The Benson signal., 1916-10-21
New York Education Board Is
DispIeased With Negro Dia-
Iect Tunes.
KIDS need BETTER ENGLISH
Proposal Made to Change Wording OF
"Star-SpangIed Banner" So Peace
Lovers Won't Balk at Blood
Thirsty Phrases.

New York.-A movement to "pu-
rify" Americas famous old darky
songs and temper the "Star-Span-
gled Banner" in the New York
public schools, was begun recent
ly. At a conference of the high
school music teachers, at which DR..
Frank r. Rix, music director OF the
board of education, was present, a
committee was appointed to ask the
music publishers and the public-school
teachers to eliminate all the old negro
dialect from songs printed in the text
books.
Thus, if the movement succeeds, Will
future generations be without what
has been happy part of all Ameri-
can homes-the quaint and typical dia-
lect of the American negro, as ex-
pressed in Dixie" perhaps the most
beloved song in the country, and IN
Stephen Fosters famous trio, ''Massa's
in de Col COZ Ground" 'Old Black
Joe"' and "Suwannee River"
Are Mothers LulIabies.
For years American mothers have
hummed their babies into slumber
with these old folk song favorites.
There's hardly lad who can't hum
"Suwannee River" or "Old Black Joe."
And their charm lies principally in
the harmless dialect. There would be
little left to them without that.
The chief objection to the songs as
they are now universally sung is a
purist opposition. Instead of "de,"
"cayse," "ob," "nebber" and "mo'e,"
darky dialect, for "the," "'cause,"
"of," "never" and "more," the purists
would substitute the English words
and insist upon careful pronunciation.
1t may prove hard job, for the ex-
pressions might we'll be said to be
part of children's music have they
become.
AS to the national anthem, extrem-
lists would have attempted capital
operation on it, but for strenuous OBJ
lection. A plan was first brOached
to cut out the word fight" as it oc-
ours in the first verse. The objection
was that it smacked too much Of war
and not at all of peace.
More moderate counsel prevailed.
The change was not made. The only
tempering now will be slight change
of rhythm in the first and third verses ;
and the adoption of clouds of the
fight in place of 'perilous fight" in
the first verse. "PerilOus" is a bit
too wary, but "clOuds" is not. Also
the uniform key w:ll be changed from
"B" flat to "a" fiat to make the sing
ing Of the song less difficult for ordi-
nary voices.
"Dialect Confuses Child"
The suggestions of these changes
were made some time ago, Doctor RiX
said, by him to the board of superin-
tendents, but they were shelved and
Doctor Rix doesn't know whether they
are dead or not.
"The reason for changing the darky
dialect should appeal to any interest
ed person." Doctor Rix said. "We
want our children to learn pure Eng
lish, not a dialect. Then, also, there
are many foreign children in our
schools. The number is growing con-
stantly. And dialect confuses them.
1t is hard enough for them to learn
our ordinary English. I think the
change should be made throughout the
country.
"The proposed changes in the Star
Spangled Banner" are suggested in the
hope of making the song easier for
children and the populace to sing by
standardizing it and making it much
more nOWerful anthem"