The San Francisco call., 1899-05-14

lClarence EQQy or uhat city mas been ap-
pointed official organist of the United
States at the Paris Exposition. The
report adds: There may be other
American organists in Paris during the
season of 1900, but Mr.. Eddy of Chi
cago alone will be authorized to play
for this country with the official sane
ton Of the Government" On all other
points and details of the appointment
the report is silent. What the Govern
ment expects of an official organist at
Paris, what is to be his official rank
what he is to play, who is to furnish
the organ and what he is to be paid
are questions left to such answering
as conjecture may give.
Under such circumstances there
should be sent to Washington a uni
versal petition of the American people
requesting the President, as comman-
der in chief of the army to detail Gen
eral Fitzhugh Lee with a firing squad
to attend Mr.. Eddy to Paris and guard
him while there. The reason for such
petition is sufficiently valid, opportune,
important and interesting to be worth
the Sunday attention even of church
going people. and therefore I submit it.
During the war with Spain a great
dignitary of high official rank was for
time with the corps commanded by
Fftzhugh Lee. He took a superior in
terest in the troops and did a consid-
cradle amount of supervision while
there. When the time came for him to
go away a regiment was paraded in
his honor and the band ordered to play
a military farewell. Now the boys in
the Spanish war had a great fondness
for coon" songs and the band chosen
to make music for this particular event
knew them all. AS the high dignitary
rode along the line of troops, bowling
and saluting in stately farewell, the
band struck up the ringing, roaring
melody, I'VE don't care if you never
come back; get a move on you, niggah,
do"
General Lee was naturally much an
noyed by such a violation of military
decorum on the part of his gallant vol
unteers. All the West Point dignity
within him rose up in wrath and he
swore a great oath with himself that
it shouldn't happen again. In the
course Of events Lee was assigned the
duty Of relieving the Spanish comman-
der in Havana, and taking control in
the name of the United States. An i'm
posing military ceremony attended the
transfer of the sovereignty of the ISL
and from the one power to the other
1t was arranged that when the Spanish
flag was hauled down the captain gen
eral should at once take his departure,
go aboard ship and embark for Spain.
The United States was of course to give
him a military salute of honor as he
departed When Fitzhugh Lee rode
down to the plaza to take part in the
ceremony, he cast his eye over the
troops drawn up in grand parade and
he saw in the foremost place, with in
struments all prepared, ready to blare
out on the instant, that self-same "coon
song band that had stirred his bile at
Tampa.
A West Point training, long military
experience and four years of civil war
have taught Lee to act promptly in
emergencies. He dispatched a staff Of
ficer instantly to notify the bandmas-
ter that if that ceremony were marred
by coon song" or anything like one,
the people of Havana would be enter
tained by seeing a bandmaster shot be-
fore sunset. 1t is scarcely necessary to
say the music of the occasion was par
ticularly stately. 1t was even solemn.
That is why I say Fitzhugh Lee and
a firing squad should be sent to Paris
with Eddy. There should be some mill
tary supervision of American music in
foreign lands.
Chicago is of course greatly elated
over the appointment of her Auditor
ium organist to represent the nation
officially as most worthy grand high
master of music, or something of that
kind, at the worlds great exposition in
the city that most brilliantly illustrates
the civilization of the age; and doubt
less Mr.. Eddy feels a thrill of the COM
ing gold braid, and is flattered and
proud himself. Nevertheless his lot is
not going to be happy one. What Sc
lections to make when he sets about
the task of rendering American official
music to Europe is question that may
we'll give him pause and perplex the
brain of him. 1t is probable even that
when at the supreme moment he rises
to fulfill his duty and to confront his
difficulties and his instrument, he will
wish in his heart he had been born
banjoist and raised in rag time.
1t is to be borne in mind that he is
not to be left free to exercise an indi-
vidual choice as to what he will play.
The responsibility of officialism will be
upon him. AS the Inter Ocean says:
Whenever Mr.. Eddy sits down in front
of the keyboard the audience will feel
that every note which issues from the
pipes is sanctioned by the American
Government" Our Government of
course cannot afford to show official
partiality for the music of one nation
over that of another, therefore the per-
formance Of any selection from a Eu-
ropean source is out of the question.
From beginning to end Mr.. Eddy's
playing must be strictly American in
theme and method 1t is easy to fore
see that under such circumstances the
temptation to run into coon songs"
will be almost irresistible; and when
it is remembered that thousands of
Americans of the tourist variety will
be among the exposition audiences.
30. ffxxrI1r y, 1,1fB FI,,