The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06
THE CASE OF FANCIULLI.
ECHOES OF THE RUMPCs he RAISED
ON DECORATION DAY.

Hands Nfnuter-Army Complaints That tho
Musicians Are n Nuisance with Their : FiE
i1esds r-Lieut. Draper ana his Attitude.
fl. WASHINGTON. Juno GA foreign delegate to
the Postal Congress, who read with smazemont
the large number OF newspaper letters written
by vocifcrous WashinRtonians protesting
against the military arrest OF Fanciulli. tho
leador OF the Marine Band, for disobedicnce OF a
superior officers order while on parade on Deco
ration Day, and also for impudcnco, had not yet
@-'shed scratching his head over tho affair when
he said to a group of Americans last night:
=" This Is n matter that ! cannot understand.
The mastor OF II military band Is commanded by
the officer In charge of a battalion to alter the
character Of his bands music, to ceose tho rem
dcring of concert marches that have been per-
formed to the detriment Of the battalion's APP
pearnnco on parade, and to execute music OF n
sort moro suitable for tho marching OF soldiers.
A reasonable and a proper command. was II not3
And even II it were noti Well. this master Of
tho band. n subordinate holding the rank of n
private soldier in his corps. looks his superior
officer squarcly in the eye and says, MOI he Is
the master OF the band; he will continue to play
the music that pleases himself. Not only this,
but this extraordinary, this phenomenal master
OF the band wheels about before the eyes Of his
superior officer a~nd-mark this!-doliberately
directs tho band musicians to obey his orders
alone, and to disregard the orders OF his superior
officer! Charge one, disobedience Of a superior
officers command; charge two, brazen impu-
dcnce to n superior officer; charge three, in
citing to mutiny.
WELL Tho superior officer, instead Of run
ming hts bandmaster through the body with his
sword, merely orders him to fall out OF limo
and to report himself In arrest at his quarters.
Very wcll!-it was mild, 1t was absurdly leni-
ent, II was dangerously clemcnt-but very we'll!
Now! Tho citizens seize their pens and write
violent communications to the newspapers, pro-
testing against tho outrage tho 'unhcard.of
indignity imposed upon the b"andmastcr by a
martinez officer! Tho citizens take the ground
that tho bandmaster's contention was right
that IL was not only his privilege to render only
the sort of music that pleased himself, but Tint
no acted within his rights in fouting his superior
officer by asserting his privilege! Worse yeti A
newspaper understand, IN old, conservative
newspaper. read by Enthusiastically upholds
the bandmaster's contention. and terms the Lieu
tenant Of marines, whose order was disobeyed
by the ~bandmaster, a 'popiniay (! Still worse
Citizens, apparently substantial men. stand on
street corners, stand in cafes. stand in hotel lob
bics, stand everywhere. discussing this band
masters case with their fists clenched. and they
ali pronounce this Lieutenant of marines whose
order was disobeyed. a-what you call-an in
fernal puppy! Then We read that the mutinous
bandmaster has been released pending investi-
CATION and that, at the head OF his band. tri-
umphant, victorious. he accompanies the Presi-
dent OF the United States to Philadelphia.
"Mcssieurs. when freedom from her noun
tain height but listen: Do you know what
would have happened to that bandmaster had he
been attached to any military establishment in
Europe I First, his cheek would have been Ibid
open by his superior officers sword; second. he
would have been thrust, ironed, into a dungeon;
and. third, he would have been sentenced by n
court-martial either to be shot at the break Of
day or to be imprisoned for twenty years at hard
labor Furthermore and finally. such a sentence
would have boon right and just! Mcssieurs.
such q bandmaster deserves to hear only the
music of his chains ?"
r postal delegate may have expressed him.
self a trifle strongly, but in the main his view of
tho Fanciulli incident is the view that is held
by many men hereabout. and especially by men
who understand anything about what military
discipline means or should mean. The extreme
childishness Of n majority of the letters that
have been published concerning the affair be.
tray on the part Of the writer's profound igno-
rance OF the first duty Of the soldier-obedicnce
The ground the most OF them take is that Fan.
cinlN. being a good bandmnster, is not subject
NJ military control; they all ignore, II indeed
AM OF tncin are aware OF Inc IaCt, that
the leader of the Marine Band here gets
a good deal more than is due him un,
der existing regulations, and that It would
he the simplest matter in life for the
Commandant of the Marine Corps to have
Fanciulli transferred to his rightful position,
namely: the leader of a man-of-war band OF
about twenty pieces on a flagship Of the navy.
Opinions differ as to the rank which should be
held by the master of so famous an organization
as the Marine Band; but among men who have
ever worn n uniform there are no two opinions
with Lieut.. Draper. The old Grand Army men
who marched in the parade unhesitatingly pro.
wrong, and some Of them are marvclling at the
lenience with which he has been treated.
most" s y n an na anc1afn na, haa o oSc MT erm nI an an army IN
at the War Department. "thc offending band,
master would have been sentenced to q consid'
no difference il he should be as good a musician
as Theodore Thomas or Anton seidl or Patrick
slightest attempt to b~ullyrag a superior officer.
There are plenty OF good musicians willing and
the a%ns'I Gnit cd 9Sln aho In asSsalf f ssinall whsn I wS al
On gctiye service that q bandniaster with the
@itb head T Sns a s RIFstt yo diffl Su! i nd bacn f deal
up because The bandmaster in the case
is at the head q a rather notable
Fairgrounds during the summer months and on
the streets on festive occasions all the year
hTOunl, Huu, any HOW, tue hSnlnRtOn IOlks
have got into the habit of lionizing tho leader Of
the Marine Band. There was some justification
for this In the case OF Sousa, n master musician
but Fanciulli is not Sousa. And even II Sousa
had, rs leader Of the band, given his superior
officers back talk,,and l very much doubt II he
ever did-he would have been as much in need
Of discipline and punishment ms the player OF
the second blssoon in the band"
The term =" popinjay.' rs applied by II Wash
fngton evening newspaper to Lieut.. Draper. tho
marine officer who ordered Fanciulli In arrest
for disobedicncc OF orders and gross iilpcrti
nence. Is singularly inapplicable. Lieut.. Draper
~ regarded ly all hands in the Marine Corps
officers and enlisted men. alike. ms one Of th'
manifest, bIainicst, and fairest officers In Tho
service. He came here not long ago from tn,
Mare Island Navy Yard. and out there his popu
lartty among the men WAS something eXtraoTdi
mary. This popularity was largely the outcomeo
Lieut.. Diapers manner of handling himself ant
the men under his command during the big rail
road strike In California In the summer of 1894
Atthat time nearly all OF the United States troopl
stationed on the Pacific coast were ordered t.
the scene OF tho strike. under the command o.
Col. William MontrOsc Graham. now n Briga
dierGenornl. Lieut.. Draper received. comlnanf
Of the 800 marines stationed Mt Mare Island, anC
was, ordered to report with his command to Col
Graham. at Sacramento, Cal. The Nutiona
Guard of California had failed dismally in put