The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-06-20
Poetry
written for THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER1
ODE TO A BALL.

ODE TO A BALL.
sing a 0 which do belong
TO all OBJ dis hyre L ashun,
About a ball de peapul a
De pail OBJ o~rgurashun
Simetime along in ninety-too
De peapul got to grumlln
Ah0uf de way old paPtys doc,
When wib their intrust fumblin.
Do peapul say adop one plan
To eb'ry grand ole partie,
And Glib reIeaf as best you can,
And Well support you harty.
De RAIDS, they ~, you're dooing well,
And got a plenty OBJ money;
Go vote for Ben another spell
And eat your bred and honey.
De peapul say we've little bred,
And not a cent of moneys.
We've eat up all de hog we had
An nearly all de honey.
he democrats SAY de RAIDS doc lie
In words so sweet and many:
You've got no honey, got no pie,
Not likely to git emmy.
We Tub you deer and hub you loDg,
Wed like to make you happ1e,
So gals would lub de boys as strong
AS children Tub THAR pappy.
Go vote for Grover, Smith and Cyarr,
And put our side in power;
Well give you honey, cake and pie,
And make your tacksss lower.
Your burdens more den you can bear
On trace chains for de farm,
And hats and tings de pOah foxes Walr,
Ard wood to keep dem warum.
Wen gyard yoar intrust mighty close
And keep you from de shariff;
Wen give Mckinley one more doase
And bust dat darned old tariff.
We've Iabored hard for thirty years,
And tryed to git a chance
To furnish muystck for the spLears
And let creashun danse.
Dis taught ketched on like fire on hay;
They iected Stev'son, Cyarr and Grover
Fxpeckting on de dansing day
De world wood danse all o2ver.
De legislator met at last
To fix up for dis danse;
De dem'cI ats say" we've got en- FAST"
Let's have elite the danse.
A pop'ist now and then got in
By hCcus or ty focus,
And when they hyard that elite ring,
They seq they're gwine to choke US.
Tell II e about that elite word.
One pOp'list to another said;
He SEE dOan knoa I'm pOw'fiy skyrrud,
almOas wish dat l was Cead.
De democrats to de pop'Iists say
You fool, we're only fixing up a chance
q To git some chink for fddle's pay
To let gay city peapul danse.
De pOplist to de democrats say,
My head is gettin' somewhat easy,
But should | vote for dat ar pay
My friends would say I'm crazy"
De democrats say doan't care a flip,
For votes you've rot got menny;
You need not care how far you slip,
For friends you haven't emmy.
How much for fdlers and de like?
Says boss man as he hOllarS.
Wib joy de statesman eckOW back,
Well give five hundred dollars.
De ball came n and so did snow,
And killed de oats and clover,
And some daDsed hye n some dansed 10,
But de world didn't danse all over.
Ore P. P. man got him a foot
To frye to help make musick,
And give a pOp1ist tOOt-a-toOt,
Not knowing when to use it
De boss mar say no pop'list toot,
De niggars make dis musick,
If dat P. P. mans got any foot
If he dOan't watch he'u4ose 1t.
We member one grand day last fall
De peapul glib dis glorious chance
To deem our pledges, make a bal
And let de elite peapul danse.
Now let dat P. P. man take heed
Dat heare on dis occasion,
For pOp'list tOOts we've got no need
Nor tings oh dat persuasion.
De P. P. man den sed to all
Your horn you need not tOOt
In legislator nor Oh ball,
But try to make an udder shoot
So when de ides of 'Vember come
In eighteen hundred ninety four,
Well bring to bear Our biggest gun
And shoot 'em harder den before.
Now, Ramsey, when you sing dis song
Aid tink it amt a good un,
Jest tink how hard to makes song
And lib or corn meal puddin.
And if your soul do Tub good songs,
And you dOant feeF de shariff,
Jest member where your duty b'longs
And mak n on de tariff,
And ak all papers dat you lake
To print my song and yOaFn;
Let musick, SIGH as we a a
On eb'ry breze be bourne.
OVER THE WAY.
Stedman, n. G.,