The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-02-14

little note of such effect upon the
youthful generation to-day.
Some of the music publishers are
becoming so bold as to publish songs
that are so lewd or suggestive that
the postal authorities should take a
hand and repress the sending of them
through the mails.
Individual Charm of Songs.
Every song of real musical merit
should convey it's individual charm.
If it is an Indian song, it suggests the
wild and attractive life of the plains.
II the song has martial air the thrill
and daring of war time is pictured
in the mind of the hearer. If it is
sentimental piece, the heart emo
lions are played upon.
There is the pretty Indian song
''Hiawatha," which a few years ago
was so popular, and which would have
lived forever had not so many cheap
limitations of it been sung and played
in every corner of the globe Take
again, the simple lines of the simplest
of melodies welded together in that
beautiful little number, Sweet Marie, y
the fascinating and lingering lines OF
Balfe's Killarney" the power, the
noble dignity of that wonderful song
of the sea, Rocked in the Cradle OF
the Deep" and that song of the heart
the song that reaches one and all in
its impressive, reverential, immortal
simplicity, Home, Sweet Home
What does a ragtime song suggest
Only the sensuous Turkey ITrot,
"The Bunny Hug" "The Grizzly Bear
all dances that originated in the under.
world, and which have been taken up
approved, and even printed on the pro-
grams that are used in the ball rooms
of our best society, and danced by
innocent girls not yet out of their
teens. Still, if you should suggest to
the mothers of these same girls some
of the results that very often arise
from these dances and songs, they
would fly up in matronly rage and de
nounce such an idea as preposterous.
The evolution of ragtime has shown
that it is only the old rhythm, the
syncopated movement that has made
it so popular In the days of old
when the round dance was un
known, we had no such hybrid oil
musical rhythms as ragtime It is
little wonder that a majority oil
the clergy denounce the round dances
as malicious and bound to have their
bad effects. Ragtime originated about
twenty years ago in the South, among
the Southern negroes, and was the &C
compartment on the banjo to theil
roustabout dances and songs. Since
it's introduction in the North, first as
a march or two-step, it has gradually
entered into our national music tt
such and extent that it is the FREEDOM
inant factor that has been the fore
runner of the numerous dances, some
of which have heretofore been men
toned.
1t is the lively swing of the double
rhythm that has facinated the younger
generation, just as Fishers Hornpipe'
and Turkey in the Straw" and like
pieces made the square dances of the
past generation so popular. Only com
pare the difference between the old
fashioned square dance, where part
ners merely touched fingers, while
they saluted each other gracefully
to the ragtime dances of to-day, where
the young man encircles his arms
around the form of your innocent sis
ter and goes through all of the dis
gushing and lascivious motions thai
these dances call for.
The girl of poor parentage, who per
haps, works in department store dur
ing the day, has, it seems, but one
pleasing diversion at night, and that is
to attend dance with her STEADY.
Her parents know little of the society
that she encounters there, or the class
of dances in vogue. The girl is tired
from standing behind a counter al
day, and enters into the spirit of the
dance with all of the abandon of g
half-starved Hottentot And then We
wonder why the white-slave traffic il
our cities flourishes, and we denounce
the girl when she falls, and turn hel
out into the world an outcast.
Perhaps many other social condi
tons contribute to such a result, but
one of the principal causes, without
a doubt, is the licensing of dance halls
where such dances as are mentioned
are carried on, and where suggestive
songs are sung with all Of the attend
ing results of vice and crime.
The Public to Blame.
AS contribution to our nationa
, music, ragtime and ragtime songs
have little or no merit. The music i!
not lasting, nor does it have sufficien
: melody or harmony to seriously com
mend it. A popular ragtime song to
| day is forgotten in few months. Cal
: anyone recollect a single instance
where ragtime or suggestive son!
) has laster a year? Hundreds ar,
/ written and published, some sung t.
: death for short period, and then con
l signed to the waste basket, only t,
) be followed by another almost exactl.
: like it, but perhaps more suggestive
in title and lines.
| The music publisher is not who'll,
to blame, for he sees only a chanc
for big profits and will put any SOM
on the market, not matter how lew,
: or meaningless a doggerel it is, s.
/ long as he thinks it will sell; and Their
r is no one to stop him; no board o
I