The Truly Spectacular Schnurrbart of John A. Logan

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THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE.

Tune — “Red, White and Blue.”

Democrats may flourish their bandannas —
The flag of our country we’ll wave.
The “boys” from the lakes to savannas
Once more this grand Union will save.
With Harrison and Morton for leaders,
We’ll sweep victoriously through;
From Maine to shores the of Pacific,
And carry the red, white and blue.

Chorus.
And carry the red, white and blue.
And carry the red, white and blue.
From Maine to the shores of Pacific
We’ll carry the red, white and blue.

‘Mid the shrieks of the shells and the bullets,
Where carnage and death held high glee,
And patriots were falling the thickest,
Where agony only you’d see,
There thousands and thousands perished,
To their country and Union true,
For love of the flag that they cherished,
For love of the red, white and blue!

Chorus.

O, prate not of Cleveland’s reforming,
Or Thurman’s great love for the “boys;”
When Democrats the North were a storming,
It made the “Old Roman” rejoice.
Let Democrats carry bandannas,
To the flag of the Union we’re true,
From the lakes across the savannas
We’ll carry the red, white and blue.

Chorus.

“Protection to all!” is our slogan,
No Tories our land shall control,
Led on by the spirit of Logan,
Protection we’ll sound to each Pole!
Let party slaves flourish bandannas,
To the flag of our Union we’re true,
From the lakes across the savannas
We’ll carry the red, white and blue.

Chorus.

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Notes:

The red bandannas that Democrats waved, tied to their canes, or wore on their hats, in 1888 were the symbol of Allen G. Thurman, Democratic vice-presidential candidate, who used a red bandanna to punctuate his rhetorical flourishes in his oratory — when not blowing his nose on it.

The “boys” are members of the US military.

Harrison is Benjamin Harrison, Republican candidate for president.  Morton is Levi Morton, his vice-presidential running mate.

The shrieks of shells and bullets happened during the Civil War, when Harrison was a Union general.

Cleveland was indeed a reform candidate.   The “democrats” who were storming the north were Confederate soldiers.  “The Old Roman” was Thurman’s nickname in the Senate.

The Republicans favored protectionism  — tariffs on foreign goods.   The “Tories” were British sympathizers during the American Revolution.  Here they are folks who want the tariffs lowered (which would make British goods cheaper inside the US).  “Logan” would be Senator John A. Logan of Illinois. (The “spirit of Logan” rather than Logan himself, since he’d died in 1886.)  See also “Democratic Rascality and Republican Honesty,”  from The Republican Campaign Text-book for 1888.

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Tomorrow:  As Harrison Marches On