The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-04
CHMPHIGN SONGS
DEMOCRATIC AIR RED HOT
REPUBLICAN TRUE BLUE.
England LIS n Common Enemy for the
Marble WRITER'S, and Mckinley
Is both Praised and Blamed.
New York Herald.

GOAlGCliDn VI lie ia wv NAAEfA
lets. entitled, respectively, Red Hot Dem
ocratic Campaign Songs" and True Blue
Republican Campaign Songs Mr.. ]. b.
Herbert has done the compilation, nobly
sacrificing his own political leanings, what
ever they may be. in order to do justice TO
both sides. Nay, with a splendid impartial
ity. he has even gone so far as 10 supply
the music for such waits as were not al
ready pitched to some popular and we'll
known air, and which, therefore. needed
the accompaniment of music to emphasize
their biting satire, their magnificent patri-
otism and their absolutely overwhelming
logical force. All of which, as Artemus
Ward observed, is sarkasm.
1t is very rare, indeed, that the campaign
song reaches any other merit than a GER
tain verbal catchiness and metrical jingle.
"Tippecanoe and Tyler Too -Four Years
More of Grover and BLAINE! Blaine!
James G. Blainer' have passed into his
tory. But nobody claims the slightest lit
erary or musical value for any of them.
They voiced the passions of the moment
in a catching kind of vocal jig which was
easy to remember and easier to reproduce.
Hence their popularity. VIII any of the
songs in these collections win q similar
fame? One may doubt it.
Words and melodies are neither better
nor worse than those Of the famous songs
already alluded to. But these lack spon-
taneity. They lack vitality. They have the.
air of being done to order, and nothing is
so fatal to a campaign song.
If there is any choice we would single
out the silver songs In the Red Hot Dem
o~cratic" ditties as being the most earnest
and, therefore, the best. Yet they are, OBJ
viously, addressed to the unreasoning null
fitiIda They talxa II for orantad that A.
kings of Europe are, for some mysterious
reason, banded together to force the main
tenance of the gold standard upon the
United States, and that the gold bugs are
mere minions of these designing poten-
tates. Here is a song in which this idea is
specially emphasized:
Go It Alone
Some Eastern high fiers and marvellous
Are whining that Uncle Sam can't stand
alone;
In fact, what they're needing is. bone-mak-
To replace their gristle with real back
bone.
Chorus-Backbone, to go it alone! Back
bone. to go it alone!
If snivelling Down casters had any back
We'd go 1t alone. we'd go it alone!
We'd, coin silver dollars till every throne
hOllers.
wed go 1t alone, we'd go it alone!
Oh, they'd DE contented could they be
presented
When they go to Yurrup to worship a
But every old Rex. HI must see with gold
And snivellers have to dispense with
backbone.
Our great-grandaddies were nearly all Pad
And each of them had a whole raft of
backbone.
They ali were in clover to throw the tea
over
In spite of old George the Third and his
throne.
Our daddies presented and never re-
pented,
with Ready, aim. hre.' at the tool of
the throne:
Oh. they We're the honeys to fashion our
And we'd do it now if we had their back
bone.
The discovery that cur granddaddies were
mostly Paddles" is new and startling.
Perhaps Mr.. Bryan himself is a lineal de-
scendant of Brian Boru.
Here is the opening stanza of a song that
puts into melodious form the threat which
the silver men have always held over the
Republicans that unless the latter were
willing to do something for silver the sill
verites would not aid them in any effort
~ thnISC lhC tAiSAliiS tdIli idWS.
in the Saddle
The West and the South they are both in
the saddle!
They ride at a pace that a common boss
Kills;
Now. whoopee. la, fellows, they're riding
a ~straddle,
The boss that they ride is a boss from
the Hills.
Chorus-Republicans can't ride protection
Against our boss this election;
Democracy warns the protectionist
No silver for us? Nc protection Tor
you'll
But, though the silver question animates
a few of the Democratic ballads. it must
be noted that, as a rule. the campaign
songster is away behind the times. The
larger part of them, and all Of the Repub-
lican contingent, assume that the battle
is between protection and free trade.
Grover Cleveland is badly m by
the true blue Republican bards. 1t is
shown how he and his cohorts, consciously
and of malice prepense. ruined the country
through the Wilson bill. with the full CO.
operation of Great Britain, whose inter
ests, for some reason or other, they took
a TRANCE delight in furthering. Here is
how this great idea is worked up into a
parody of Kipling's Danny Divver:'
-Ninety-Two and Ninety-Six.-
whats all this blooming racket now?'
said Grover on paraae.
THE mills are running double time the
honest farmer said.
why do the mills run night and day?'
said Grover on parade.
Because Mckinley and his bin have made
IA heavy trade"
Then Grover he look solemn. the honest
farmer smiled;
The winked a little wink. the
BritiSher looked wild;
They put their heads together, the voter
they beguiIed
To swipe Mckinney and his awful robber
tariff.
What's all this blooming racket now?s'
said Grover on parade.
Its that c~onfounded Wilson BILL the
honest farmer said.
.Why do they hate the Wilson bill?p SAID
Grover on parade.
Because they ali are out of work since
you have got free trade.
Then Grover stroked his pocket. the Brit
ish Rugged their gold.
The voters counted up the lies the Demo-.
Gratis had told,
And swore they'd get together and bring
again the Ole,
With Bill Mckinley and his high pro-
tective tariff.
No wonder the campaign singer thinks
that Grover ought 70 go. He is so pos
sessed with this sentiment that he makes
1t his chief stock in trade. He does not
appear to remember that it is not an issue