[78-L] Buffalo Bill Reads the Newspaper, etc.

[Patrick Feaster]

I did a little research on this, and it turns out Buffalo Bill actually
lifted the text for his Berliner disc from an unsigned *New York Times
*editorial
piece of April 17, 1898 -- three days before the recording date -- entitled
"What Is Their Plan?"  Here's what he says, taken word for word from the
newspaper:

"The opponents of intervention have no substitute proposition.  They have no
plans save those that have already failed.  If the Government were guided by
their advice, butchery, devastation, and barbarity would become permanent
social conditions in Cuba, and the unrest, the tumult, and the passion of
the last sixty days would take their places as established features of our
National life.  No man who is not willing to hear about the hideous crimes
in Cuba, to read the war speeches of the jingo Senators, and look upon the
war headlines of the yellow journals every day in the year for the remainder
of his natural life has any right to oppose intervention in Cuba unless he
submits an effective plan for the permanent abatement of these nuisances,
which, in the language of the President, have become intolerable.  There is
one more consideration.  Any American who finds himself unable now to
support the President [*seems to lose his place, says words not in NYT
text*] and
in his in—  [*finds his place again, emphasizes word as though 'correcting'
himself after a slip*] in his *proposed* policy toward Spain shows himself
to be perfectly content that *t*his country should exhibit itself in the
attitude of a nation that will not fight for its peace and safety, for its
honor and self-respect, or in the performance of a duty imposed by humanity
and civilization.  [*That's the end of the NYT editorial; then he
says:*] Ladies
and Gentlemen, permit me to introduce to you a Congress of the Rough Riders
of the World."

The Congress of the Rough Riders of the World was a part of Buffalo Bill's
show, but that last sentence seems to be the only "original" part of the
talk.  So what's on the disc might well be his "Sentiments on the Cuban
Question," but they're not expressed in his own words.  That said, I'm sure
his peculiar pronunciation of "dee-vastation" alone is worth the $6200.

Steve Shapiro asked whether there were other Spanish-American War records --
sure, there were lots of them: "The Battle of Santiago" with its amusing
kettle-drum cannons, "Tone Pictures of the 71st Regiment Leaving for Cuba,"
"Battle of Manila," "Bugle Calls of the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill," at
least three Cal Stewart routines (including the not-so-obvious "Baptizing at
Hickory Corners Church"), and a host of topical songs in 1898 about Dewey
Doing It and such.  The "Bugle Calls" by Roosevelt's own bugler, Emil a.k.a.
Emilio Cassi, are probably the most famous (they're also a "reenactment" of
events that technically never happened, but that's a long story).  For the
Philippine War, the only record I know offhand is "'Round the Campfire."

 - Patrick