Regular column of news from the International Musical Union, affiliated with the American Labor Union, a forerunner of the I.W.W.

‘Department of International Musical Union’ by W. Shurtleff from the American Labor Union Journal. Vol. 3 No. 5. February, 1905.

Edited by W. SHURTLEFF, General Secretary

CLEVELAND MUSICAL UNION, LOCAL NO. 1, I.M.U.

The Cleveland Musical Union was organized seven years ago 18 21 Knights of Labor Union. About two years after its birth the A. F. of L. chartered a rival organization known as the M.M.P.A. This dual union caused more or less trouble from the beginning by accepting as members every trade union scab whom we expelled and filling all musical engagements which we canceled when we wished to assist the trade unions in their various boycotts.

Thus, for example, when our union canceled all engagements in. Halthnorth Hall (now fair) in order to uphold the A. F. of L. central body’s boycott, the A.F. of M. filled the engagements, and one of their orchestras had a large sign across the hall with the legend, “Union Music Here.” In their ranks to-day are men who worked behind the militia in the Brain strike while our men went to jail for doing picket duty. When we expelled a man for scabbing on the Laundry Workers they took him in and made him an agent for a while to post up cards against us. When we suspended a bricklayer for scabbing on the Bricklayers’ Union they took him in. and he is a member to-day. The Electrical Workers, Paper Hangers and other building trades charge them with employing none but scabs in fitting up their headquarters.

In spite of all their scabbery and their bitter opposition to us, our union has held its own, and we have to day headquarters open all the time and a fair treasury. It was through the Cleveland Musical Union that the first convention was called and the International organized three years ago. Since then we have gone steadily forward. Our members are employed about all the time and our patronage is growing among men who recognize the uncompromising unionism which animates our organization.

PRAISE OF MUSIC.

Music is the natural expression of lofty passion for a right cause.–Ruskin.

Music resembles chess; the queen (melody) has the most power, but the king (harmony) turns the scale.–Robert Schumann.

In the abstract we may regard melody as the moving element; harmony, on the other hand, as the stable element in music.–Moritz Hauptmann.

True virtuosity gives us something more than mere flexibility and execution. A man may mirror his own nature in his playing.–Schumann.

The elements of orchestration are those of painting. The composition per se represents the design; the melody the outline; harmony the light and shade, and instrumentation, the coloring. J. Raff.

Musical art recognizes two kinds of music artistic music, the production of the artist, and national music, the production of the people. If we liken music to flowers, the former would be the cultivated, the latter the wild flowers–Christiani.

ST. LOUIS MUSICAL UNION, NO. 2.

St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 5, 1905.

At a large and enthusiastic meeting of the St. Louis International Musical Union, No. 2, held at their headquarters. Military Hall. 12 Market street. Friday, Dec. 30th, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year:

President John R. Broughton, Vice President Arthur Knoll. Secretary R. W. Tietz. Treasurer F. W. Kahler. Sergeant-at-Arms-Mitchell Bernall. Business Agent F. W. Kahler. Trustees Andrew Duerst, Frank Annis. Edw. Graff, Brother John Fechter is now in Chicago and will undoubtedly visit our locals there. R. W. TIETZ, Secretary.

BOHEMIAN MUSICAL UNION OF CHICAGO, NO. 26, I.M.U.

At the last meeting in December of the Bohemian Local, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President Anton Janda. Vice President Jas. Svanberg. Recording Secretary-F. J. Triska. Financial Secretary-Fr. Kovarik. Treasurer-Jos. Jedlicka. Guard-Jas, Kessler. Sergeant-at-Arms-Thomas Kroupa.

The American Labor Union is having a great growth in Chicago, 29 locals being now united with the central body. Since our affiliating with the International, there seems to be a general movement of the musicians of this city to our organization, and I believe the end of the year will show our organization at least a thousand strong. Fraternally. FRANK J. TRISKA, Secretary, 797 West 18th Street.

I was traveling through New York State recently when I met a musician whose books showed $5,000 worth of business for the preceding twelve months for an orchestra of seven, of which he alone was the only man who devoted his entire time to music. He told me that he belonged to no union. I asked him how he did it, and he said: “Simply by hustling.” He stated that he generally got union prices, sometimes more, occasionally less, but that hustling was the whole secret of the business. Had the union men of that town hustled, this man would not have been able to do such big business. The trouble is, our average union musician lies down and waits for the leader or the job to come to him. We believe that the trades union men who are not musicians and who, therefore, know nothing about the music question except what is told them by job-hunting musicians, should cut the music question out and recognize all musical unions or none. The musicians would soon settle their troubles. But the mischief of the matter is that men who are not musicians take sides when they ought to remain neutral. They hold form of organization above unionism; and, in some cases, actually support blacklegs and scabs on their own trade union in support of the organization which happens to be affiliated with their own national body.

COURAGE OF MUSICIANS IN FACE OF DANGER.

In case of great danger, the musicians have from time to time shown themselves cool and self-sacrificing, and it is with pleasure that we record the action of Frank J. Triska’s orchestra in Chicago recently. Brother Triska and his orchestra, all members of the Chicago Bohemian Musical Union, International Local No. 26, were playing New Year’s eve at Slavia Hall, when the place took fire. During the confusion and while the police were getting the people out, the orchestra kept on playing, thus preventing a panic, and were the last to leave the place.

In the days of Elizabeth music was not left to a few people who played popular airs for a compensation. Everybody was musical, and it was a disgrace not to cultivate this most charming art. In this “practical age,” there are many who boast that they know very little of this elevating Influence, and it isn’t hard to believe them. I think that music should be, and that the time is coming when it will be a part of our every day education.