The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-02
THE MARINE BAND.
Its Dissolution the Result of Petty
Official Jealousy.

Washington Letter in Philadelphia Times
The deposing of Prof Fanciulli as director
of the United States Marine Band furnishes
an example of the pettiness in certain
phases of Washington life. For tattling
petty gossip and mean-spirited jealousy the
traditional old maids quilting party is not
to be compared with the messrOom of the
marine officers, whose only care in life is to
keep themselves ION duty at Washington
and whose only duty is to cultivate certain
sort of influence, and to occupy a third
class place in society. Their life is made UP
OF puerile pomposity and effeminate in
trigue. hybrid between sailor and SOL
der, socially they do not belong to the Of
fetal family of either the army or the navy.
They are Captains jerks, self-conscious
and overanxious about their social status.
An illustration of this is furnished in the
complaint made by Colonel Haywood in his
annual report submitted yesterday, that the
navy regulations did not provide for his
being given salute on the occasions of his
visit to the navy yard The failure to burn
powder in his honor whenever he enters the
gate is regarded as Slight to his official
dignity, and he very earnestly recommends
that it be corrected.
The complaint alleged against Prof. Fan
ciulli is that he did not keep his men under
discipline, but the real objection to him was
his desire to acquire rank which would en-
able him to maintain discipline. Under the
present order of things the director of the
band is but an enlisted man, like the rest
of the musicians, and no one is compelled to
obey his orders unless the order is backed
up by of the officers Without the sup
port of the officers the director is utterly
powerless to maintain discipline, and the
support was denied Prof Fanciulli because
the officers resented the fact that the pro-
fessorS private social standing was such
as to bring them in contact with him when
he was Off duty and performing the func-
tons of a private citizen. The idea of
captain lieutenant or a colonel of the
marine being brought into social contact
with man ranked officially as no more
than a private was a severe strain upon
their delicate dignity.
In private life the professor was altogeth-
er too prominent being recognized as an
artist and a man of genius in one of the
most refined and exalted professions, while
they could claim rank only by their
padded uniforms. The fact that his de-
pacity was simply that of one gentleman
towards another offended their dignity: The
regulations required of him perfect submits
sion to superior officers when on duty, and
this he accorded without reserve, except
on one occasion, when 1t seemed as II the
officer was going beyond ms a95nority; B 5bd
street or in company, he occupied simply
the attitude of a private gentleman.
In compensation for this a system OF petty
annoyance was inaugurated against him
while on duty, and many things were done
to humiliate him and to destroy his con-
friends in Congress and among lovers of a
high order of music, and a bill was some
time ago introduced in Congress to give him
the relative rank of a second lieutenant. The
influence of the corps was used against this
measure, and 1t was never acted on. There
was reason to believe, however, that 1t was
to be vigorously pressed during the coming
session of Congress and that 1t would be-
come q law. This was extremely repugnant
to the corps of officers who like to regard
4I,A CNor1 dTOnnc fo In
at their command and who detest the idea
of private being given rank of any sort;
Since the conviction has grown that the
professor would be accorded rank there has
been persistent effort to annoy him out
of the service. The incident of the Both of
May was but the elimination of a series of
affronts that had been put upon him when
he was on duty and compelled to submit
to them. On that occasion he was put IN
the position of disobeying orders by be-
ing, in an insolent manner, given an order
without precedent. They intended to dis
miss him from the service the fe put the de
the officer who gave the unusual oruer IN an
ungentlemanly manner. The action OF the
department simply added to the feeling the
little CLIQUE of officers harbored against
Fanciulli Since then they have put all
sorts of enormous duty upon MN. Inc
only thing that induced the professor, who
is a musician of too high class to be held
in such a position was the desire OF MS
friends that be might be g tEat b by o Toh
make the Marine Band the most perfect IN
The purpose of the officers of the marine
corps is that the Marine Band shall be re-
duced to the standard of an ordinary regi-
mental band One of their number, with
fndiscreet frankness, stated in TINS connec-
ton that the facts were simply tnls-tnat
the marine corps were tired or Delng
known to the public only through the band
and did not intend to be overshadowed In
that manner any longer. He suggested tnat
the Marine Band, under the directorshlp
first of John Philip Sousa, and then or Pro-
fessor Fanciulli, had become known
throughout the world 1t was feature OF
the White House receptions, was called into
requisition on all great ceremonial occa-
sions and was brought to the attention, not
only of all America, but OF all foreign dig
nitaries who came to this country, and was
in fact, the national court band" Mean
while half the people of the country did
not know that there was such thing as
marine corps, or thought ii was simply an
adjunct to the Marine Band.
It is not only the deposing of Professor
Fanciulli, but it is further proposed that
the Marine Band shall not enter into COM
petition with any other band. This means
that their earnings shall practically be
confined to the pay given by the govern
ment, which is that of a private soldier,
rendering ii impossible to hold In the band
any but the most inferior musicians. All
those men of high talent who have been
kept in the band by Sousa and Fanciulli
will be compelled to leave. under such a
policy and the marine corps will no longer
be known through it's band.