The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-09
BID CAMPAIGN SONGS
I0rfcs in the Presidential Con-
tests Of the Past.
IAsp CIDER AND LOG CABINS
= Harrison Hat-Cfsy and Polk
h war songs-s4Four Years
More OF Grover.o


nus sang In the year Of grace fssf ard
Z fhe republic the AeFty-eigfsth some mi
~ odd voters By their ballots these
s~nesfers and soctbsayers made good
SEeIr prophecy. Campaign songs have Of
<rnded the ears OF musicaiiy cultivated
- cred the partisan heart since politics
herau. None OF the lyrics has endured
4our campaign post Ii not usually nigh
1auss genius. and generally a parodigt. q
naker OF the weakest and mos; sinful
I'm Of verse, his efforts die Of wearinsss
- hamilton almost before their echoes
ave ceased For thess reasons n Il Off
1<uit to find examples Of campaign msso-
- Of q past day. An old man may some
uues be found who can work of In
1arked voice q stznza or two celebrating
harrison the elder. Familiarity known Is
r0sd Tippecanoc." ana exccratinx Martin
Van Buren,.
Here's 10 our fathers and motherss
Likewise 10 Oiid ireland. too.
Down with Martin Van Buren,
And up with Old T.pDecAnoe.
that was . fayorite more than nifty
rears ago. 1t IL model OF It's kind
where can you find another four-line se-
fectson which teaches reverence for tire
DSrenfs, love of the motheriand, despite
= the opposition and honor for the party
candidafe. combining all with bid for
tbe gravel train voter The song was wrtt-
lkn ~ far back as 1910. and yet there arc
uen pho say our forbears were clumsy
nd awkward In the art OF poiiticA
Prior TO 1870 the voice OF the campaign
ueIodist was not loud In the land. There
we're campaign poets. true enough. but
fortunately their productions were not set
10 music. or we're not adapted TO tunes
1ready written. The only political song
r. - -
yankee Doodle written 20 ridicuie the
coIonists. bsi, adopted Ny them In lieu or
national hymn. Hail Columbia" The
star Spangled Banner" and Columbia
do not seem to answer the description.
The country has been unfortunate In It's
patriotic singers. Even julia Ward
Howe's famous Battle Hymn OF the Re-
public beginning Mine eyes have seen
he glory of the coming of tho Lord has
been criticised for It's incoherence.
In the fragrance Of the lilies.
Christ Was born across the sea.
sounds swestiy. say the analysts. bat
what does Il mean2 Other propositions
contained In this widely celebrated pro-
luction are likened unto blts from Brown
Ing for their ncomprehensibility. And
uhAt can be said for the appreciation OF
be massss7 John Browns Body" goes
EASILY 10 the same music that carries the
1aUtlnG UattAt "a tfNI< <<fftS Uut3itA jet
sons OF every thousand or American birth
Of the age OF Il years and upward can
give the metrical tale OF John BroSn's
body, what befell John Browns pet lambs
md the dire threat to JET Davis I'm con-
nacfion with sour apple tree. they can
give the serial and give IL correctly In all
rs forty parts with the glory hallelujah
chorus between each. and be glad OF thu
chance. Is Il a safe assertion that two
of 4 nslf ha
- 10 age and nativity. could repeat tho
Arst stanza OF Mrs. Howes poem? Prob
ably not. But this In shade wide OF tina
mark. although perhaps both Battle
hymn" and John Browns Body" might
- properly eatalogued as campaign songs.
r
To return to tho earlier days II was in
The presidential struggle in 1870 that the
Doet found his strength. IL was a cam
paign OF phrase and of song. The IN
eriration came from the enemy. as usual
When Gen. William Henry Harrison was
rominated by the Wings. the Van Buren,
eourtiers and the administration organs
slerated their arlstoerafic noses IN con-
ttmpt for the homeiy North Bend farmers
poverty. A New York paper-they get OF
wrong ever unto this Gay-sasd concerning
The candidate: Give him q barrel of
bard cider. and Tettie pension OF s.. co a
year on him. and. our word for II, he VIII
ct the remainder OF his days content In a
los cabin
"A THIS attack upoa the hero OF the West
n trn country vastly stirred up the common
8 people and tho opposition newspapers
q rhes returned contuneiy for reproach
s and the light OF the sun was ohscnred by
ne mad cast at King Van" "Matty. the
Arsiocrat." or whatever they chose to
niscsll the president aud candidate for re-
81 Ira ftun f,s ta =.
Supposed to regard Mr.. Trude's views on
". Hopkins. and Gov. Alfgeid's discus
non OF President Cfevelands character as
rather warm specimens of talk Political
speeches OF shis generation are as a
hrsa,h OF weather from Medicine Hat on
snne day when read In comparison with
ne tropical uiterances OF our gfandfa-
iesrs- And they did not ind basis FOR a
asti suit in a political circular AZ that.
Their differences were talked out or the
stump or voted OF al the polls or shot or
y The crowd. This particular paragraph
saoted from the New York paper had
nseh bearing on the result. The whigs
nade u the text for their speeches and
e4itoriai frrosr They ala worse; they
- II 20 music and sang Il. In a menth
xhsre was not whig who could 80 much
g achieve the scale but was distending
Eng and Uplifting voice thus
81 They say that he lived in cabin
N md lived on old hard cider. too.
n We'll what n he did, Tn, certain
n He's the hero OF Ttppecancc.
This ballad contained some score %
rtsses and was So eonstrueted that II
81 Tssd be sung 10 the tune OF "Oia Resin
ks Bow" This melody had much vogue
The nrst half Of the century Every one
ssex n and the greater number OF poll;i-
q ballads were belle en Us lines.
shey SANG Il so wisely and 80 wen that
harrison received popular expression ~
Aea votes 20 i.iS,en for Van Buren,,
z the electoral college the man from the
usse valley bad 80 votes. against Van
haren's 81 One OF she popular songs az
~ campaign. AMI enc whbch may h
ssrt yet In the remote rural districts Of
ssies was entitled. where Ia Your Log
AaAsn Butt" Ohio was then. as now.
F-st figure in national politics. IL was
q home state Of the candidates. The
SRieAn has an instinct for qspe issins snd
easnelHsag which results IN bringing many
- gifts 81 national ofsiee 10 the Rsskeye
1sA IN the Harrison campaign = log
fsasn mas h1ilt ~ every ohio cross road.
Nd earrci 90 'fsyeae fenee." ~ which
es.sarf name Sged elaer s. knenn IN sas
ssAss. Vas or tap Tor al eomeFs k Was a
s .saoa ef hATaecuing ana hurFaatng. and
as was the song fhey saHx;
" where. tel me where. Was your les
!. eAein u,ade7
e, shere, tell loe where. was year log
- eahtn usztnf
vas bail, amenk fhe nsegry tesS that
~ ~issa he piew saa spade
"SeTe tne les cabins stana. a. the honnia
n b<hcNeTe shade.
re writers - The song shrsNdty ssase
Possible WITH she air % The Hiwhlaaa
.Asfse. a lyTic which stood high fn oAta
ssrsess ana wss approved ~ rara ard
e1asa both. Therefore che tox sasse
$50 county delegation - Ehs Ohio Naos