
measure the good and grand work that has
been done by these devoted gospel song
writers and singers, and no amount OF
education will educate the people away
from their music"
say very plainly that the music of the
masters is grand study and since man
studies with the head, it becomes music of
the head before the heart and emotions
can very well be reached. But on the
other hand the simple melodies and effect
i've words Of Gospel hymns reach the heart
without any musical study on the part of
the singer and listener. Last Sunday night,
in the meeting held in the Young Mems
Christian Association hail. after the close
OF the great meeting held in the Frothing-
ham, while crowd Of four or five hundred
men were singing very softly, Nearer, My
God, to Thee" fifty men arose in response
to Mr.. Moody's question If they would be-
come Christians, and firmly said ~ Will"
or what use would have been one of Beth
ovens sonatas or selection from one of
the great oratorios at this pointf Thousands
upon thousands Of people have been con-
| Verted under the mlnlStratlons or Mr.
Moody, and he says that as much credit is
due to the singing of these Gospel hymns
which are not music, according to Mr.
Carter, as to his preaching.
"Marching Through Georgia. is not q
classical song by gun shot, but the reb-
els feared it more than any battle cry,
for the boys in blue seemed to get Won
derful amount OF inspiration from its
stirring strains, and many battle was
won under its magic influence And even
now. thirty years after the war, its strains
will awaken the most intense enthusiasm.
This feeling, Mr.. Carter from his imagln-
ary height of knowledge, judges to be of
the same order as experienced by the
Indians in the war dance he witnessed in
Dakota.
Mr.. Carter asks me if he knows the
flavor OF peach until he tastes it. When
a man asks me civil question / always
try to give him a civil answer Ycu can
"know" the flavor of peach without
tasting the peach by going to any of the
soda fountains in the city. Mr. Carter
also asks me where and when / studied
the creations of the great composers. /
will answer by asking another question
Mr.. Carter in what part Of the world did
you acquire such stock of gall as to ask
me that question? TALLIE MORGAN.