[78-L] Stephen Foster and the "N-word"

[DAVID BURNHAM]

Tom, in the Shilkret Stephen Foster set, except for "Oh! Lemuel", the lines you quoted used other words, usually "darkie".  While over the years, words can change to keep up to date with political propriety, it is equally possible for someone who wants to make a point to go backwards and change words which weren't quite offensive to currently more offensive words.  I'm not accusing you of doing this, but it could be that your sources did.  There are also versions of "Oh! Lemuel!" on line which use the word "Darkie".  Going back to "Mikado", though he was an averred athiest, Gilbert had the highest moral standards and wouldn't use a word which society considered offensive.  The fact that he used it indicates that it was considered then to be nothing more serious than colloquial.

This subject is certainly garnering a lot of dialog.  We are currently up to 90 lists this month, whereas on December 25th we were up to 76 and on November 25th we were in the mid-60s.

db