Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-19
Hs vetsd ssraIehs.

own IL ike man;
There was plenty of us fashioned ON the same
peculiar plan;
And I've lived out here in Kansas more than
five and twenty years,
4 growing poor and poorer, as It certainly
appears.
l seldom read the papers-l work too hard fos
that,
And never knew why got lean, while other
men got fat;
didn't fool with politics; had too much
to do;
But always voted as shot, and as they
told me to.
The day before election, just imagine my dis
tTess,
When / ketched my wife a-readin'-now
whatever would you guess?
free trade publication, and, to make II
worse, she said
She'd read It regular each night before she
went to bed.
And, do you know, that wife of mine jest
faced me up and down
That farmers slave to make few monopo
lists in town.
always try to get around these warm do
nestle spats;
But when praised Protection and she
laughed and ans wered RATS"
/ brlstled up 1t kindled all the sentiments OF
strife
To think this free tr.de stuff should be cor
ruptin' of my wife;
quit her then and there before her argu-
ment was through,
AS every good protectionist makes 1t rule
to do.
That night we had a camp fire and our Con-
giessman was there;
We gave him "John Browns Body" when he
went TO take the chair;
wore my old blue uniform to spite the DEM
ocrats;
But all the time wondered what my Mary
meant by Gratis"
Our Congressman was eloquent, he made
stirrin' speech;
i could almost see the battles smoke and
hear the bullets screech;
And when he babe us vote as we had shot at
Malvern Hill,
We rose with one accord and cried with one
acclaim, 1--WE WILL"
We sang the good old war songs and we ate a
mess o. beans,
And we passed the evenin' pleasantly, re-
callin' bloody scenes,
And we took the straight-out tickets and we
pinned 'epn on our hats,
But all the time wondered what my Mary
meant by RATS"
When / reached home l noticed that my
Mary wore smile,
Which seemed to me as indicatin' storms
ahead or bile;
To head her off said "You'll call me early,
mother, dear,
For tomorrow will be the Invest day free
trade will have this year."
Next mornin' just at sun up, as woke and
rubbed my eyes,
A wonderin' what she meant by "Rats"
saw to my surprise
My clothes and hat aud boots all ranged IN
order on the floor,
And bearin' each card I'D swear never
saw before.
My flannel shirt displayed this sign, "Taxed
95 per cent"
My trousers TAXED l0O'-so this is what
"Rats" meant;
My vest said TAXED lO0," and my shoes
"Taxed 25."
Ny coat and hat 1900" with Protection
makes us thrive"
1 went to I'LL the basin and 1 noticed as
came,F
TAXED 45 per cent" Great s colt the towel
said the same!
The soap was marked "2O" as dropped it on
the floor,
CHANGED to see a scuttle full of coal chalked
'24"
passed into the kitchen and 1t gives me
pain to state
That my wife had on a wooden dress stamped
"only 5s."
And In shooting out Guinea hen she madeta
little dive
Which showed pair of stockings with
card marked 49,"
The baby in his little bed was lynn fast
asleep;
1 always held the little chap as most I'M
common cheap.
But when saw them cards on blanket, pill
low, crib and sheet,
1 felt lump rise In my throat, knew that
was beat.
No matter where went struck them pesky
little signs;
The stove, the plates, the knives, the forks,
the window sash and blinds,
The scissors, needles, thread, all bore that
terrible per cent;
RipOah dIdnlt dare In aolr what card was IN
the rent
That was the shortest meal ever ate in all
my life;
And as left the table in remarkiDg to my
wife
That was going to the polls, she helped me
with my coat;
And said: ~ reckon, John, | needen't tell
you how to vote"
l walked down to my votin' place, 1t looked
like every yard
Was full OF farmin' implements which bore
a little card,
And seemed to say, from pillow to spade, from
thresher down to axe;
Good mornin' John, and don't forget the tar
if is a tax.
voted straight, Dyes, no doubt of that l
voted straight,
But not exactly in the way expected of my
State
And 1 showed the boys the little cards pro-
vided by my wife,
Thai night our Congressman took formal leaf
ofpublic life.
was one of them "sool farmers" DARN five |
and twenty years;