In late 1879 John S. Woods and Henry Farny formed a new tongue-in-cheek club, The Society for the Suppression of Music. By November 6, though the club had yet to formally meet, it had already elected a president, Judge Nicholas Longworth, and treasurer, John S. Woods, though I expect the “election” was not a formal one. On November 20, The Cincinnati Commercial mentioned the existence of the club’s Seal, which has been rumored to have been created by Farny:
So how and why did this organization come about? The organization’s beginnings aren’t entirely clear, but *might* be rooted in a criticism published in an unknown newspaper prior to November of 1879. The article was reprinted, according to the Cincinnati Commercial, in its November 24, 1879, edition, at the behest of the Society for the Suppression of Music.
The critic’s target was an Irish Quartette made up of five musicians, about which the critic poked fun. The writer’s snobbery was evidenced early when he noted the audience consisted of the “scum de la scum of the Fourth Ward society”.
During November of 1879, the Society gained strength and encouraged others to join its “cause” by publishing an invitation:
If the Society published its “manifesto” in November, it’s not clear where. However, a look-back article from 1902 published the Society’s entire “manifesto”:
Not wanting to be left out, on November 28th, an organization by the same name, but different participants, met in Newport, Kentucky, electing officers and declaring their intent to see that the Cincinnati Music Hall be torn down and money donated to the poor of the three cities. Cleary, music was a problem everywhere!
On November 29th, the members of Cincinnati’s Society for the Suppression of Music gathered at Hoffman’s Wine House. As reported the next day in the Cincinnati Commercial, the group assembled with the most “serious and earnest character becoming the aim and object of the Society.” With President Judge Longworth unable to attend, Thornton M. Hinkle assumed the gavel, then Secretary John S. Woods took his seat and introduced correspondence of an utmost serious nature:
Toasts followed the correspondence, then the meeting broke into a social event. The article claimed that the actual business of the Society would commence at a later date.
Playing its role in the farce, the Cincinnati Commercial noted on December 9, 1879 that there was greater activity among the producers of musical instruments than ever before, suggesting that if the Society expected to arrest this issue it would need to double its activity!
While fun was had in the papers through December, it’s not clear how often the group actually met. Reports waned in frequency over the succeeding years, but occasionally some event would happen that resurrected the Society. One example is the time Farny ‘saved’ musicians from drowning at the August 1880 Venice Lights event at the Zoo. Naturally, the Society formally chastised him.
NOTES: Newspaper reports of early meetings have been saved at the Cincinnati Public Library. In November of 1952, a letter about the Society was read by Chalmers Hadley.
