Fighting the British

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GENERAL HARRISON.

Air — “Pizen Sarpient.”

When British foemen swarmed around
And burned our cabins to the ground,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

A gallant boy, brave Harrison,
By noble deeds bright laurels won,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

He fought by Wayne, where brave men bled,
And where the ground was strewn with dead,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

And where the battle fiercest seemed,
His ready blade in combat gleamed,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

He spent long years in hardy fight,
And always kept his laurels bright,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

And at the end the people bent
Their wills and made him President,
Ri tu ral, etc.

When British foemen swarmed again
To pauperize our workingmen,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

Another Harrison appeared
To save the weal Protection reared,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

With flashing eye and earnest word
He fought where Free Trade foes were heard,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

And bore off honors bravely won,
This other, later Harrison,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

And now when traitors here begot
Would give our mills to rust and rot,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

He leads the van with flashing blade,
And calls all patriots to his aid,
Ri tu ral, etc.,

We’ll rise and treachery resent,
And make our Ben the President,
Ri tu ral, etc.

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Notes:

We start off talking about General William Henry Harrison, who did in fact fight against the British during the War of 1812 out on the western frontier.   Harrison didn’t do much as president, though, since he died a month into his term.

Then we turn to his grandson.  The British were being fought more symbolically.  The British were being accused of throwing around millions in gold as bribes in an attempt to establish Free Trade.  The Republican position was high protective tariffs, to protect American manufacturing from cheaper British goods.

The Federal government’s source of money was the tariff.   (At that time there was no income tax).   President Cleveland had lowered the tariff because the government was running a surplus, and he felt that since there was a surplus the tariff was unnecessary and  an unnecessary tax was an unjust tax.  The cries of “Free Trade” and collusion with the British were leveled against him.

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Tomorrow: What Has Caused This Great Commotion?

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