The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1922-07-25
MIR. RAYS CRITICISM
To the Editor of The

L " CAC Au4UO1 VI L NC
Commonwealth:
In writing up and giving an
account of The Old Time Fid-
! dlers Convention, held in the
Dixie Theatre, April 20, 1922, l
notice that, in way, you seem
to crisicise the judges for giving
the first prize to Mr.. E. P. Weeks
for the best old time fioaling.
This is a little strange for To-
cal newspaper man, when. far as
the judges know, Or have been
able to learn, the genera. public
Was satisfied with their decision.
Quite number Of people came
to the judges and told them
they made a good decision, but
as matter Of fact, the judges
expected to be criticized more or
less by few pettifoggers and
street loafers, but did not think
any local newspaper would fall
in this class.
You will recall how hard it
was to get any one to act as
judges, on account Of the judges
being criticized by a few outside
people when the first convention
was here.
Now, if our own home paper
! criticises the judges, how do you
expect to get any the next time
they are called for? Our friend,
Mr.. Clee Vaughan, says Mr.. Mar
ion Murphy, Of Rose Hill, N. c.,
| made decided hit, and he gave
him just about all Of the credit
and praise for good fiddling.
In other words, he must have
thought he was the. only man in
the convention who could tune a
fiddle land to prove this, he call
ed up enc of the judges the next
day and asked to know why the
! Judges did not give the young
man, Mr.. Murphy, all Of the
prizes He said it took no wise
| person to see where the audience
stood, and every time Mr.. Muir
! ply head would bob up, the
whole house would leone down. -
The judges were only called on
to pass on the best old time fid-
ding and not to consider mod
ern music playing, noise or 50
much applauding. The judges
can use brother Vaughan's own
words and say that it takes no
wise person to know that the class
that makes the most noise and
do the most applauding are not
the best judges in any close con
test. They are generally chill
dren, g lot Of young people and
a few grown-ups, who make SO
much noise in every show, and
they remind me Of geese; when
one hollers, all boiler, and lot
Of them don't know what they
are applauding SO much about
and don't care, just so they are
making a noise. The judges did
not consider this class Of people
the entire audience, Or the whole
house, and were not swayed by
them in the least, for or against
anyone who played in this close
contest. for there were hall
dozen or more who played wei
and showed many marks Of gen
JUS in old time fiddling.
If SO much noise and applaud
ing was any good reason for Civ
ing the first prize to any specia
man, the judges could have give1
the first prize to the clown Of
catbird songster of the conven
ton.
The judges think that brother
Clee Vaughan was hypnotized
or in some state Of hypnosis, b,
the good playing Of Murphy, an6
so much applauding and nois'
by the children and young PEG
pie, and about the time he hap
pened to wake up he must hav'
caught a wireless message from
somewhere, the Lord only know
where, perhaps from some lad,
friend Of Mr.. Murphy, saying h
is the best fiddler in the worl(
and the only man in the hous
| who can tune a fiddle.
| Yes, the judges gave the frs
prize to Mr.. E. P. Weeks fol
the best old time fiddling, an<
they stand pat on it and hav'
I no apology to make for it.
| J. D. RAY
Below is the article. published