Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-08-17
THE CAMPAIGN OF1SdO.
Its Literature, Excitement and Campaign
Poetry,


Any attempt to initiate the famous can
vass when "Tippecanoe and Tyler too,
swept the country like whirlwind, will
ne lailure. Ihere are some things in
thls world that cannot easily be initiated,
ana the presidential campaign of 1910 is
one OF these. History repeats itself, it is
true, put Just the same conditions that
then existed Will never be reproduced.
The country was comparatively new rail
roads were in their infancy. Telegraphs
were unknown, not to say undreamed of
by the public; the country was lust be.
ginning to recover from what, take it all
In all, was the most disastrous financial
ana business crisis it has ever known,
from the foundation of the government
the people had been under restraint. The
leaders had led, the masses had followed.
1hey mad been instructed in the solemn
duties OF government, and the wise laws
on which these had been brought up. and
which nobody till then had thought of dis.
putting, became nauseating. Somehow at
the beginning OF That campaign the people
broke loose, and, getting out from under
the long restraint, they ran matters to
SUIT themselves. 1t is doubtful if ever in
our hdndred years of political campaigns
there was one with 50 mucn enthusiasm
and so little thought as that of 1910. 1t
virtually introduced three elements which
have proved important factors in subse-
quent campaigns. One OF these was cam
palgn literature, another out of door de-
monstrations (such as processions) and
the other campaign songs In each of
tLe'e respects the campaign of 1910 was
unique. In the matter of campaign litera-
ture there was seriousness about it that
as we look back at 1t now, contrasted pain
tully with the wild abandon of the out of
door demonstrations; the illustrate ed week
lies were all undreamed of, but Greeley's
Log Cabin, with now and then wood
cut, ond the illustrated almanacs, which
were more plentiful than the half score of
campaign lives which were published in
cheap pamphlet form, SO as to come within
the reach OF the poorest, were simply afro
cious IN the vileness of their wood cuts
In all these General Harrison was either
represented as the Farmer of North
Bend" patiently following his plough, or
taking his frugal repast in his hume log
cabin, where the latchstring always hung
out, or attlred in all the glory of his regi-
mentals performing some feat of military
valor and glory. For example, in one of
these almanacs there are wood cuts repre-
senting Harrison Saving the Life of
Negro" Giving His Horse to Methodist
Minister, Preferring Another Mans
His Soldiers Had Been Cared For,' I'm
timidaling Tecumseh by His Presence of
Mind, Charging the Enemy at the Head
OF His Troops" Giving Away His Only
Blanket" Not CLEAN of humor appears
III any of the whIg almauacs The car
toonist had not yet arrived. 1t is doubt
full however, il the modern illustrated
weekly has ever been more effective than
We're these absurdly serious Illustrations
When 1t came, however, to denuuciation
OF Van buren,, the campaign organs found
use for sarcasm and invectlve.
The professions and ont of door demon
STATIONS have been copied in subsequent
campaigns, and while wide awakes,N
boys in blue" and trade PROFESSIONS with
torch lights and transparencies have been
most elective agencies, it is doubtful if
| there mas ever been anything to fully com
| pare with the wild ecStacy which marked
the political craze of 1870 Perhaps, the
| most marked feature of the campaign was
the campaign songs. 1t would be impos-
slble to conceive worse doggerel, and the
worse 1t was the grea er seemed the popu-
larlty of the song. Perhaps the most
| popular was that beginninA, what has
caused this great commOton," etc. first
| published III Greeley's Log CABIN. That
famous song IS worth preservation as
| curiosity andIhe more so for the reason
that it Is not usually found in the log
cabin and hard cider song books of that
year. Its full text is as follows
What has caused this great commotlon, mo-
ton, motion.
| our country through?
! Is it IA ball a-rolling OF
| For Iippecdne and rs le- too TppeCauOe
and Tyler too,
And with them wen beat little Van Van
| Van is used-up man.
And with them Wen beat little Van.
Lie the rushing of mighty waters, waters,
ON it will go,
And in its course will clear the way
For Tippecanoe, etc
Have YOU heard from old Yarmouth, mount
All honest and true.
The Green Mountain boys are rolling the
bali
For Tippecanoe, etc.
Have you heard from old Kentuck, tuck, tuck,
Good news and true,
seventeen thousand l. tins tune
For Tlppecanoe. etc
Don't you hear from every quarter, quarter,
Good news and true.
That swift the ball is rolling on
For TlppC canoe, etc.
The Log Cabin boys are out in thousands,
thOusanGs, thousands,
Not long ago.
Ard at Bunker Hill they set their sails
To Ilppt canoe, etc.
Now you hear the Van-Jacks talking, talking,
talking
Things look quite blue,
For all the world seems turning rouud
For TlppecanUe, etc.
Let them talk about herd cider, cider, cider,
And log cablus TOO,
| Twill uly'help to speed the ball
For TlppCCanoe, etc.
The latch strng hangs outside the door, door,
door,
| And ia neverpulled through
For il was never the custom OF
Old IppecauOe, etc.
See the sposmen and leg teas urers. treas
urers. treasurcrs,
| All in a stew,
For well they know they stand no chance
| With TlppecauOe, etc.
! Little Matty's days are numbered, numbered,
! numbered,
Out he must 20.
And IL the char wen place the good
Od TippecHuot etc.
/ The beautiful r'r's, God bless their souls,
souls, souls,
Inc country through,
/ VIII all t. a man do all they can
For Tippt canoe. etc.