Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-08-31
THE INSULT, .,T sEA1TLE.

n in the contest, establish clearly just two
things. first, that these officials are
4 nov engaged in trying to insult the
choir still further, and second, that the
officials are using language that BELTS
the prize ring or the dog-flght III it be-
& fits anything rather than the COMPETE
tive comparison OF that beautiful
9 speciesJo of harmony which human voices
are collectively capable Of when we'll
trained.
III may be a matter Of difference IN
opinion as to whether or not the Of
ficials should have stopped the choir at
the doors of the contest hall with the
unexpected demand that they pay their
w way into a concert IN which they them
selves were to furnish the music. Pos
sbly opinions may differ also as to
whether or not these singers, upon their
protesting against paying for their
tickets, should then have been promptly
"disp;ersed by the police But the Views
4 of5ttose competent to judge on the gem
erai features of such a contest cannot
differ as to the effect that such TRADES
i as the following might be expected to
4 produce on the average man or woman,
ITO say nothing Of the effect that Ian
2 guage OF this sort would $produce uponi
the Wrought-up feelings. of trained n1u-
sicians about to enter a contest In
{ which their beloved art should be meas
ured against that of people OF siinilars
tastes, .sensibilities, professional stand,
Il ing 58s
Here is a characteristic excerpt from
subsequent remarks by the official
4 treasurer of the association. referring
to the members Of the Tabernacle
4 choir: m
b }3 They were gallfvanting all over the
city, instead OF staying out here. They
were afraid of st. Marks. Griffith Dal- :;
vies of this city offered to pay their
+ way #in,$in order that they might sing.
n They refused. They held a public meet
u ing outside. They disturbed the au-s
siaience and tried to attract attention.
: i had 10 have the guards dispense them..
4 Their leader told them to go down the
4 Pay Streak and enjoy themselves.
The grotesaue brutality of these de-
lfbernta I: plantations" which were in-
i tended to show that the choir was not
insulted. amply prove that the Insult
was both real and fragrant and that it
lis still going on.
Could any man In his senses possibly
Fl believe he could speak to offended peo-3
ple-Inusicians at that!-in such terms
else that they were being properly and
courteously entreated?
A word sometimes speaks Volumes;
4 and sentence may disclose the whole
issue of a controversy 81
We might have been at a loss to
comment, at this time, upon the ex-
traordinary occurrence that prevented
the Tabernacle choir from singing in
& the competition at the Exposition had
it not been for the statements OF two
Il of those mainly responsible for this
regrettable Incident.
Besides the Secretarys humorous at
tempt to prove that the choir had not
been insulted a flood Of light is thrown
upon the musical situation at the Els
teddfod in Seattle by the comment of
the highest official for that day at the
exposition Reubep w. Jones, president
OF the day, said: '.The Mormons. got
the opinion that they We're the main
3 drawing card and when they saw defeat
staring them in the face-and defeat by
a little local choir. at tliat-they took
nc
tight place. =
Notice that the dignined president
speaks slightingly OF the "Mormons''
when referring to the choir, as If this
contest had some connection with re
ligion Something besides music was
evidently in his mind. The next words
that the Mormons got the
& idea" etc, advertise either the
simplicity Of the untrutlifulness of this
speaker. Who told him that the Nor
mons got any such idea? He did
not interrogate- did .,aa~t.-.....zs. OF the l25
members or t> Gtss4 6sE the fac;
that ne is SO Ye,tGy and willing to i'm
pute to the visiting choir the disgrace
full state of mind which he, without any
warrant, attributes to them, shows the
thought that was in his own 1nind--l
thought exhibited in such manner
that it is not unfair to conclude how
his own mental attitude is exactly re-
fieeted thereby. This new Insult sus-
gests few questions: Was he afraid
that the Mormonsr would VIM DID
he take tli:a method of trying to defeat