The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-11

bridges behind him. He is unsparing
in his denunciation of both the old
parties, but if there is any difference
inthe blows he deeals the republicans
are hit even harder than the demo-
Gratis.
Hanly has no hope of carrying a
single state. The best he expects to 10
is to increase the popular vote of his
ticket over the vote of 1912, He will
doubtless do that, for he is an expert
enced campaigner; but even if he
should quadruple the vote, what will
1t profit him or his party? Hanly used
to be regarded as very practical man
OF affairs, but now he gets credit for
being mostly crank. If his candidacy
has any effect on the presidential
election it will be in his own state, by
drawing more, support from the repub-
AASe1iio SAdA VIC uelIOCTdLS. 90 mOLe
it be.
|M(THILE there has been a marked
Wv advance in the appreciation of
good music and good literature in the
public schools, especially those of the
large cities, much remains to be done
in popularizing the study of such
branches of knowl-
Not Lack of Time edge as relate to
But of Inclination the true and the
beautiful. A writer
in Music News of Chicago stresses
the Importance of systematic instruc-
ton in tonal art, insisting that it is
"the duty of the school to see to it
that our young people become &C.
quainted with music" that the study
of music should rank with the study
of literature.
1t is pointed out that the player
piano and monograph make it posi-
bue to bring the very best with slight
expense into the schoolroom in order
that the children may be taught to love
the works of msater composers. In
this way children in rural schools are
to have an opportunity of cultivating
a taste for music of artistic merit,
which will mean a fuller and sweeter
life in after years.
In the Music News article excerpts
are made from Thomas Whitney
Suretti's Illuminating contribution to
the Atlantic Monthly. Among other
timely observations are these:
While it is doubtless true that
there are numberless prosperous
American families in which the
words art and literature mean
nothing whatever, this condition is
due, in most cases. not to lack of
time, but to lack of inclination. We,
like other people, do what we like
to do. No real attention is paid to
the cultivation of love of the
beautiful in childhood; very little
attention is paid to it in the edu-
cationaI institutions where we are
trained; so we grow up and enter
upon life with a desultory liking
for music. with distinct lack of
appreciation for poetry, and with
almost no interest in painting or
sculpture.
And this condition is likely to in
crease rather than diminish as time
goes on. until. having finally ar
rived at moments of leisure and
finding that neither our money nor
any other material possession gives
US any deep or permanent salts
faction, we turn to beauty only to
be confronted with the old warning.
TOO late, We cannot enter now"
for we have arrived at the time
when, in Meredith's phrase, Ma
ture stops and says to us. Thou
art now what thou wilt be.
Our object Is therefore to sug-
gest, first, that the perception of
beauty is, IN the nlShest sense
education; second. that music Is
especially so, because it Is the
purest form of beauty; and third,
music is the only form of beauty
by means of which very young
children can be educated, because
it is the onfy form accessible to
them.
If some educators think that Mr..
Suretti expects too much Of schools
and colleges IN the matter of art cul-
ture in general-in country so young
as America-it must be conceded that
what he says about children and music
is not overdrawn. 1t is absolutely
true.
ID oosEvELT has made one speech
IN in this campaign and he was
scheduled for three or four more, but
Hughes admirers are becoming pan