Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-17
SING IN PRESIDENTS
Witty Ditties That Have Enlivened
the Stump in Former
Campaigns.
JOYFUL JABs AT CANDIDATES

In few weeks the American voter
will be energetically and repeatedly
harangued by stump speakers urging
the merits and dement's of President
Wilson and his republican opponent
Of the campaign Of 1916. There will
be ward-room rallies, sharpshooting
by cart-tail orators, massing OF heavy
artillery on the platforms of packed
halls. The harassed candidate will
be reused from uneasy slumber to ad-
dress from the Pullman platform his
fellow citizens bent on getting their
moneys worth" for staying out so
late. And there will be nights Of
parades that send lines of kerosene
torches Engaging joyously the long
way to hot coffee, ham sandwiches
and mince turnovers-at once re-
ward and persuasive overture to an
address of Websterian length, what
ever may be thought Of its intellec-
tual quality, on crying needs Of this
great and glorious country" The
brass band will blare, wherever the
campaign committee has the price.
But the citizen comfortably blessed
with yesterdays will listen in vain for
the campaign song.
Where are the bards OF yesterday,
the extollers of presidential timber"
in other yearsl In recent campaigns
there has been little to stir them In
the quality Of issues, the personality
OF candidates, or the temper of the
American people. Perhaps the prin-
cipal reason for disappearance OF the
campaign song is found in. the fact
that the generation is emotionally
cramped by grinding pressure OF
fierce competition to succeed; OF
fiercer competition to survive. And
its political leaders, with rare excep-
tons, are not men Of picturesque
characters, such as would stimulate
to song.
To Be sure, there was a notable
ditty in 1912, the "Houn' Dawg" song.
But 1t was not born Of the year, only
appropriated by Speaker Clark's fol-
lowers OF those piping days before
Mr.. Bryan, by an interesting opera
ton, removed the speaker from the
list OF presidential possibilities.
You S1 60. 70 quit RicEin my d.ws .roun'--,
Behind the melancholy Missouri
pup stretches the arid waste Of recent
years. Who sang the praises Of Will
liam. Howard Taft, or Alton B.
Parker, or William Jennings Bryant
1t was Mckinley, the gentle, the
suave, that suffered the distinction Of
praise In barber shop tunes of
1896. One republican ditty OF that
year ran, in part, as follows
We know Of a man tried and true.
0f the people ne Is the first choice
When tho third Of November sees the days
He'll sit in the presidents chair.
his name 10 William Mckinley.
With more zest democrats chanted
n 1892:
......... Grovert 0roverl
Four years more Of Grover,
Then we'll DO In clover.
How sapless these lays Of later
lays compared to outpourings Of
ines when every citizen, II not
king" was in the most personal
ense a politician. Rivalry arrived
With the retirement of Washington.
very lively jingle was sung by JEFF
erson's supporters of 1900
The Federalists are down at last.
The Monarchists completely east
T Storm. sss +. B. s i:a'R: s OF
Soon we Republicans shall see
columbis's sons from bondage fresi
Lord How the Federalists will stare
At Jefferson In Adams chairi
The Andrew Jackson Stimulus.
Campaign literature was little en-
iched by song writer's In the cam
aigns OF James Madison and James
lonroe. But Andrew Jackson slim
lated then to energetic verbosity.
lis military record was his principal
olitical asset at first, so they made
luch OF it. Several stanzas celebrated
is victory over Lord Packenham at
lew Orleans
You've heard, / s'pose, Of New Orleans.
It's famed for youth and beauty;
There are girls Of every hue, It seems,
From snowy white to aooty. ,
Now Pakenham had made his brags,
Il he that day was lucky.
He'd have the girls and cotton bags
In spite OF Old kentuckyl
But Jackson. he was wide awake,
And was not scared at trifles, 4
For we'll he knew Kentucky's boys.
With their death.dealinS rifles.
he re LED them down to cypress swamp,
There stood John Bull In martial pomp,
And here stood old Kentucky,
For General Benjamin Harrison, a
andidate of cold manners, republican
houters of 1888 parodied the song ,
lat gave his grandfather's, William a
Lenry Harrison, reputation more en-
uring than any chronicle Of the his
brian. 1t was the song of "1'ippe-
snoe and Tyler, Too" with play on
[arrison's victory over an Indian
rmy of the Prophet" in the battle
Tippecanoe river:
hat ha. caused the commotion. motion.
motion. =
ar country people throushr
b, yes, with them V. will beat Van.
IN IL used-up man!
4 them talk about hard cider, cider. cider.
will only help speed the ball for Tippe- I
canoe and Tyler. tool |,
door, doort
nd It IL never pulled through,
" that IL not the custom Of old Tippecanoe !.
and Tyler, tool Z
The vested interests" and the :
,eepur' were not yet named, but the q
sue they later personified was =
avn. II Tippecanoe was the cham
on of the common man, Martin Van
uren, who desired second term,
ust be a soulless servant of the rich.