Scan 32
Musical Courier 1897-09-15: Vol 35 Iss 915, 1897
112 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1NOTICE.
3Literary Department.
5Publishers are respectfully requested to send in to this office at as early a date as possible copies of books for review, lists of forthcoming books, items of interest respecting authors and their publications, &c., in order that they may receive due attention in our columns.
7NO REMEDY.
9THERE is not one theatrical manager in New York who is an educated man or has the simplest pretensions to culture. With one pitiable exception, none of them has any knowledge of the drama, its history, its development, its tendencies, or its possibilities. Mr. Daly has to a slight extent studied the art out of which he has made a living. He has some slight knowledge of Shakespearian drama, even though he has no understanding of it. He has the perverted, distorted and degraded the Shakespearian drama as only one who was blind to its whole import could have done. For the rest, he once had some acquaintance with the dusty farces which the more progressive Germans had discarded.
11Surely this is a pitiable showing—among all the New York managers the best we can point to is a superannuated adapter, whose highest pretensions are that he is not wholly ignorant. The others are frankly illiterate. They know nothing of histrionic technic—nothing of dramatic technic—nothing of the magnificent history of the art they are degrading. Naturally enough the drama they provide for the public rises to no higher level than that on which the manager stands.
13The worst of it is we can see no remedy.
15PARTIES AND BOLTERS.
17SENATOR THOMAS C. PLATT, of Tioga, is a much discussed man. Now and then he is excessively abused. At times he is the recipient of adulation. The Mugwumps make of him a political bogie. His friends fit him with a halo. Midway between these extremes it is probable that Mr. Platt would prefer to stand. He makes no pretension of being a great statesman, and he is not a wicked politician.
19He has taken a wide career in politics. Scrutinize his record as we may, there is nothing in it on which scandal can fasten. He is a leader who built up the Republican party in New York from a discredited, dishonest and squabbling minority into a ruling majority. He has been accused of deserting his friends, but his loyalty to the Republican party as organized has never been questioned. He is not only the head of the Republican party, but is a faithful representative of Republicanism.
21Mr. Platt has been an "easy boss," as he truly said; his leadership is justified of its success; why, then, is he so bitterly opposed by the bolting Republicans and scurrying Mugwumps? The chief opposition would seem to be not to the man, but to the man's method. In reality the Citizens' Union is a protest against government by party.
23This is a subject on which men may differ fairly. It is no more unfair than questioning the rule of three. And yet it should be kept in mind that the wisdom of the world has devised no better plan for governing a democratic nation. Humanity has a tendency to take sides. Oftener than not wisdom is born in the clash of party warfare. Politics cannot be a serene science. When men disagree they are in the way of improvement. Of course it might be argued logically that if division is a good thing there cannot be too much of it. This is the theory of the Citizens' Union. They would have every voter free of the party whip and the party leash. It is for this reason that the Citizens' Union is powerless. Dissent is dangerous only when it is organized.
25The great party organs are flexible enough. Their principles are not rigid. There is place in them for intelligent men of all shades of opinion, and the reformers should get it into their heads that it is only through the organized parties that they can achieve their reforms. This is virtually the stand taken by Senator Platt, the head of the Republican party. He has never intimated that Seth Low would not make an admirable Mayor of New York. Probably Mr. Low would do very well, though he is not conspicuous for political wisdom, being, indeed, a good-natured, harmless little man, more like a silver dollar than a statesman. Mr. Low's fitness for the position is not the question at issue. The main point is whether the men and measures of organized Republicanism are to be dictated by the sworn enemies of that organization.
27Senator Platt is fighting honorably for the integrity of the Republican party. He is fighting earnestly, for behind this attack on the Republican organization he sees an attack on government by party—the only possible form of government in a democracy.
29The principle is worth fighting for, and Senator Platt has the fashion of fighting to win.
31PHARAOH AND THE SERGEANT.
33BY RUDYARD KIPLING.
35"•••• consider that the meritorious services of the Sergeant Instructors attached to the Egyptian Army have been inadequately acknowledged. •••• To the excellence of their work is mainly due the great improvement that has taken place in the soldiers of H. H. the Khedive." EXTRACT FROM LETTER. one of two readings
36"•••• consider that the meritorious services of the Sergeant Instructors attached to the Egyptian Army have been inadequately acknowledged. •••• To the excellence of their work is mainly due the great improvement that has taken place in the soldiers of H. H. the Khedive." one of two readings
37EXTRACT FROM LETTER. one of two readings
39Said England unto Pharaoh, "I must make a man of you That will stand upon his feet and play the game; That will Maxim his oppressor as a Christian ought to do." And she sent old Pharaoh Sergeant Whatisname. It was not a Duke nor Earl nor yet a Viscount— It was not a big brass General that came; But a man in khaki kit, who could handle men a bit, With his bedding labeled Sergeant Whatisname. one of two readings
40Said England unto Pharaoh, "I must make a man of you one of two readings
41That will stand upon his feet and play the game; one of two readings
42That will Maxim his oppressor as a Christian ought to do." one of two readings
43And she sent old Pharaoh Sergeant Whatisname. one of two readings
44It was not a Duke nor Earl nor yet a Viscount— one of two readings
45It was not a big brass General that came; one of two readings
46But a man in khaki kit, who could handle men a bit, one of two readings
47With his bedding labeled Sergeant Whatisname. one of two readings
49Said England unto Pharaoh, "Tho' at present singing small, You shall hum a proper tune before it ends." And she introduced old Pharaoh to the Sergeant once for all, And left 'em in the desert making friends. It was not a Crystal Palace nor Cathedral, It was not a public-house of common fame, But a piece of red-hot sand, with a palm on either hand, And a little hut for Sergeant Whatisname. one of two readings
50Said England unto Pharaoh, "Tho' at present singing small, one of two readings
51You shall hum a proper tune before it ends." one of two readings
52And she introduced old Pharaoh to the Sergeant once for all, one of two readings
53And left 'em in the desert making friends. one of two readings
54It was not a Crystal Palace nor Cathedral, one of two readings
55It was not a public-house of common fame, one of two readings
56But a piece of red-hot sand, with a palm on either hand, one of two readings
57And a little hut for Sergeant Whatisname. one of two readings
59Said England unto Pharaoh, "You've had miracles before, When Aaron struck your rivers into blood; But if you watch the Sergeant ne can show you something more— He's a charm for making riflemen from mud." It was neither Hindustani, French, n r Coptic; It was odds and ends and leavings of the same, Translated by a stick (which is really half the trick), And Pharaoh harked to Sergeant Whatisname. one of two readings
60Said England unto Pharaoh, "You've had miracles before, one of two readings
61When Aaron struck your rivers into blood; one of two readings
62But if you watch the Sergeant ne can show you something more— one of two readings
63He's a charm for making riflemen from mud." one of two readings
64It was neither Hindustani, French, n r Coptic; one of two readings
65It was odds and ends and leavings of the same, one of two readings
66Translated by a stick (which is really half the trick), one of two readings
67And Pharaoh harked to Sergeant Whatisname. one of two readings
69(There were years that no one talked of : there were times of horrid doubt; There was faith and hope and whacking and despair; While the Sergeant gave the Cautions, and he combed old Pharaoh out, And England didn't look to know nor care. That is England's awful way o' doing business; She would serve her God or Gordon just the same; For she thinks her Empire still is the Strand and Holborn Hill, And she didn't think o' Sergeant Whatisname.) one of two readings
70(There were years that no one talked of : there were times of horrid doubt; one of two readings
71There was faith and hope and whacking and despair; one of two readings
72While the Sergeant gave the Cautions, and he combed old Pharaoh out, one of two readings
73And England didn't look to know nor care. one of two readings
74That is England's awful way o' doing business; one of two readings
75She would serve her God or Gordon just the same; one of two readings
76For she thinks her Empire still is the Strand and Holborn Hill, one of two readings
77And she didn't think o' Sergeant Whatisname.) one of two readings
79Said England to the Sergeant, "You can let my people go!" (England used 'em cheap and nasty from the start). And they entered 'em at Firkah on a most astonished foe— But the Sergeant he had hardened Pharaoh's heart That was broke, along of all the plagues of Egypt, Three thousand years before the Sergeant came— And he mended it again in a little more than ten, So Pharaoh fought like Sergeant Whatisname! one of two readings
80Said England to the Sergeant, "You can let my people go!" one of two readings
81(England used 'em cheap and nasty from the start). one of two readings
82And they entered 'em at Firkah on a most astonished foe— one of two readings
83But the Sergeant he had hardened Pharaoh's heart one of two readings
84That was broke, along of all the plagues of Egypt, one of two readings
85Three thousand years before the Sergeant came— one of two readings
86And he mended it again in a little more than ten, one of two readings
87So Pharaoh fought like Sergeant Whatisname! one of two readings
89It was wicked, bad campaigning (cheap and nasty from the first); There was heat and dust and coolie work and sun, There were vipers, flies and sand storms, there was cholera and thirst, But Pharaoh done the best he ever done. Down the desert, down the railway, down the river, Like the Israelites from bondage so he came, 'Tween the clouds o' dust and fire to the land of his desire, And his Moses it was Sergeant Whatisname! one of two readings
90It was wicked, bad campaigning (cheap and nasty from the first); one of two readings
91There was heat and dust and coolie work and sun, one of two readings
92There were vipers, flies and sand storms, there was cholera and thirst, one of two readings
93But Pharaoh done the best he ever done. one of two readings
94Down the desert, down the railway, down the river, one of two readings
95Like the Israelites from bondage so he came, one of two readings
96'Tween the clouds o' dust and fire to the land of his desire, one of two readings
97And his Moses it was Sergeant Whatisname! one of two readings
99We are eating dirt in handfuls for to save our daily bread, Which we have to buy from those who hate us most, And we must not raise the money where the Sergeant raised the dead, And its wrong and bad and dangerous to boast; But he did it on the cheap and on the quiet, And he's not allowed to forward any claim— Though he drilled a black man white, though he made a mummy fight, He will still continue Sergeant Whatisname— Private, Corporal, Color-Sergeant and Instructor— But the everlasting miracle's the same!—September McClure's. one of two readings
100We are eating dirt in handfuls for to save our daily bread, one of two readings
101Which we have to buy from those who hate us most, one of two readings
102And we must not raise the money where the Sergeant raised the dead, one of two readings
103And its wrong and bad and dangerous to boast; one of two readings
104But he did it on the cheap and on the quiet, one of two readings
105And he's not allowed to forward any claim— one of two readings
106Though he drilled a black man white, though he made a mummy fight, one of two readings
107He will still continue Sergeant Whatisname— one of two readings
108Private, Corporal, Color-Sergeant and Instructor— one of two readings
109But the everlasting miracle's the same! one of two readings
111—September McClure's. one of two readings
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.