The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-02

ularity of the race In the North. If
doomed like the Indian to extinction,
the negro should become an object of
sympathy"
II have often thought" unused Col.
Monroe, that the worst enemy of our
colored brother is the musical genius
who composes those popular vocal mon
strosities known as coon songs, and
that next in line is the stage darkey.
The negro never showed any of the
traits of which our friend Jenkins COM
plains, until we popularized his alleged
peculiarities in song and comedy. AS
perfectly natural result the average
negro who frequents theaters and con-
cert halls receives the impression that
all colored men are humorists, and that
it is his bounden duty to spend the
rest of his days entertaining stupid
white men. Now, asa matter of SOL
enln fact, no negro is funny unless he is
natural. When a colOred male attempts
to be humorous he is the most depress-
Ing human being on earth. His honest
but mistaken efforts to entertain the
passengers on crowded cars and trains
account for much of the steadily in
creasing dislike of him by those who
prefer to. select their entertainers and
the character of their entertainment.
THAT is not the worst that can just
~ NC asa lLlS COOl SOll6I
continued the colonel. Most of the
songs which have attained popularity
are essentially vicious in the senti-
ments they express. They relate the
successful exploits Of some darkeT who
carves with razors all rivals AVID in
terfering white men. They have aa
heroes 'colored gentlemen who are sue
cessful thieves, gamblers or worse, and
as -heroines women whose shameless
characters are plainly Indicated by the
verses. 1t is surprising tk,t intelli-
gent white persons can ff..d anything
to laugh at in this disgusting doggerel,
but it is not surprising that some lis
tening negroes should assume that the
lflaughter and applause are approving
| tributes to the crimes described in the
songs. If you wish to be thoroughly
disguised with that popular taste
which demands this class of music,
purchase book Of coon songs and see
If the writer's have failed to extol any
vile or criminal trait inhthe entire cate
CORY of degeneraey."
1.-THE last show that was in Lincoln
VILE" reflected Postmaster Jenkins,
had a song which everybody Is sing
ing now. don't sing much myself.
and so I'D not try to remember the
words, but the Choir is begins y
Every morn I'll bring We chicken,
Yes. every morn I'll fetch We chicken,
chick-een.
TT was an awful funny song" con-
Guided Jenkins, land the man who
sang 1t was encored~ so many times
that he sang another one about a dar-
key who robbed a church to get enough
money. to play the races"
Both of these are elevating themes"
- n
son or a community laughs at thing
it classes it as diverting. If / went
to new country and found that the
people were amused at ballads de-
scriptive of thievery, assault, murder
and other crimes, should assume that
one were privileged to commit them
without mourning severe penalty.
Possibly am all wrong about the
character of these coon songs, but i
am certain that / never heard one
which expressed an elevating sentiment
and most of them were positively indie
cent. The respecting negro should
resent this instead of attempting, as
some of them doubtless do, to initiate
the disgusting caricatures described in
song and pictured on stage. The very
same men who laugh at the antics OF
the stage darkey are the ones most
likely to resent the presence Of his type
III real HIcs
''I- presume that one of our success
full songsters could compose an ex-
cruciatingly funny ditty on. the ex-
plot of the darkey you rescued the
other evening"" said Judge Sawyer. Il
had not thought of it before. but 1
believe you are right in thinking that
the coon song has had an evil effect
on our colored population. But what
is the remedy?'
Il don't know" frankly replied the
Colonel. 1.-THE respectable people Of
both races might make a start by ceas-
ing to sing and by declining to listen
to such productions. There is no race
problem so far as the reputable per-
sons of either are concerned. If a col
ored man were to ask my advice at
this time, should be inclined to tell
him to attend strictly to his work, and
let his white neighbors entertain them
selves without his assistance"
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