Dialect Again

GWINE TO GIT DAR.

Dar’s a-gwine to be a movin’ call
Dis fall at de election,
An’ so ’tis bes’ dat one and all
Shall stand up fer protection.
De people am prepared to ‘feet
A clearin’ up an sortin’;
De leaders dat dey hab selec’
Am Harrison an’ Morton.

Chorus.
An’ dey’s gwine to git dar, git dar, git dar,
Gwine to git dar, sartin;
Gwine to git dar, shore’s yer born,
Wid Harrison an’ Morton.

De farmers wid dar clips o’ wool,
De toilers wid dar labor,
Am more dan match for Liverpool
And British legislator;
Dey overmatch de Cleveland crew,
An’ Thurman’s old bandanna;
Dey follers de red, white an’ blue,
Wid Ben of Indiana.

Chorus. — O, dey’s gwine to git dar, etc.

A hero frum de great Norfwes’
Am jes’ de man to lead ’em;
Fer dat de land de fust an’ bes’
Wur consecrate to Freedom.
Tis foremost in de fight fer man,
Ob any oder Nation,
An’ run upon the slickes’ plan
In all de wide creation.

Chorus. — O, dey’s gwine to git thar, etc.

De cranks may turn an’ Mugwumps squirm,
But “de world do move,” for sartin;
An’ de order’s out for de Cleveland firm, —
“Git a good ready for departin’.”
Millions am a-comin’ down wid Blaine,
An’ millions more wid Sherman;
Dis yer am manhood’s great campaign
Fer Yankee, Celt, or German.

Chorus. — O, dey’s gwine to git dar, etc.

— Commercial Gazette.

Notes:

This song appears to be in the “Minstrel” style, but  what the tune might be is obscure to me.

“Protection,” or the protective tariff, was a major Republican campaign issue since Whig times.  The Democrats favored Free Trade.  Protectionism (and Free Silver) caused rising consumer prices and may have led to the Panic of ’93.    On the other hand, tariffs, in pre-income-tax days, were how the Federal government  financed itself.

Harrison and Morton were Benjamin Harrison, an Indiana lawyer in private practice (and former Senator and Civil War general) and Levi Morton of New York, formerly Minister to France and formerly US Congressman), the Republican presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Liverpool and the British legislators were seen as the secret backers of Free Trade.

“Cleveland” was Grover Cleveland, the sitting president, was the first Democratic president since the Civil War.  “Thurman” was Allen Thurman, an old-line Jacksonian democrat, famous for his red bandana, with which he punctuated rhetorical flourishes, when not blowing his nose.  As US Senator he was known as “The Old Roman.”  He was famous for bipartisanship and for leaving the Senate as impoverished as he arrived.

The “Mugwumps” were registered Republicans who voted Democratic. In the days before the secret ballot (a reform that came in 1892)  it was easy to tell who was voting for whom.

“Blaine” was James G. Blaine,  formerly Secretary of State, and a Congressman and Senator from Maine.  “Sherman” was Senator John Sherman, General William T. Sherman’s brother, of Ohio.  Sherman had also served as Secretary of the Treasury,  and as a Congressman.

Nest time:  Glorious Is Our Candidate