The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-09
HAsKIN LIE T TIE B
The Ra9time Controversy
By Erederis J. Hsslctn.

4 News that Society for the Sup
! preston Of Ragtime Music in Amer
I lea" has been organized by the STUD
I eo1s of Bethany college brings TO the
fore again mat ancient and eve- re
| curing dispute as 10 whether oG-
popular music ought TO max rs
proud or ashamed.
The average American certainly
makes no secret OF his love for syn
conated tune. He dances and d<nes 10
| II, whistles and huns it; hurdy g';T
dies screech II at him in the streets
/ Ind brass baad: biare II in parks asid
| anu sement places. Yet he IS not sat
| isfied. but must have it in his home.
either canned" or on the piano
In vefw of this important part
which ragtime plays in our daily NE,
| it seems worth while TO stop ana IN
quire whether there is any promise
and merit in the stuff. and whaf enect
| II is probably going to have GYoa Us
ExperIs are divided on the question
! The students Of Bethany college an
nounce that they expect the move
| menf which they have started 70
sweep the country. Although they
seem apt TO be Gisarpointeo Ia ms.
! il Is certain that they viii ind many
| svmpathizers Only short time ago.
a movement TO censor popular music
was started by Maud Powell. the "a
nous American viohnist. Iae sun
speakably depraved popular song, -
what she called it, and she asserted
that the modern dances We're the Tat
uraI offspring OF such music
There is, however, a. tremenoo o. .
! weight of expert testimony on the
! side The London Times, that pom
dero,ls British voice of authority on
ali subjects. not long ago devoted a
long editorial to the subject OF our
nonuiar music, in which is pointed
out the salient truth that ragGme
IS orr most typical natural express
sion. It is the true music OF tue
, hustler, the Spectator, the sky scrap,
er. the grain elevator. The rush ana
spirit OF American life are IN It. IN
both subject matter and ryntnm II Is
as distinctive as the Spanish ana
/ Hrn~arton melodies Whatever it may
he at present. many musical experts
agree that 1t contains the seed OF a
genuine American national art Fur
fhermore. it is we'll known fact that
rastime is by no means the easieS'
music in the world to play or sing Ell
fectively. and it is barely possible that
(; some OF its detractors may nna 1nelr
motive in this fact. The half-oaker
! soprano who cannot CLIMB down from
her high notes. and the amateur with
no sense OF ryhthm. can do almost
\ ANYTHING better than ragtime.
| The famous Russian orchestra con-
ductor. Sahanoff, once paid visit to
| This country, and was entertained by
some musical society with an elabor-
afe program. Through long classical
selections the famous foreigner SAL
! with the politely vacuous expression
of sl,p..,:-ed boredom Then the or
/ chestra played a rastIuIe sa-.c-- IN
/ srantly the musician was alert, de-
4 mandins to know what sort OF music
it was. He declared that it was the
! most original and interesting foiF
! melody that he had heard in years
I and that he would score II to be re
produced by his orchestra IN Petro-
grad.
Thus. there is considerable weight
of authority to support US in our love
for raStime and our suspicion that
the young lady with the glasses who
thinks II is "horrid" and sits through
symphony concerts instead, IS Just q
bit OLA musical snob.
Rastime may be said TO have sprung
from an unknown source, and swepi
the world with its melody. Its origin
is unknown. Attempts have been made
to trace it wholly to negro folk songs
but while they may have had part
in forming its typical character, there
are many other elements in it. Rag
time. like the Homer.c legend, IS q
product of national life and cannot
be traced TO any individual or class
While Il is the product OF the United
States. however, st is rapidly econ-
ing the property OF the world. 1or
American raStime is heard III Paris
Berlin and London
While the origin of rastime cannot
be traced exactly, its history for some
years may be traced. and in TINS
there is a good deal OF promise. IN
doubleday. the elimination OF vulgar
ity and sentimentality are two things
any genuine artistic excellence, ano
in these respects II has advanced al
a wonderful rate.
Ten years ago. most popular songs
made their debut in what were then
called '-Honkatonks." and which were
very similar to the cabarets OF today
although not nearyl 50 popular with
all classes. Much OF the popular
music of that day was written by
honkatonk walters and it was turiy
a sad affair. Astounding in illusions to
gray hairs. aching hearts, weeping
willow trees and birds in Silded cages
Home and mother, the pStiful child
the poor old man were fayorite themes
and gross sentimentality character
;, lied their treatment. MELODY. doated
upon flood OF tears. and funeral
black was its symbol
), The great American sense OF humor
came to the rescue OF this situation
There was a widespread and deter
mined revolt against the sob songs
II ushered in the era when min
Il .,raJ ~ ro pdavSl1o fro11Yo cniIId al