New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-27

THOSE were good old days-thc gentle
and tender years marked By an utter
nck of consideration for the ncghbors
when "Unclc Joe" Cannon, known at one
time az the Gar Of the House Of Rcprescn-
tativcs. sat on the banks Of the Wabash far
away AMI tore the heart right out Of that
complicated AMI stubborn musical instru-
mcnt known as the icwsharp There We're
other good old days those lovely years en-
pla>izci by the country's CONVICTION that
every town should have a brass band, and
make The ,rumpcting that knocked down
the wall- Of Jericho sound Ike whisper
when Senator Albert b. Cummins Of Iowa
blew hi soul right through al the complex
mechanism Of cornct.
With these preliminary remarks 70 bear
IL out. we rise 20 remark that not every
musician + necessarily long haired and short
wittcl. with flowing nccktic and an acute
congestion Of CpmmOn,cnsc. There nave
been and are in the national capital today
some Of the nations mightlcst men. VINO
hammer grand pianos into quVcnng Spa,mS,
or sing tender songs 10 Diana on her silver
throne in the moon. OF twang the BANJO. 'r
blow the oboc-ani they do all these things
without interfering with their work as con-
structiyc statesmen or great political leaders.
~ "A matter of fact. charmed by the bars 81
melody, cnrapturcd by the spirit, OF en-
trancci by barbcrshop tenor, they Guido
themselves 60 further than they have ever
done in their public lives. or rise above their
prosaic AMI everyday convictions. There Is
the astounding case OF Representative
Richard Barthollt Of Missouri, who has
spent the best years of his lie trying to
make the wings Of the dove of peace grow
80 long that they will reach round the world.
Put him down at a piano, tell him - play
anything he wishes, and the first thing you
know he is using his whskcrs as q baton to
keep time TO the martial airs he plays while
he dreams Of cannonadc AMI conquest. OF
Numbering charge and bloody victory.
There is among the musical mighty a dead
ringer for Apollo; that Is in performing. but
not in stature. Apollo established himself
as a member Of the Musical Union when he
won the prize by playing the either; but, If
Julius Kahn, the man with q dramatic past.
but now a member of the House from Cali
fornia. had lived at that time, the chances
are that the god 81 music would have been
sent back To- a night school 10 learn the real
art Of stunning the string, Kahn, who
used to play big Shakcspcarcan roles in
small Roman robes, at one time was even
paid money for playing the zithcr-and any
body who can make money out OF the either
is some zthcrcr.
PUT there were some more good old days
- the brazcn-throatcd years marked by
the brain Of the Missouri mule and the self
confidence of the Missouri man-when
Champ Clark. filling his manly chest with
all the musical consonancc, concord, and
blending Of tones in that neck of the woods.
taught singing school. None of the Clark
pupils, up to date. have charmed Partisan
audiences or drawn large salaries; but what
they paid to Champ helped him along in life
and today ne looks back
upon that performance with
such pride that every now
and then ne sings a few bars
Of that tender little thing.
"Evcr of Thee" which our
grandmothcrs used to use as
one means Of dragging UNI
willing victims to the altar.