Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07
DIDN'T LIKE THE SONG

many years ago, ana the Virginia folks are
the Union. II not more 70 than the people
Of whole lot of states" said gentleman
who il thoroughly acquainted with the Old
Dominion THE younger generation Of Vir-
ginia people. for example. all get to their
feet when they hear mand or orchestra
strike up The Star Spangled Banner and
that's something that Ia by no means uni
versal in the United States. particularly tn
the big cities. where simon-pure patriotism
Of the Fourth Of July barbecue brand II
looked upon with certain amount OF Iidi-
Guile. While the Spanish war was in prog
ress and for q little time afterward, theater
audiences in the big cities took the standing
posture when the national air was played
by the orchestra, and that practice soon
died out. A few people in an audience will
occasionally stand up in a New York thea
ter when the national air is being given in
q medley of national airs. but they are ac-
tualIy Uttered at by the vast majority. WHO
keep their seats
II happened to be present at Virginia
seaside resort the other day when an Incl
triotic feeling Of the virginians. When I
reached this resort was surprised to OBJ
serve how completely certain recent fool
song Of the Coney Island kind peryaded the
place. The two bands at the Virginia re-
sort were grinding the measley composition
out at all hours of the day and night, the
o, chestra of the big hotel kept saving
away at 1t at frequent intervals, and the
hurdy-gurdies attached to the merry-go-
rounds changed the thing out with scarce
~ break from morning till night. This
piece Of musical slush Is called That Grand
Old Rag the rag being. as 1t Is probably
needless to remind anybody who has heard
the words of the ditty, the flag OF the
United States
1.-THE words Of the song are pure synco-
gated balderdash. Of course, but that fact
doesn't make the hashed-up affair any the
less Objectionable. The song pats the ma
tional banner on the folds, 1t were, de-
claring that the old rag Is all right all
right. It seems to be dlrst and last kind
of New York beer hall song, designed for
and addressed solely to beery persons.
But the fifty and odd young women who
made decided kick about the song at the
Virginia seaside resort weren't berry or
anything like it. They were school teachers
from the interior of Virginia, and they
ga ton. They all stopped at the big hotel,
and while they were eating their first din
ner at the hotel q huge photograph, plant
ed in an ante-room. ground out the words
and music Of the grand old rag song in
high, squeaky tone that penetrated every
corner of the dining room, not to mention
the schoolmarms ears. 1t was the first
time they'd heard the grand old rag ditty,
and when they made out the words they
swooped upon the hotel manager in body
and requested-demanded, for that matter
that that particular photograph record
should not be poked into the talking ma
chine again while they remained at the
hotel. They told the hotel man that the
words OF the song and even the title thereof
were shockingly disrespectful to the nation
al emblem, and the proprietor promptly in
St. okAI hall I>xy
monograph to cut that piece out while the
school teachers remained in the house
THAT same evening the Virginia school
teachers, while stroiling around, heard
that grand old rag thing being ground out
OF the merry-go-round hurdy-gurdies
heard the two bands at the dancing pavil-
ions blaring 1t, heard 1t on every side, I'M
til they were pretty well worked up. A
one of the payilions when they got along
there. The school teachers saw the cop
and they bore down upon him. He stood
his ground. not knowing that they were
making for him.
"'You seem to have some authority
here said the spokeswoman OF the teacher
to the cop. and we request, as American
women, teachers of a portion of the grow
Ing youth of the land, that the band be
forbidden to play the outrageous piece 1t
is now playing-forbidden to play It at all
any more
1.-THE cop didn't know the piece the band
was playing from the Sext0t IN Lucia Ql
Lammermoor, but he hurriedly told the
school teachers that he didn't have any
thing to do with the pieces the band
played, and then he beat 1t as If bound for
a dog-fght somewhere.
But the school teachers weren't through
with the grand old rag composition. A
number of them got up and earnestly pro-
tested against the playing of the piece by
one OF the pavilion orchestras later on in
the evening. On the following day they
gathered together a large crowd OF conven-
ton folks OF different sorts and OF both
sexes. nearly all of them from Virginia or
elsewhere in the south. and they made for
the Office Of the mayor of the seaside re-
SORT! The mayor Of that place has been
the alcalde Of the seaside burg for a good
meny years. and what he says goes there
without word Of question. The mayor
sent out for copy of the song scanned
the words, agreed with the schoolmarms
and the rest of the calling delegation that
the song. while maybe 1t meant we'll, was
q sure-enough back-handed swipe at the
old flag. and then he sent the quiet tip out.
all UP and down the line, that 1t would
please him heap IL that grand old rag
stuff were to be cancelled all around 1t
was cut out, all proper enough. and the
Virginia schoolmarms, their patriotism vim
dicated and their point won, went about in
a state Of decorous triumph during the re-
I:1asnder of their stay by the sea-.