The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-07

der. with but little singing. The glee
clubs were not so popular and the Tyres
were unstrung. To say the truth there
was little in the life of country law
yer i'm Ohio or n corporation lawyer in
New York to inspire poetry or her-
mony. Therefore saltpeter and kerO-
sene were invoked to fire the public
heart.
In 1850 the soft spirit of poesy again
dwelt temporarily in the land. Gar
field. the man of the people. was the
chief beneficiary. Hancock was not
good subject, somehow. In open disre-
gard of Garfields clerical profession
and well-known principles. hundreds Of
thousands during his canvass made
tuneful declaration that,
Wen all get blind drunk.
When Jimmy comes marching home.
An eastern writer. almost before the
noise of the shouting in Chicago died
away. put up brief biography of the
candidate. 1t was substantially, II not
exactly, as follows:
He early learned to paddle well. his own
fOrlorn canoe.
Upon Ohio's grand canal he held the helm
(hellum for euphony true,
And now the people shout to him: "Lo
tits for you We walt,
We want to see Jim Garfield guide our
| glorious ship of state,
| Jim GarfieldS at the front,
| Jim Garfields at the front.
| 'Twould be a sin to fail to win,
| With Garfield at the front.
One filled with the reverential awe
felt by the small in the presence of
fame said:
| Garfield and Arthur, there they stand,
! Match their worth in all the land.
This nation is not a nation Of hero
worshipers and the song Of the man
who was impressed lived for one edi'
tion only, whereas thousands sang Col
Onel John A. Joyce's verse to the famil-
lar Golden Slippers"
When the war began with rebel row.
Children, children, won't you follow
| me-
He took to the front. put his hand to the
Halle, halle. halle. hallelujah!
As said. Hancock was an i'll sub
| ject One or two pOssessOrs of rhyming
! dictionaries and a whistling acQuaint-
| ance with popular melodies labored In
his behalf. One of them went back to
early days seeking to interest the Sons
of the Revolution. He noted that the
candidates family name the same as
that of the fine writer who set his sig
nature to the great American dOcu-
ment.
From the old Declaration" he said,
I'VE follow It's fame; twas then hOnored
unsullied: today 'tis the same"
Another pointedly desired every one
to "Hurrah for him. the nations chief,
who wears the civic wreath" Yet an
other Garfield sympathizer, who had
witnessed Gilbert and Sullivan's early
atrocity wrote to Hancocks harm:
In the union war fought so we'll
That my name Is greeted with rebel
yell.
| One does not follow the sequence, but
| the wroter doubtless meant well and
the idea was probably clear enough to
him. So let 1t pass.
A Garfield adherent later in the cam
! paign wrought as follows in the inter-
! ests of the cause Championed by the
indianapolis journal:
! Sing a song of shotguns.
Pocket full of knives,
-Four and twenty black men
Fleeing for their lives.
When the polls are open
| Shut the nigger's mouth,
Isn't that bully way
To make a solid south?
Northern sympat athizers
Making speeches chaffy;
Major General Hancock
Eating rebel taffy,
English in Il quandary
How to save their dollars;
Along comes a solid south
Ana fits them all with collars.
Then there was another who had evil
, IDENTIFY heard of sectional lines and who
had Il knowledge of the rally song. Ills
production began:
Wen repudiate the debt, boys, we bor-
rowed from the north;
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.
/ Wen burn the public schools and Wen
drive the niggers forth:
Shouting the battle cry Of freedom.
'Tis slavery forever. Hurrah, boys, hur-
rah!
Down with the yankees and up with the
bars,
While we ostracize the loyal and murder
| thousands more;
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.
The song of 1884 was Grover, Gro
! yer! We shall be in clover" 1t was
prediction. In 1855 it was an appeal
Grover! Grover. Four years more of
| Grover" The request was denied to
be renewed more successfully at the
end of the second Harrison's term.
Benjamin Harrison did not arouse the
same poetical spirit that his grand
father awakened. He was not so near
the peoples hart. Blaine was a can
didate more of the mind than the emo
ton and few harDs were struck for
him.