Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-08-22
Where Does Music Come In?

Thousands or music WO'kels III
the United States are finding their
heads filled with many entirely new
thoughts and speculations as to
what relation their life-work may
have with the astounding world war
which is eclipsing all other human
interests. What is my job--my
bit? Where does music come In?
Am I playing the part of weak
ling or am really doing great
and noble service in this era of cos
mic crisis? Grave and important
questions, these-deserving serious
consideration.
1t is a significant thing that the
immortal leaders of men, even those
who have had no practical know
ledge of music, have been firm in
the conviction that the power of
music is so deep. so vital, so hui
man, so necessary, that nothing can
take its place. There are fine
pictures of 10 hn Milton and
Oliver Cromwell. Sometime when
you are in Washington go to the
Corcoran Gallery and see the origin
al. Here is England's famous war
lord of other days listening to Eng
lands great epic poet, Milton, who
was an enthusiastic musician. Brl-
tain's man of iron, sword in hand,
listens to the playing of Milton
with the same seriousness with
which he might have led his troops
into battle. Cromwell believed
firmly in the importance of music
as did Napoleon, Bismark and
Gladstone. He went out of his
way to show his appreciation of 1t.
The Hon. Arthur Balfour, late on
a great mission to this country, is
an experienced and accomplished
musician who spends much of his
spare time at the art. 1t would be
easy to make a list of dozen of
our strongest American business
men who have not merely given
fortunes to music but who give
their valuable time to the practice
of the art because theS find in the
power of music something so up
lifting, so ennobline, so invigorat-
ing, so refreshing, that nothing can
take its place.
The sun has long since gone
down on the day when the man of
affairs looked upon music as an eff
Terminate pastime worthy only, Of
sickly boarding-school girls. Charles
Schwab, Andrew Carnegie, Cyrus
H. X. Curtis, Henry II. Flagler,
Col. Henry Higginson and other
men whose fortunes total hundreds
of millions are never too busy to
keep them from getting little
music into their daily lives.
Do away with music, flowers,
poetry, color, design and we would
find ourselves living in miserable
prison from which only death
would give us welcome liberation.
Music is one of the great things
which make life worth while.
Yesterday the man in the street"
thought it immaterial, ephemeral, a
toy of the idle. Now it is known
to be one of the invaluable ele-
ments of existence
So, in this day, when all ciVlllza-
ton is on the vortex of the pit of
fire, blood, steel and death, music IS
one of the things which help us IN
keeping our soul equilibrium. We
must have it and we must have 1t
in unstinted measure, whether 1t be
the music of the harmonica in the
trenches or the music of the grand
symphony orchestra in the concert
hall.
Lord Derby, whose name will be
Immortality associated with enlist
ments in England, has come out In
the strongest terms advocating the
need for entertainments and amuse-
ments of all kinds in war times to
offset the sin of pessimism. Music
is now being looked upon by all the
warning countries in Europe as the
torch of newer and higher liberty,
freeing the souls of men from the
greatest grief which has ever come
to the human race.-The Etude.
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WANTED-To board three boys
who will attend the Edgefeld High