The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-28
A Task for Reformers.

! The prohibition Campaign is not alone against
alcoholic beverages 1t started that way but, like
all great reforms it has expanded. 1t is nothing
less than a campaign for the regeneration of sin
ful human nature and revolution in literature
music. the drama and all that has stood for cul-
turc in this and other countries. The German
ambition to establish culture for civilization
is not more far reaching than the ambition OF
those who arc in command OF tho forces against
Demon Rum The conductor of the Newark, n.
J. Musical Festival has resigned his member ship
in the Anti-Saloon League because tho league
demanded the elimination OF the drinking song in
Faust from the musical program
The conductor is a temperance man and pro-
hibitionist with limitations. He confines his pro-
hibition drink and gets his intoxication from
music. He drew the line at Faust and would not
censor the music that has given delight to the
world. He resigned from the Anti Saloon League
and continues his rChearsalS Of the drinking song.
He failed TO understand that music may be a.
objectionable TO the prohibtion>tS is drink. II
he had read the Autocrat OF the Breakfast Table
lie would have known better, for DR.. Holmes there
assures that linen get intoxicated with music
with poetry, with religious excitement. otcncs
with love" and he says that he has known OF
people who became intoxicated with soup and
others who had been made tipsy by bccistcab.
The old autoCrat then confessed to the divinity
student that he had been in companies OF OF
genius where the atmosphere OF sentiment and
intellect was so much more stimulating than alco-
hol that he had 10 take .. glass OF wine to keep
sober.
There other drinking songs than that
Faust and ii that is to he excluded from musical
programs will have to have much OF the litcra-
turc which has been considered classical censored
bptp he q he, iOu
that is TO live under prohibition The Ant-Saoon
League will have 10 adopt the Russian plan and go
through the plays OF Shakespeare and the poems
OF Bobby Burns, with black blottng pad to COM
petcly blot out some OF the pages that have been
most popular. They will have to reconstruct most
OF the old operas which have been the greatest
iavore>. rewritc all the old plays except "Tcn
Nights i'll 4 Barroom.' and they will then have to
turn their attention to the music boxes OF various
makes from the hgl-priccd instrument in the
parlor to the street organ which wanders through
crowded street and country lane before the reform
= complete.
But the rcio,m viii then have only begun, ior
music Is OF itself intoxicating. had its origin with
the muses. whose junction WAS to delight and in
toxiCae. and even tho churches have borrowed it
to aid in uplifting dull human nature and make
paradise more attractive. we'll 10 hold the
congregations. And while they arc about il. they
might put in telling stroke for peace by cutting
out all the martial music which many men
have marched to DEATH They ought also to de-
>trov all the dance music which has been the
source OF much irvolity and it i possible that
they will have to revise some or Billy Sunday |
revival hymns where tho words arc set to catchy |
tunes.
There untold possibilities III this reform
rampaign and the Anti-Saloon League might make |