The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-26
SOME CAMPAIGN POETRY,

The poetry Of the present Presiden
tial campaign has not been very pro
Life in any Of the political divisions
that have entered the field. As might
naturally have been expected, the
Roosevelt campaign has given birth to
more poetry than any other. because of
the fanatical zeal with which the snp.
port Of Roosevelt has been accompanied,
But the poetical effusions resulting from
that zeal are hardly to be commended
by any one of serious or understanding
mind
The first outgiving in this direction
was in the Roosevelt convention itself,
which met on the 5th OF the present
month, The dispatches gave us some
thing Of this, showing that the great
popular song in that convention was a
parody upon a religious hymn much
used in the churches. The first stanza
| and chorus Of that hymn are as follows;
Down in the valley with my Savior | would 10.
Where tho nowcrs arc blooming and the sweet
waters how.
| Everywhere he leads me ! would follow. follow on,
Follow follow ! would follow Jesus
Anywhere, everywhere ] would follow on.
Follow, follow, would follow Jesus
Anywhere he leads mo would follow
That is an eminently devotional
hymn, and it naturally shocked the re-
ligous sensibilities of many people to
see it perverted to political use and
Roosevelt put in place Of the Savior, as
was done in the parody Of the hymn
which was so popular in the Chicago
Roosevelt convention. and which runs as
follows:
Follow follow
We will follow Roosevelt;
Anywhere everywhere,
We will follow
Follow, follow.
We will follow Roosevelt.
Anywhere he leads us.
We will follow him.
1t seems extraordinary that there was
not enough Of genuine religious feeling
in that convention to call attention to
and protest against the shocking sacri-
legious use Of the hymn and of the sub
stitution implied. But the parody, it
appears, was accepted as quite the cor
rect thing, and tine substitution as one
only proper and natural The subser
vience of mind however, which would
lead any American citizen to thus sub
stitute Roosevelt for Jesus Christ, and
accept the shocking travesty which
would prostitute the independent eiti-
zenship TO a mere groveling servility,
is remarkable indeed.
Another Roosevelt campaign song is
furnished by correspondent of the
New York Evening Post, who says that !
ii was sung at recent meeting of
Roosevelt followers not far from New
York. This song is as follows;
tTuue-My Bonnie Lies Over the OCEAN,
The Papers arc mostly for Wilson.
A fellow who's not worth bun,
But the people all for Teddoro.
He's got all the rest on tho run!
Chorus
Throw up. throw up. throw UP your hsttiss for
Well throw up our bonnets and yell,
The sraftcrs have come out for Wilson.
The thievish they are all for TAFT
Bur the Honest, all 10! Teddydoro
Are crowdng the forecagtle aft.
Chorus
Boom out boom out boom out the big sunniss
,or Teddy6ore
Shoot OF the salutes and hurrah.
III
The ladies are hooking 10 Teddy
Just hear tho sweet rustic OF skirts,
Well give every lady a pitchfork,
Now lei them look out for their shirts
Chorus
Kick cut Kick out. kick out With both tnotsies
for Teddydore
Kick Taft In the stomach and yell
Our Teddy. he doesn't touch liquor.
Our Teddy. he wouldn't drink wine.
For the most part Prohibition.
And he is our leader divine.
Chorus
Close up. cioUo up. close up the saoones says
Teddydore
Es isn't for liquor or smokes.
The contributor of this song admits
its crudity. but claims for it genuine
humor and earnest purpose. The humor.
however. appears, in fact, to be against
those who would sing such song as
that and the earuestpess Of purpose is
really lost in the absurdity and coarse,
moss Of the whole nerformance