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NORWOOD'S 
 
 PoitMcJSi, PoffrijS, 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 POOR MAN'S RIGHTS. 
 
 Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1884, l>y Elias Norwood, in the 
 office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 
 
 PRICE, 25 CENTS, 600 VERSES. 
 
 PORTLAND, ME. 
 
 1884. 
 
ISTOKWOOD'S 
 
 Poi^idS^ Po*^ 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 POOR MAN'S RIGHTS. 
 
 Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1884, by Elias Norwood, in the 
 office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 
 
 PRICE, 25 CENTS, 600 VERSES. 
 
 :ov 24 r 
 
 £>#F 
 
 PORTLAND, ME. 
 
 1884. 
 

 PREFACE 
 
 3*r 
 
 Stop heie my friend and cast an eye, 
 As you are now so once was I, 
 As I am now so you must be, 
 Prepare you vote and follow me. 
 
 Vote for old Ben. and not for Blaine, 
 For if you do you'l feel ashamed, 
 Vote for our right and liberty, 
 To save our land and keep it free. 
 
 Begin this book and read it through, 
 Iv'e wrote it all for me and you, 
 Please now excuse all my mistakes, 
 I have done my best for your sakes, 
 
 Politics is my religion. 
 
 Have them right through all the region, 
 
 For all mankind to do them good, 
 
 If I had the power I would. 
 
 Come all my friends and take a look, 
 Send me a quarter for this book, 
 Send me a dollar and get five, 
 I'll send by mail if I'm alive. 
 
 And for a lot to sell again, 
 Please write to me, I will explain, 
 Come everyone that does have time, 
 And sell this book to all mankind. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Shall gold be king in time of peace 
 And hide in war like any thief, 
 And paper then must do its work. 
 Gold in its den will surely shirk. 
 
 And stay there like a coward too, 
 And leave the work for us to do. 
 Oh! sooner far be this my shame, 
 That I no more respect his name. 
 
 He is the father of all wars 
 And breeds them too without a cause, 
 He shoots our men to make him live, 
 And to the rest the paper give. 
 
 He owes all money, claims our land, 
 Has the people at his command; 
 Fights the battle over again, 
 And brags of foes that he has slain. 
 
 He murders men and women too, 
 And then says lie is kind to you; 
 Pays the living in paper trash, 
 And tells them it is good enough. 
 
 Now we are men will say to him 
 That paper now shall he our king, 
 Now the people's paper money, 
 Will pay our debts, buy our honey. 
 
 Build our ships and factories too, 
 And all our railroads clear through, 
 Pay our taxes, build our roads, 
 Without the help of English Lords. 
 
 It is as good as any wheat, 
 
 Pay the President in bis seat; 
 
 And is as good as any gold, 
 
 And did bring more when it was sold. 
 
 Now will you have that shining thing 
 To be our god and be our king, 
 Now he is like his masters still, 
 To go and come at their old will. 
 
 Now they are drones and cunning too, 
 To lay and plan what we shall do; 
 And cheat us out of what we earn, 
 It would be just to have their turn. • 
 
 Come every one that is a man 
 And do your duty as you can, 
 Vote for our man some future day, 
 All vote at once in the right way. 
 
 One that is true and can't be sold, 
 Or can be bought with any gojd ; 
 We must all curse that hateful thing. 
 Never have gold to be our king. 
 
 Our forefatheis fought for their right, 
 The English people they did fight 
 And gained their independence too, 
 For this nation and me and you. 
 
 And fought their battles over again 
 From Carolina down to Maine, 
 The English fought but did get whipped, 
 And never have forgot it yet. 
 
 And never dared to try again 
 With ships of war for to be slain, 
 But tried another sneaking way 
 To capture us some other day. 
 
 They freed their slaves to let us see 
 How good they were and meant to be. 
 And told us then to free our slaves 
 And be christians and not be knaves. 
 
 So very kind they seemed to be, 
 That our good people did not see: 
 But preached away against slavery. 
 Until some men went most crazy. 
 
 The fever raged with much good will 
 To' free the slaves and pay the bill, 
 It was discussed all over the land, 
 Our government drew up a plan 
 
 To buy the slaves and set them free, 
 English and South would not agree; 
 The English said that would not do, 
 They would find the South a good crew 
 
 To whip the Yankees all to smash 
 And kill this nation with a crash, 
 People then did come together 
 And chose a man that was clever. 
 
 One that was good to all mankind, 
 And left his home so far behind ; 
 He served the people best he could, 
 To save our country that he would. 
 
 Abraham Lincoln was his name, 
 A few there was that did him blame, 
 His army raised with much good skill 
 To save the nation, blood to spill. 
 
 The battle fought the South it won, 
 The English said now that is fun; 
 The people thought it was not right 
 To fight the slaves when in our sight. 
 
 We sheltered them when they came in, 
 And so that made Jeff Davis grin, 
 Thousands came into our army 
 In the night when it was moony. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 They all worked, done all they could, 
 They used the gun, also the sword; 
 Lincoln then said it would be best 
 For slavery to be pat at rest. 
 
 He issued a proclamation 
 
 For the credit of the nation, 
 
 And told the South they might depend, 
 
 So many days slavery should end. 
 
 The time did come that was so, 
 For all the slaves to pack and go, 
 The South did see what had been done, 
 The slaves did flee and have some fun. 
 
 The English saw what they must do, 
 To furnish money, cannon too; 
 Vessels and men they sent along, 
 To make the army very strong. 
 
 The Alabama they did build, 
 Got her all ready, had hei filled. 
 And everything they had complete 
 To prey upon our fishing fleet. 
 
 All other damage she could do, 
 Until the Kearsarge ran her through; 
 The ammunition they did send 
 To supply all the Southern men. 
 
 Three million dollars, I've heard say, 
 Of that kind was found in one day, 
 In North Carolina it was found 
 At the battle of Wilmington. 
 
 General Terry gained the day 
 So I am told by W. B. Bray, 
 He now lives in Deering, Maine, 
 And remembers the battle plain. 
 
 Many millions more was found 
 In other places and all round, 
 Cannot you see the English plain, 
 Fought the battles by sea and land. 
 
 They done all they dared to do, 
 And did get whipped by Yankees too; 
 The battles raged with much good skill, 
 And thousands of our men got killed. 
 
 Our ironclads they did compete 
 To destroy the rebel English fleet, 
 The Richmond battle was the last, 
 And made Jeff Davis run very fast. 
 
 He was caught in a woman's gown, 
 That is just how his boots were found ; 
 He was brought and put in prison, 
 To wait for the court's decision. 
 
 As time passed on he grew pale, 
 He was let out by giving bail; 
 Never was hung to that same tree, 
 Our old traitors did set him free. 
 
 Before the war was hardly closed, 
 One wicked wretch felt so disposed, 
 Fourteenth of April it was said, 
 Shot our President in the head. 
 
 The people mourned when he did die, 
 The South and English kept it sly, 
 They did not mourn and dared not tell, 
 Glad he was dead a»d did not get well. 
 
 Soon after that the war did end, 
 Piles of money you may depend, 
 To pay the debts without the bonds, 
 The worst of all the evil wrongs. 
 
 The golden king he did create, 
 And put some bonds in every State 
 To make him rich and keep us poor, 
 And thousands beg from door to door. 
 
 Merchants failed and banks grew rich, 
 It was done with the bonded stick, 
 Monopolies ruled together 
 And Grant got the longest feather. 
 
 He took the President's cha'r, 
 Worked for his king while he was there, 
 Done all he could to help the banks; 
 Never will get the soldier's thanks. 
 
 The soldiers came for pay in gold, 
 They replied not to save your soul; 
 The bankers came with smiling face 
 To see General Grant in his new place. 
 
 Have you got gold our bonds to fill, 
 There is plenty in our large till; 
 They paid them off without a word, 
 But gave them none who used the sword. 
 
 Soldiers voted and got them in, 
 Did not they use them very mean; 
 The railroads came for more land, 
 They replied 'tis at your command. 
 
 And then they thought of uncle Tim, 
 And so they went right straight to him; 
 He says to them how much do you wish, 
 Just look here and fill up my dish. 
 
 Old uncle Tim they knew well 
 And all their wants they did him tell; 
 Then with some money and great skill, 
 Our government did pay the bill. 
 
 That we all know was quite a stitch 
 To make the railroads so rich, 
 Now they would like to be our king, 
 And have the farmers to them bring 
 
 All of their grain and all their meat, 
 For them to sell and some to eat, 
 And own their farms and rent them too, 
 And make a law to have it so. 
 
 Four years did pass and Grant came in 
 The second term to please the king, 
 And all the rest that had the stamp, 
 And was relation to the bank. 
 
 The English found it was not right 
 To take part in a rebel fight, 
 The case was tried on a future day, 
 Fifteen millions they had to pay. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Some few men of their feather 
 
 In our land did club together, 
 
 To help the English out of the scrape, 
 
 And did contrive for their own sake. 
 
 And brought about a foolish plan 
 For our men to fish near their land, 
 Five million dollars we did pay 
 To fish near tbeir land any day. 
 
 Gave them the right, as we can see, 
 To bring all fish in duty free; 
 And the law was straightway made, 
 And the English got the best trade. 
 
 Another plan did work complete, 
 To accommodate the English fleet, 
 For large steamers to carry freight ,♦ 
 And leave our seamen here to wait. 
 
 New York harbor and Portland too 
 Cost much money to dig it through, 
 To make it deep enough for them 
 To carry our freight out of them. 
 
 Our lands you sell to English lords, 
 So they can have some place to hoard 
 Their serfs and slaves to raise their wheat 
 And everything they want to eat. 
 
 Five hundred thousand to one man 
 Of acres in Missouri land, 
 Four hundred thousand to one more 
 Of land in Texas, I feel sure. 
 
 Thirty-five millions has been sold 
 
 To English lords to have control, 
 
 Now what does this great land sale mean? 
 
 It is plainly to be seen. 
 
 There large birds of fine good feather 
 Continue to unite together. 
 And to have slaves all through our land, 
 And hoist the flag at their command. 
 
 And own our land and country too, 
 And tell us what we shall do; 
 They are coming with fair wind and tide, 
 In our harbors they soon will ride. 
 
 I have watched the rain, seen it blow, 
 This is how I come to know; 
 Plenty of traitors in our land 
 Are all ready to shake their hand. 
 
 Stop, dear brother, and further think 
 How you do vote, upon the brink 
 Of our everlasting war, 
 And find some better way to go. 
 
 Vote for our rights is the way. 
 All vote at once and in oue day, 
 Vote for good men of your stamp, 
 And none of those that rule the bank. 
 
 Come all ye brave and hearties, 
 And leave the two old parties, 
 I know they are both one in heart 
 And are keeping you in the dark. 
 
 For to steal your votes and land, 
 And let the British take command, 
 And our flags they will pull down 
 And trample them under ground. 
 
 That our forefathers fought and bled, 
 So we might live while they are dead, 
 They soon will come and fade away, 
 Our great Independence day. 
 
 Come, dear brother, and take command, 
 And we'll tax them for all their land, 
 Railroads and banks shall pay their share 
 On all their property everywhere. 
 
 Tax them as high as they do us, 
 And see if they won't make a fuss; 
 We'll pay their bonds, get out of debt/ 
 There's nothing worse to make us fret. 
 
 If they can't live without their bonds, 
 Let them work with our old sons, 
 Dig in the dirt, 'twill make them stout, 
 It may come hard on their old snout. 
 
 That is the way they make us do, 
 It is as good for them as me and you, 
 It will do them good to have a change, 
 It may scare, it would not be strange. 
 
 In eighteen hundred and seventy-six 
 Tilden and Hayes got in a fix, 
 Were candidates for President, 
 For all the people that had spent 
 
 Their time and votes to get them in. 
 Soon after that the row began, 
 To see which one should take the chair, 
 Tilden had some votes to spare. 
 
 He did not suit the golden king 
 And so got treated very mean, 
 Hayes was examined clear through, 
 Found he could wear the golden shoe. 
 
 With very great agitation 
 They made him head of the nation, 
 Most all the people were amazed 
 When they found it was K. B. Hayes. 
 
 He pleased the people in the south 
 Better than those in the north, 
 They came in and called him brother 
 In hopes soon to get another. 
 
 They concluded he was their man 
 And would not disturb their plan, 
 But let them gamble every day, 
 Star route thieving and every way. 
 
 The people grew weary at last, 
 And when four more years had past, 
 Hayes went out and Garfield came in 
 To try and please their golden king. 
 
 The nominees were Grant and Garfield, 
 And with such voting Grant did yield, 
 The people thought another thing, 
 It would not do to have him king. 
 
NOBWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Garfield got the nomination 
 For the President of our nation, 
 He promised men to work for him 
 And he would pay when he got in. 
 
 Conklin and Brady he did hire 
 To get voters and pull the wire, 
 They worked hard and so did others, 
 And used money, worked like brothers. 
 
 Travelled all round and done their best, 
 Garfield came in and they did rest; 
 Soon after that the row began, 
 His promises had proved a sham. 
 
 Conklin got mad, was not to blame, 
 And some others should be. ashamed, 
 He worked hard and kept on trying 
 But did get beat by bad lying. 
 
 Grant did try the best he could, 
 He and his friends thought that he would 
 Come in President the third term, 
 After his voyage he did return. 
 
 When he was in other nations 
 And visited their great stations, 
 And was treated like any king, 
 He thought it would be just the thing 
 
 For to take the President's chair 
 And keep it what time he had to spare 
 The people's thoughts began to burn, 
 They would not have him the third term. 
 
 After all the lessons he took, 
 'Twould be enough to fill a book; 
 And he was gone about a year, 
 Through many nations he did steer, 
 
 For to find out the ways of kings — 
 And they sent him many things 
 To use in his new house at home, 
 And eighty cases he had come. 
 
 He wore feathers like other kings, 
 Did not suit us in many things; 
 We see birds of the same feather 
 That always do flock together. 
 
 Guiteau, that poor, deluded man, 
 Did come along and break their plan 
 By shooting Garfield in the side, 
 And by his ribs the ball did glide. 
 
 He was caught and put in prison, 
 Had to wait the court's decision; 
 The doctors came with their great skill 
 And probed for the ball with a good will. 
 
 They probed away, that was not all, 
 And never did get out the ball, 
 They probed away in his old side 
 Which made the wound deep and wide. 
 
 He grew worse as we might expect, 
 The poor sick man they did pest, 
 For months he was much distressed, 
 Until the people thought it was best 
 
 And moved him down near the shore 
 Where he was doctored all the more, 
 He soon grew worse and then did die, 
 His friends did mourn and some did cry. 
 
 And other nations did mourn, 
 Each one did cheer and have their turn, 
 Because they lost their good brother; 
 Birds of feather will mourn together. 
 
 There was a very large parade 
 To take his body where it was laid, 
 Black crape was plenty all the way 
 And whiskey too they did display. 
 
 And piles of money it did cost 
 For the President we have lost, 
 Some went for rum and some for pills 
 Bfrt tfee most of it went for doctors' bills. 
 
 And Arthur then took his high seat 
 To do the work and do it neat; . 
 Some think he will do better 
 And never write a saucy letter 
 
 For to provoke another war 
 With John Bull's iron paw; 
 For Uncle Jim was full of sin 
 In hopes a war would soon begin. 
 
 Was it Uncle Jim's intention 
 To have war with*iie British nation, 
 To please the lords and subjects too, 
 Enter our ports and fight us through? 
 
 Our flags pull down and take possession 
 Of all our land and this nation, 
 And what could we poor people do? 
 Build our ships and man them too, 
 
 Raise an army from east to west. 
 Do everything we thought was best 
 To save this nation from that crew, 
 And keep our independence too. 
 
 Dictator Grant would take command 
 On the water and on the land, 
 And have McLellan for his mate 
 To be traitors for all these States. 
 
 The English then would make their plan 
 To correspond with Grant's command, 
 And with thpir navy and soldiers too, 
 Enter our ports and run us through ; 
 
 And tell us then what must be done, 
 Lay down our arms, that would be fun 
 For Uncle Jim and Dictator too, 
 Let us see what they could do. 
 
 I write the minds of many men, 
 Go just the way the war would end, 
 But stop and think how it would be 
 To loose our land and liberty. 
 
 " I ■!' ■■■WW It 
 
 Guiteau soon did have his trial, 
 Never made any denial 
 Of shooting Garfield in the side; 
 He said the doctors probed it wide. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Which was the cause that made him die, 
 And for his life he then did try; 
 The case was tried so very long, 
 The proof came in very strong. 
 
 Guiteau was heard to say 
 They would thank him some future day 
 For the sad deed which he had done — 
 Not any honor had he won. 
 
 He called for Grant and Arthur too, 
 And Conklin he thought would do, 
 They would not come to take his part, 
 Which leaves the people in the dark. 
 
 The lawyers talked and plead so long. 
 Their arguments were very strong, 
 The jury declared that he must die 
 Which made poor Giteau give a sigh. 
 
 Then he returned to his cell 
 And there he eat and slept very well. 
 Soon after that they had him hung, 
 And the long job was shortly done. 
 
 And many think he is not dead, 
 Not many tears for him were shed, 
 They think it was planned to save his life 
 And kept it sly to save the strife. 
 
 Star route theives did have their trial, 
 Most of them made a denial, 
 There was so many in the scrape 
 That did wear the star route tape, 
 
 And were all combined together, 
 It would not do to tight each other: 
 Their trial was made for a show, 
 Not to condemn but let them go. 
 
 It cost us a pile of money 
 To have them tried and not get any, 
 Nine hundred dollars we did pay 
 To our lawyer to plead six days. 
 
 Head star route thieves did have a clerk 
 
 To do all their dirty work, 
 
 It was well planned just how to do 
 
 If they were caught and clear them too. 
 
 To all the rulers of our land 
 You have it now at your command, 
 To pay the bonds when they come due, 
 So we can find no fault with you. 
 
 We know you never mean to pay 
 Or you would plan some other way, 
 And not take duties off of gin 
 Or tobacco, m any such thing. 
 
 Our postage you did cut down 
 When there was no fault found, 
 Your salaries are much too high, 
 And from the people keep it sly. 
 
 You are afraid of gt little work 
 So each of you must have a clerk, 
 Six dollars you pay him a day — 
 Or is it we that have to pay. 
 
 You tax the poor for most expenses, 
 We till the soil a*»l build the fences, 
 And work along from sun to sun 
 And then our work is not all done. 
 
 And toil along through all our lives, 
 Our sons and daughters and our wives, 
 Sometimes we have not enough to eat 
 And children go with cold wet feet. 
 
 Winter does come and we look forlorn 
 But must go out ami. work in the storm. 
 Is that the way we must all do 
 To work so hard to maintain you? 
 
 Ten tedious hours a day 
 Is too much for a little pay. 
 Think it over all together, 
 Is it right in this cold weather; 
 
 Eight for a day in December 
 And nine we give in November, 
 Nine in January will do, 
 It suits us and hope it will you. 
 
 Through legislation he can steal, 
 Make your living and eat our veal; 
 With our inventions you grow rich, 
 Do no work, not even a stitch. 
 
 We that labor make the inventions 
 To the credit of the nation, 
 We made the engine go with steam; 
 Electric lights are plainly seen. 
 
 The telegraph tells every word, 
 And telephone is plainly heard, 
 Monitors for our protection 
 And they were made with perfection. 
 
 Gatlin guns and our cannon too, 
 All these were made for me and you; 
 And many other good invention 
 I have not time here to mention. 
 
 Let us hear of your inventions, 
 See if they will bear inspection; 
 Our goverment bonds you did make, 
 Which did create a bonded debt. 
 
 Made millionaires and paupers to: 
 Was that the best for you to do? 
 If so, then all I have to say 
 Is you lacked good judgment any way. 
 
 We know we are a better race 
 And are going to take your place, 
 We are nine times as strong as you 
 And with our votes will make it do. 
 
 You make your laws to suit your taste 
 And roll in wealth up to your waist, 
 You get our money and sell our land 
 And have fine things at your command. 
 
 A few men have not any right 
 To own the land and all the light, 
 All the rain and all the air, 
 And leave us none tor our share, 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Before Lincoln was elected, 
 It was so planned and expected; 
 And in the platform it was told 
 No more of our land should be sold 
 
 In such large lots to any man, 
 Should be retained for settlers then, 
 So every man should have a farm; 
 Speculators could do no harm. 
 
 And slavery should no further go, 
 Now do we ever find it so? 
 That was the Republican creed, 
 All very good and what we need. 
 
 Does such a platform rule us uow; 
 Please find one thing or tell me how: 
 No more like the good old man 
 Than Uncle Jim is like a clam. 
 
 You sell our land and give it too, 
 That is not right and will not do; 
 Now what we ask is pay the bonds, 
 Give back our land that you got wrong. 
 
 Lower your freights and all your fares, 
 Have everything taxed to pay its sbare, 
 Give us aft our rights, we won't complain. 
 But give us back our land again. 
 
 Call yourselves the temperance party, 
 And you drink so very hearty; 
 And men make whiskey from our grain 
 Everywhere except in Maine. 
 
 And sell to men just as they please; 
 A few get rich and take their ease, 
 Others get drunk and fight and kill 
 Their wives and others will a will. 
 
 And everything they can do; 
 Oh! what a lively drunken crew 
 To vote for you when they are drunk, 
 Full of bad whiskey, oh, what spunk. 
 
 If those men all kept sober 
 
 They would soon learn to do better; 
 
 Oh ! what a shameful, wicked sin 
 
 To change grain ifito whiskey and gin. 
 
 And rob our children of their food 
 For that evil thing and no good, 
 Call you christians that do such things, 
 No, call you knaves would be the thing. 
 
 We chose you to work for us, 
 And if you don't we'll make a fuss, 
 Until you are where you belong, 
 That will be right when you do wrong. 
 
 Temperance laws I know you make, 
 And some you fine and others take 
 To our prisons to make a show, 
 Punish a few aad let others go. 
 
 And on the great election days 
 Tour agent goes around and pays 
 Rumsellers money to buy votes, 
 And they come just like some goats. 
 
 They have been learnt to go and come 
 When they can get a gill of rum, 
 These are facts that you may deny 
 You are so fond of being sly. 
 
 You talk about honest money ; 
 Is it made by selling whiskey? 
 And drive the drunkards in the ditch 
 And rob the rest and you grow rich. 
 
 The thief talks of honest stealing 
 From the rich, he has some feeling; 
 They rob the rich and give to the poor, 
 See the hardship they endure. 
 
 They are afraid of being caught, 
 They are brave men but poorly taught; 
 You are cowards and lazy too, 
 Cheat all you can with the laws, you do. 
 
 Oh! dear brother, stop and think 
 Of the poison that you do drink; 
 And pledge yourselves forever 
 Never to drink a drop, oh, never! 
 
 Dear Uncle Sam, how do you do, 
 Give your bonds and interest to 
 A few men and make them rich; 
 Better shove them into a ditch. 
 
 The first money you ever made 
 Was the best of any grade, 
 In any nation where it was sold 
 Half a cent higher than any gold. 
 
 The bankers found it was too good 
 And stabbed it when they could, 
 And forced you to give them bonds ; 
 And sung to you some pleasing songs 
 
 Until you agreed to their plan; 
 Make more money and to them lend 
 To buy some bonds on interest too, 
 And paid in gold you thought would do. 
 
 Time passed on and the gold they hid 
 
 In the bottom of their crib; 
 
 Parties had to be paid in gold, 
 
 And merchants found they had been sold. 
 
 They had to scratch and borrow too ; 
 To pay one dollar it took two, 
 The banks grew rich but not enough, 
 Two dollars eighty they did stuff. 
 
 That is what they all had to pay 
 For one gold dollar anyway ; 
 Times grew hard and the war did end, 
 Bankers had their money to lend. 
 
 Ten per cent, they did charge 
 With good security so large 
 Merchants and farmers could not pay; 
 The banks foreclosed without delay. 
 
 They had to fail and leave their homes; 
 Some of their wives were left alone 
 With their children to weep and cry, 
 Because their husbands soon did die. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Some with rope and some with water, 
 It was hard to leave wife and daughter; 
 Your cursed bonds were the whole cause, 
 And were all made with bankers' laws. 
 
 To make them rich keep others poor, 
 And kill them by the score; 
 I say the bankers did not care 
 When they take all for their share. 
 
 They agreed to take scrip for pay 
 For their bonds in some future day; 
 They whined and growled so very long, 
 And told how much they would be wronged 
 
 They told you, Uncle, how they could 
 Strengthen your credit, that they would 
 Lower the interest on your bonds, 
 And put the gold where it belongs. 
 
 Will take your bonds for years to come 
 But pay in coin when that is done; 
 You took their bonds and gave them more, 
 Then they caught you, I feel sure. 
 
 Your paper money you did burn, 
 And did not give it in return 
 For those bonds as you did agree; 
 It would have saved our liberty. 
 
 Yout never mean to have them paid, 
 Bec-ouse a new plan you have made; 
 A bondholder told me the other day 
 He was m no hurry for his pay 
 
 For a hundred years to come, 
 But give the bonds that time to run 
 For two and a half cents a year; 
 That is just how you mean to steer. 
 
 If those bonds you had never made 
 Your debts would have all been paid; 
 What good have they ever done? 
 It will puzzle you to tell of some. 
 
 I've built your banks and railroads too, 
 Created wealth among the few, 
 Wiped out slavery with my good hands 
 And made landlords of our good sons. 
 
 You make millions of paupers 
 Of our good sons and daxighters; 
 They are all made of flesh and blood, 
 And do the work and till the sod. 
 
 They are better than millionaires 
 And you cheat them of their shares; 
 A few grow rich and never work, 
 And make their plans just how to shirk. 
 
 If out of debt you mean to be, 
 Lessen your crew by land and sea, 
 Lower their pay is the right way, 
 And not let them shirk every day. 
 
 Loan your money some other way 
 And be sure to make it pay 
 You three per cent, if that will do, 
 To the merchants and farmers too. 
 
 Then they can set their mortgage free, 
 They can't pay ten but will pay three, 
 Then you'll grow rich and save the poor; 
 Oh. dear! those bonds we can't endure 
 
 In this free land as it should be, 
 Those hateful bonds do not agree; 
 People's money is all our own, 
 And that is what we wish to loan. 
 
 It does belong to every man 
 
 And you must make some other plan. 
 
 And do some good everywhere 
 
 So every man may have his share. 
 
 We all know what you have done, 
 We're marching on to spoil your fun; 
 Your money we know is your strength, 
 We can lay you out your length. 
 
 To the railroads of our land 
 You are trying to get command 
 Of all the farmers you can find, 
 And you study to keep them blind. 
 
 Though legislation make your law 
 The worst the farmers ever saw; 
 You take their money to build your road 
 And tell them you are very good 
 
 To carry freight so very cheap; 
 But put the grain all on your heap, 
 You take two bushels out of three 
 And tell how good you mean to be. 
 
 We have found what you are about, 
 Your good, we find, has all dropped out; 
 We are taxed high and you taxed low, 
 And you are pleased to have it so. 
 
 We loose our farms to pay your tax, 
 And the grain that is in our sacks; 
 That is not right, we will complain, 
 You take our farms and all our grain. 
 
 Come farmers and laborers too, 
 There is work for you all to do, 
 Join all together that you must 
 Aim vote for men that you can trust. 
 
 Come rally round our flag, brothers, 
 Your sisters and your mothers, 
 And sweep the land from east to west 
 Of that great monopoly pest. 
 
 Farmers listen to me and wait: 
 
 Your farms are worth in all the States 
 
 The large sum of ten billions 
 
 One hundred and ninety-seven millions. 
 
 All other property it is said 
 
 Is only five billions ahead, 
 
 Now you can see how much you own; 
 
 And Washington is left alone 
 
 To Shylock bankers and their race, 
 And lawyers to fill your place 
 And make such laws to make them rich; 
 All combined with bonded stick. 
 
10 
 
 NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Not a farmer in Congress hall, 
 Or any one that tills'the soil; 
 There is not a fisherman there, 
 Or any one to do his share. 
 
 Tou are cheated out of your rights, 
 They make such laws to bind you tight, 
 And rob us all in every way; 
 We must not let them longer stay. 
 
 If we all unite together, 
 
 And we never part, oh, never! 
 
 We can have nine voters to their one, 
 
 And victory would soon be won. 
 
 Let not your vote in any way 
 Tell them to wait another day; 
 When they do try to buy your vote 
 Tell them £t is better than their note. 
 
 What scamps are villians and old knaves 
 When they your notes do get to shave; 
 They lie and cheat you all they can, 
 And you are called a mean man. 
 
 Twenty-five millions of farmers 
 And fifteen millions of laborers; 
 That is just our strength, so I read, 
 And we can surely succeed. 
 
 Let us get ready for our work, 
 And we can beat them before dark; 
 We must all work in one straight way, 
 With our ballots and in one dav. 
 
 We are now «6* strong as a lion, 
 
 Get a man we can rely on ; 
 
 Have him examined from head to foot, 
 
 Mark his name down in that large book. 
 
 Do not get cheated in you man, 
 Step right forward, do all you can; 
 Turn each farrow the weeds all down, 
 That is the way to plant new ground. 
 
 All put in the same kind of seed, 
 And trample down every old weed ; 
 We must move and not longer wait, 
 And keep our team perfectly straight. 
 
 Our platform is strong, most all new, 
 With a good team to pull it through; 
 Come every man that has a wife, 
 Hitch on our team and save her life. 
 
 And every man that has no one, 
 Go with us «*wl we will find you some; 
 The road is straight, the way is clear, 
 All keep ahead, not in a arrear. 
 
 See that your names are on the list, 
 And not be cheated of your grist; 
 And chose your men to votes, 
 Not be cheated as drunken goats. 
 
 Hurrah, boys, hurrah! do your best, 
 Work while we live, then we will rest, 
 Drive monopolists from our land; 
 Hurrah, boys, hurrah! we've beat them. 
 
 Monopolists some churches build, 
 Hire a priest and have them filled. 
 To preach and pray in their behalf 
 And then go home well pleased and laugh, 
 
 To think how nice they blind the poor 
 And make them beg from door to door, 
 And cheat them out of half they earn 
 When to their work they do return, 
 
 In February they did cut down 
 
 Your wages in Lowell town, 
 
 In other places I did read, 
 
 Ten per cent, they have all agreed. 
 
 They grow rich, are worth millions, 
 Make you work for a few shillings; 
 Is it right to lower your pay 
 And starve your children any day? 
 
 You and your children are as good 
 And should be clothed and have good feed; 
 They do break our constitution 
 To keep them in their position. 
 
 Then they will come with smiling face; 
 Give us your votes or loose your place, 
 That is how they use the bridle, 
 And soon they will bring the saddle. 
 
 This we know is what they crave 
 To make you vote and be their slave; 
 Oh ! dear brother, no longer vote 
 To be their slave and do their work. 
 
 The golden king, oh ! he did buy 
 The Democrats all on the sly, 
 And strutted on his whereabouts 
 Until the rebellion broke out. 
 
 He grew rich and very hearty, 
 Bought the Republican party 
 And gave them to understand 
 He was boss all over the land. 
 
 And he told them to follow him 
 And he would learn them the ways of sin, 
 How to get rich and keep others poof 
 And make them fight to please him more. 
 
 That he has done, we all do know, 
 To please those parties, even so; 
 They work like brothers for their king, 
 And get rich and live in sin. 
 
 The golden bonds you mean to keep; 
 They were all made merely to cheat 
 Us of our rights and free nation. 
 And ruin the whole creation. 
 
 Our constitution you d# not keep 
 But trample it all under feet; 
 Our equai rights you do destroy, 
 Which our forefathers did enjoy. . 
 
 We know you mean to take command 
 Of the people and all the land, 
 Make slaves of us and knaves of you; 
 That is what you mean to do. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Then you'll make laws to suit to taste, 
 And roll in sin up to your waist, 
 And starve the poor to eat your will 
 And make them work to pay you bill. 
 
 Zach Chandler, I heard him tell 
 In Portland city hall so well 
 Of those bonds we have got to pay 
 To the English some future day. 
 
 And pay in coin and not refuse, 
 For if we did then they would close, 
 Blockade our ports and keep us in, 
 Another war would then begin. 
 
 That was their plan to make them so, 
 For English help to make them go; 
 Oh ! what rascals and what knaves 
 To make such bonds how they do crave. 
 
 To have a king to rule our land, 
 And let the British take command ; 
 'Twould be like the war in Egypt, 
 Bonds were the cause and don't forget it. 
 
 The Rothchilds sent the English fleet 
 And the poor people did get beat, 
 And some of their smart leaders 
 Were bought off and did prove traitors. 
 
 Bonds were made to cheat the poor, 
 And sent away to English shore: 
 Only a trifle did they pay, 
 And were bought up without delay. 
 
 Our bonds were made on the same plan, 
 To suit our knaves and English men, 
 They bought our bonds to make them rich, 
 And keep us poor to dig their ditch. 
 
 We must dig it wide, also deep, 
 Large enough for the British fleet, 
 And be ready for that day, 
 When they do come to make us pay. 
 
 We must be masters of our land, 
 And have it all at our command; 
 Drive out traitors from these States, 
 Across the ocean there to wait. 
 
 Till Uncle Jakey he does come 
 To take possession of our home ; 
 Give them dynamite if we chose, 
 Enough to blow their golden shoes. 
 
 And if they come up on our land, 
 Will give them more of that we can, 
 We'll have no mercy on their fleet, 
 But give them dynamite to eat. 
 
 We soon would drive them from our shore, 
 And they would never venture more, . 
 But let them come with traitors here, 
 We all would suffer very dear. 
 
 They are now waiting with their sword, 
 For our traitors to send them word, 
 For they must have some good excuse, 
 For fear they should lose their goose. 
 
 Think of the land these Lords have bought, 
 Thirty-five millions I've been taught; 
 Now can't you see the English plan 
 To get possession of our land. 
 
 It is just what they mean to do, 
 Get all our land from me and you, 
 Then we never can vote again, 
 Unless we have a bonded claim. 
 
 Fight them with our votes that we can, 
 And drive them all out to a man, 
 We are nine times as strong as they, 
 And we can beat them any day. 
 
 In eighteen hundred and eighty, 
 There were Greeenbackers a plenty, 
 Fifteen hundred of us so strong, 
 We all went inarching along. 
 
 And we arrived in Bangor, Maine, 
 We were proud of the Greenback name, 
 We came together very soon, 
 It being the first day of June. 
 
 We were all delegates I know, 
 To our convention even so, 
 To nominate a Candidate, 
 For Governor of our State. 
 
 General Plaisted he was there, 
 And took the stand to do his share, 
 Told us it was his intention 
 To support this great convention. 
 
 And pledged himself very smartly, 
 To stand by the Greenback party, 
 By acclamation he was choose, 
 Their was no other to oppose. 
 
 Soon after that we did adjourn, 
 To get ready for our return, 
 Some of us for information, 
 Saw the Democrat convention. 
 
 And the first thing I heard or saw, 
 They were discussing the Maine law, 
 Soon they gave a strict attention, 
 To hear the communication, 
 
 'Twas written by some Fogg or King, 
 And it was a shameful thing, 
 To deceive our convention, 
 When their was no inclination. 
 
 For we were so strong and hearty, 
 
 Did not know the other party, 
 
 They voted for our candidate, 
 
 And he promised them to keep straight. 
 
 He worked along as he thought best. 
 To please them all and take his rest, 
 The Democrats did take the front, 
 And put Greenbackers on the stump. 
 
 And all the traitors they could find, 
 To work for them, keep people blind, 
 And King did work with his old Fogg, 
 Worked like brothers, just like a dog. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 forked with his master for some meat, 
 And then lie down close to his feet, 
 We know it was a wicked shame, 
 For such smart men to sell their name. 
 
 The Judasses were so plenty, 
 Did sell out for one and twenty, 
 Oh what traitors and rascals too, 
 That did sell and cheat me and you. 
 
 When they another course do steer, 
 They should be cropped from ear to ear, 
 And branded well upon the head, 
 Until they are nearly dead. 
 
 Now dear brothers cannot you see, 
 How bad a highway robber he, 
 A traitor is ten times as bad, 
 Give him Justice I shall be glad. 
 
 The battle fought with much bad skill, 
 Attack a pile to pay the bill, 
 Plaisted came in, me thought 'twas right, 
 The Democrats they made a light. 
 
 A large procession they did raise 
 And the Governor they did praise, 
 And spread the news from east to west 
 Of the Democrats good success. 
 
 Voted again in November, 
 It was for General Weaver; 
 The Democrats did grow wrathy, 
 We would not vote for their party. 
 
 Time soon did come we thought 'twas fair, 
 When Plaisted he did take his chair 
 And worked along the best he could 
 To please the Democrats he would. 
 
 He never got our votes again, 
 In two years more he lost the game; 
 Let all others a warning take, 
 Never to turn but go on straight. 
 
 They should be pledged and live in fear 
 Of being cropped from ear to ear, 
 See the traitors all through our land 
 Monopoly has at their command. 
 
 Pledge them strong and make them swear, 
 So we can know right where they are; 
 And put their names in black and white 
 Before witnesses will be right. 
 
 An honest man will sign his name, 
 And he will find no fault or blame; 
 We can't afford to waste our time 
 And vote for men that are inclined 
 
 To sell out to that golden king; 
 And he will go into the ring, 
 And we left out in the cold 
 Only because we have been sold. 
 
 HHI 
 
 To all the laborers of our land, 
 You can have things at your command; 
 You invent all machines that's good, 
 Cut all the lumber and haul the wood. 
 
 Build the carriages all complete, 
 Raise everything we have to eat, 
 Make the clothing we have to wear, 
 A little you have for your share. 
 
 Build all houses and factories too, 
 Build all the engines, not a few, 
 Build all the ships with your own haDds 
 And man them too with your own sons. 
 
 And before your work is all done 
 The gamblers will all surely come, 
 And take most all for their own share 
 And leave you homes and children bare. 
 
 With cheapest food that can be bought, 
 And your children must go untaught, 
 From school learning which they all need, 
 And some of them can only read, 
 
 That is not right and shall not be, 
 If you and I can both agree, 
 Do not sell your vote, it will not pay, 
 Vote together is all the way. 
 
 Some do go in for women's rights, 
 They are ground down and feel the bites 
 Of Shylock's hands in every stick, 
 It all goes in to make him sick. 
 
 They stick and work from day to day, 
 With their machines for little pay, 
 Four cents a piece to make a shirt, 
 They can't find time to do their work. 
 
 Twenty-five cents for woolen pants, 
 Take half they earn to pay their rents, 
 Only a trifle for a vest, 
 Cannot find time to take a rest. 
 
 Their pay grows less every year, 
 Another course they will steer, 
 And some of them are wide awake, 
 And will go round and stump the State. 
 
 To find a man that is all right, 
 And put these Shylocks out of sight, 
 So they can have fair pay for work, 
 Ten cents apiece to make a shirt. 
 
 They are citizens of these States, 
 Why should they any longer wait, 
 Let them all vote and have their right, 
 Who dare say they are not bright, 
 
 And not as good as any man, 
 And only fit to work and mend? 
 He must be mean as any thief, 
 To bring a women down to grief. 
 
 He is meaner than any brute, 
 Call. him a knave if that will suit, 
 He is too mean to have a wife, 
 That will uphold such hateful strife. 
 
 Give them a plenty of good work, 
 
 And they will never try to shirk, 
 
 Give them good pay, they wont complain, 
 
 But give them all their rights again. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 13 
 
 What is the cause of these dull times, 
 
 Monopoly begins to grind ; 
 
 Their large wheel begins to roll on 
 
 To business men and crash them down. 
 
 Make money m scare they cannot pay 
 Their men their money any day; 
 The merchants now begin to squirm, 
 And hardly know which way to turn. 
 
 And sell their goods below the mark 
 So they shan't fail before it is dark, 
 To raise some money for the bank 
 In hopes they will not turn the crank. 
 
 Good many men are out of work 
 
 And many a one has to shirk, 
 
 Pack up their duds and move away 
 
 And leave their friends without their pay. 
 
 The farmers too will lose their homes, 
 Their children then will have to roam; 
 Their mortgages the banks will keep, 
 And all their farms they will get cheap. 
 
 Soon as the work is to be round, 
 The price of labor will be down; 
 And when election day does come 
 The golden king will send out some 
 
 Money and buy votes very cheap, 
 And put the gain all on their heap; 
 They have been learnt just how to do 
 And lay their plans and meet them too. 
 
 Their wheel rolls on so very slow; 
 They know how fast to make it go 
 To keep the power in their own hand 
 And make us work at their cammand. 
 
 And lower our pay ten per cent., 
 That's what we need to pay our rent; 
 Soon they will say 'tis not enough 
 And ten per cent, biq i c will then come off. 
 
 It is rolling on every day 
 And soon will take our votes away, 
 Our rights, our blessings that are dear; 
 Cannot you see it very clear. 
 
 Oh! my friends, you will have to feel 
 When you can never stop that wheel. 
 Move right forward without delay 
 And never wait another day. 
 
 To stop the wheel from rolling on 
 Come on this side and have it done; 
 Never give up until you try, 
 Neither be starved before you die. 
 
 Move right ahead, not lag behind 
 For if you do you will grow blind : 
 Now we all have a chance to vote 
 And we can do it with one stroke. 
 
 Ah! I do hear the Shylock say, 
 You are not right another way, 
 Over-production is the thing, 
 There is too many of one kind. 
 
 Over-production, boots and shoes. 
 And clothing too, and foreign news; 
 Over-production, farming tools; 
 Too many children for our schools. 
 
 Too many people for our work, 
 
 For we all must keep a clerk, 
 
 Have all the planning we can do, 
 
 To keep things straight and maintain you. 
 
 You maintain us with your old land, 
 And do no work, neither your sons; 
 We that labor earn everything, 
 And you look on and live in sin. 
 
 Too many people in our land. 
 And you import more when you can, 
 To make the labor very cheap, 
 So you can have a larger heap. 
 
 Over-production of your bonds, 
 And we do know you get them wrong; 
 Over-production, millionaires, 
 To many bonds for their shares. 
 
 Over-production of your banks. 
 They all grow rich and make our tramps, 
 Over-production offices, 
 Over-production of salaries. 
 
 Over-production of failures 
 Is caused by too many bankers: 
 Over-production of stealing, 
 Bonds, land, money and bad lying. 
 
 Over-production buying votes, 
 And break the law and all the spokes, 
 Over-production of your tramps, 
 And you will never get our thanks. 
 
 Over-production paupers too, 
 All these exist and made by you, 
 All of these over-productions 
 Is enough without the factions. 
 
 To make times hard for all the poor, 
 They are all wrong, 1 know for sure; 
 The bonds should never have been made, 
 They are the worst of all your grade. 
 
 Have you been faithful to your oath 
 And done your best to suit us both? 
 If that is the way you work for us, 
 With God above we'll make a fuss. 
 
 Keep you at home where you belong, 
 And send our farmers right along, 
 Mechanics too that love to work 
 And do your work without a clerk. 
 
 You are not fit to keep command, 
 Get us in debt and give away our land 
 To railroads and English men, 
 And our money you do spend. 
 
 Now, dear brothers, cannot you see 
 Who makes times hard for you and me; 
 And before it does grow later 
 Please read our Greenback paper. 
 
14 
 
 NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 The American Sentry you 
 Will find eight pages that will do; 
 It gives the views all over the land 
 And tells us how to take command 
 
 Of our land and Shylocks too, 
 And tells us what they mean to do ; 
 And it does prove who is to blame, 
 Teaches temperance all the same. 
 
 It is the hest family paper. 
 Please try it before it grows later, 
 And only one dollar a year; 
 It is all right, you need not fear. 
 
 It is published in New York city, 
 One hundred and thirteen Liberty Street, 
 And come along every week, 
 Forty-eight columns all complete. 
 
 nm — — — 
 
 The Democrats do bark and bite 
 Kepublicans when out out of sight, 
 And tell how honest they would be 
 And give us our good liberty. 
 
 If they were in and had the reins 
 Would save our land from English men, 
 For our own sons and not a few, 
 And pay our debts «H*d keep honest too. 
 
 Read their platform and you will find 
 It is so made to keep us blind, 
 To get our votes and cheat us too, 
 That is the way they a1 ways do. 
 
 If they are honest and so good, 
 Why don't they help us when they could, 
 And let us know how good they are, 
 We would go in and help them share. 
 
 They do go on election time, 
 And call them liars, to keep us blind, 
 And as soon as the battle is done, 
 They go together, act as one. 
 
 Republicans are just the same, 
 All the difference is the name, 
 They are two in one. and one in two, 
 That is the way they mean to do. 
 
 They are like dogs about a bone, 
 They want to have it all alone, 
 And twit and lie about each other, 
 And call one black the other yellow. 
 
 One is black so is the other, 
 And are just like two old brothers, 
 And their old ways they think 'tis best, 
 That each other must have a rest. 
 
 And we Greenbackers think so too, 
 We'll have Uncle Ben, will that do? 
 We think it would be much the best, 
 We'll put him in and let him test. 
 
 Tou have toiled on so many years, 
 Till the people do live in fears 
 Of losing all their rights and land, 
 As long as you do keep command. 
 
 We'll go to work without delay, 
 And turn you out some future day; 
 And let some others take your place, 
 And relieve you of your disgrace. 
 
 It will be Butler, or some man, 
 That will take charge at our command, 
 And save the people, not a few ; 
 'That is what we mean to do. 
 
 Our nine judges in our States, 
 Concluded to no longer wait. 
 Without giving their decision, 
 Of our law that made provision, 
 
 In our constitution 'tis found, 
 For the benefit all round ; 
 Gives us the right so I've been told, 
 To make our paper good as gold. 
 
 When that good news did surely come, 
 It struck the bankers almost down, 
 And made all the Shylocks roar, 
 So they were heard from shore to shore. 
 
 Thaddeus Stephens did say 
 He would make money that would pay 
 All debts and dues and everything, 
 And made of paper that would bring 
 
 Him all the men and cannon too, 
 And fight the rebels through and through; 
 In other nations when it was sold 
 Was worth more than any gold. 
 
 The judges have been very slow; 
 Could not see twenty years ago, 
 Most any boy that ought to vote 
 Could have done it with one stroke. 
 
 They had better go to school 
 And not stay out and play the fool ; 
 Greenbackers told in years that are past 
 What poor blind dolts can see at last. 
 
 General Butler was the man, 
 
 Was with the judges and did plan; 
 
 His argument was very wise 
 
 That they could see with their dull eyes 
 
 Paper money was good as gold; 
 Shylocks found they had been sold, 
 They knew before and all the time 
 They merely tried to keep us blind. 
 
 To the Shylocks of our nation, 
 You are the worst of creation, 
 Yon rob the poor of all they own, 
 Iu your own works it is plainly seen. 
 
 You have made laws to suit yourselves 
 And put the others on the shelves, 
 And you want an institution 
 To destroy our constitution. 
 
 We judge you with your position, 
 That would be your disposition ; 
 Reduce your taxes, ours increase, 
 So you can get a larger fleece. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 15 
 
 Twelve million dollars of taxes 
 You have reduced from your banks, 
 And you are trying to pass a bill 
 To help them on some more still. 
 
 Thirty-five millions, ones and twos, 
 Of nation's money for their use, 
 You give to them and cheat the poor 
 Of what they earned years before. 
 
 Uncle Ben, that short old man, 
 Done all he could to save our land; 
 New Orleans and Baltimore, 
 Other places I do feel sure. 
 
 Ever faithful, just and kind, 
 To the soldiers every time, 
 Full of pluck and courage too, 
 All this he done for me and you. 
 
 Always for justice for the poor, 
 
 Y et he is scorned from door to door, 
 
 By the people of British stamp. 
 
 And those that rule the Nation's bank, 
 
 And all other corporations, 
 
 Who does oppose this free Nation; 
 
 That grinds the poor every day, 
 
 And make them work for much less pay : 
 
 In Concord prison he done well, 
 Got the facts from prisoner's cells, 
 And he removed that hateful thing, 
 Only Warden and would be king. 
 
 He used the men so very rough, 
 Butler he said they had enough, 
 That little job was done so quick, 
 He soon was out and he did git. 
 
 His mourners bellowed very loud, 
 And did not draw much of a crowd. 
 But when the truth it did appear. 
 They took another course to steer. 
 
 Tukesbury Poor House B. did go, 
 And found it bad we all do know, 
 Full of corruption and foul play, 
 Caused them to die and sent away. 
 
 For doctors to cut and use, 
 Some of their skins to make their shoes; 
 Their bones to sell their flesh go back, 
 To make the land grow rich and black. 
 
 Now that was called a christian, 
 Charitable institution, 
 For all the poor sick ones to go, 
 And to get well, we thought 'twas so. 
 
 Instead of that it was to die. 
 And leave their friends to mourn and cry ; 
 'Twas bad treatment and very harsh, 
 And carried on by Mr. Marsh. 
 
 See the good B. F. B. has done, 
 And all the battles he has won, 
 In rebel war and time of peace, 
 Give him a chance, he won't release. 
 
 The rebel Mosby guerilla, 
 And pirate Sims made us shiver, 
 To read of their murderous raids, 
 On the people the worst of shades. 
 
 They murdered, burned and did slay 
 Anyone that was in their way, 
 Their mode was steel and plunder, 
 And make their raids go like thunder. 
 
 The people shouted have them hung; 
 But after the battles were all done, 
 Republicans did shake their hand 
 And put them where they did command 
 
 A salary without delay, 
 And we that labor have to pay: 
 Birds of the same striped feather 
 Will surely unite together. 
 
 B. F. Butler is our man. 
 Will suit the people best, 
 We all know that he can plan: 
 Let Cleveland have his rest. 
 
 Monopoly he will put down 
 And laws that doth oppress. 
 The laboring men then will crown 
 Ben Butler for their best. 
 
 He will teach Cleveland how to go 
 And give one lesson more, 
 Never again when he vetoes 
 To cheat the laboring poor. 
 
 Now we do need a Jackson man, 
 Lincoln would do as well; 
 They worked for us and did not plan 
 To cheat us or to sell 
 
 Our Nation to Englisn lords, 
 
 Or sell themselves for gold ; 
 
 We cannot tell their worth in words. 
 
 Their usefulness untold. 
 
 Now we must have another man. 
 One that will serve ihe poor. 
 Give them their rights the best he can 
 And please them ever more. 
 
 Oh! come every laboring man 
 And vote for Uncle Ben, 
 We can throw ten while they do one, 
 And beat their Uncle Jim. 
 
 Now is the time to gain our rights, 
 No time for more delay. 
 And in one day have all your strikes, 
 And that election day. 
 
 The Democrats Butler did chose 
 To tend their convention, 
 And he went there not to abuse 
 But show his intention. 
 
 He was greeted on his way, 
 With bands at the stations, 
 And in the eve without delay, 
 Had a celebration. 
 
16 
 
 NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 By ten thousand people or more, 
 Formed a procession soon, 
 With their transparencies so pure, 
 And a large silver spoon. 
 
 To tell of all I have not time, 
 The honors he received, 
 His large portrait was in the line, 
 Which made the Shylocks grieve. 
 
 At the Chicago Convention, 
 Uncle Ben was well weighed, 
 On their great scale of deception, 
 Where he did make a raid. 
 
 He told the truth, it did not suit, 
 They knew it well before, 
 It made them mad, called him a brute, 
 He left and closed the door. 
 
 The people rallied round him then, 
 Because he was not sold, 
 And shouted, for their Uncle Ben 
 Had found a spoon of gold. 
 
 He was greeted on his return, 
 By all the laboring men, 
 In him the truth it did not burn, 
 But told it to them plain. 
 
 Now Cleveland suits the English Lords, 
 Butler they do despise, 
 We'll vote for Ben despite their words, 
 And give them a surprise. 
 
 Come rally round our flag brothers, 
 And rally once again, 
 And turn out all those mean traitors, 
 Before they have us slain. 
 
 That is now their calculation, 
 To take away our rights, 
 And break up our combination, 
 Then we shall have to fight. 
 
 Ben's war record 'tis said was good, 
 He fought for all our rights, 
 And saved our men when e'er he could, 
 Good planning, not hard fights. 
 
 While governor of New Orleans, 
 None ever did find fault, 
 He kept the city all so clean, 
 Good drainage from their vault. 
 
 While Governor of his own State 
 Many good things he did do, 
 The Warden found him wide awake; 
 Tewksbury Poorhouse he went through. 
 
 To tell all of his good deeds 
 Would take up too much time ; 
 We will let others pull the weeds, 
 Whatever they do find. 
 
 Come all that do want better times 
 And good pay for your work, 
 Don't lag along and keep behind, 
 Do your best and not shirk. 
 
 Come all farmers that are heavy taxed, 
 Come work and not complain, 
 And have your burdens all relaxed 
 When your votes defeat Jim Blaine. 
 
 Let Butler stand on his platform, 
 It will suit the laboriug poor; 
 One that was made by him alone 
 And one so good and pure. 
 
 Butler is shrewd and crafty, 
 Does own a silver spoon, 
 A gold one too, not all rusty; 
 Will use them very soon. 
 
 They will beat Blaine's he got in war, 
 Battle at Augusta; 
 His Gatling gun — who ever saw 
 Such coward and so nasty. 
 
 Butler has fought the upper dog 
 And now has gained the field. 
 He'll beat Blaine, the well known fraud, 
 And make his party yield. 
 
 James Gillespie, who are you? 
 You once were poor as we; 
 Now you are rich how do you do, 
 We'll look about and see. 
 
 You did help others give away 
 Our land to a few men 
 To build their roads, and for your pay 
 Their bonds to you did send. 
 
 Three hundred million acres, » 
 
 That was all wrong you know 
 To made them rich and law breakers, 
 Don't pay their taxes so. 
 
 Hundred and twenty millions more 
 To English lords away, 
 To welcome them to our shore, 
 Just for a little pay. 
 
 Others and you do all you can, 
 To help monopoly, 
 To cheat us all of our free land, 
 Now we can plainly see. 
 
 How much have you done for our share, 
 Or any one that is poor, 
 Except to make your millionaires 
 And drive us from our doors. 
 
 With high interest, and taxes too, 
 Upon our little homes 
 That we had saved years ago 
 For wife and little ones. 
 
 Our Fathers fought in rebel war 
 To save this blessed land ; 
 Our sons and brothers did go far 
 Like every honest man. 
 
 You stayed and would not go 
 With other honest men ; 
 When you were drafted, that was so, 
 You skulked away, oh, then ! 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 17 
 
 The State did after pay your fare 
 And you did stay at home. 
 And you were chosen for your share 
 And sent to Washington. 
 
 To do our work and have your pay 
 You promised us you know; 
 It was on the platform you did say. 
 And we did let you go. 
 
 Can you ask us to go with you? 
 With such a hold faced cheek: 
 Oh ! sooner far would I do so 
 With any tramp I meet. 
 
 Have you heen faithful to your trust 
 And grown so very rich: 
 Were you dishonest and did lust 
 For that great bonded stitch. 
 
 Have you the head of our free nation ? 
 Why such a man as you 
 Would ruin our whole creation: 
 Oh! that will never do. 
 
 For twenty years that's past and gone 
 You had your pay, for what? 
 The few you helped the masses wronged. 
 The poor man you forgot. 
 
 We cannot think, and do not know 
 Of any one good thing 
 That you have done to make us go 
 And vote to get them in. 
 
 We that labor and do the work 
 Have all the bills to pay; 
 We will find fault when you do shirk 
 And wrong us every day. 
 
 The rummy rogues we have in Maine 
 Hurrah for Uncle Jim, 
 And say they must have their good Blaine 
 And make of him a king. 
 
 Come all ye young and lively men. 
 Listen to my story; 
 I'll tell you how to work and plan 
 To beat that Old Harry. 
 
 Some people call him Uncle Jim, 
 Says he is awful smart, 
 And think if he does surely win 
 Will take the rebels' part. 
 
 They have rebelled against our flag, 
 And constitution too; 
 If we make money out of rags 
 We'lhhave one that is new. 
 
 Our constitution is all right, 
 They now are in the wrong: 
 Republicans are out of sight, 
 And Lincoln is gone. 
 
 Oh, dear! that blessed, good old man, 
 Shall never see him more, 
 He warned us of the money power 
 Was coming to our land. 
 
 Butler and others will go there first 
 And see what they can do, 
 Monopoly they soon will burst 
 And kill the Shylocks too. 
 
 Bend your knees once more, Uncle Jim, 
 Your letters to receive 
 From your old true friend Mulligan, 
 And please do not dece ive. 
 
 Old Orchard in the State of Maine, 
 August seven, eighty-four, 
 I heard a speech from J. G. Blaine 
 I never heard before 
 
 From any man that would not go 
 To help save our nation, 
 Even when drafted, that was true, 
 To fill up his station. 
 
 Thus he did talk and brag away, 
 Telling what he had done, 
 Raised the soldiers without delay 
 That he helped send along. 
 
 Full*thirty thousand went from Maine, 
 While Blaine he stayed at home, 
 And they did fight 'till half were slain. 
 And victory they won. 
 
 They saved our land, and nation too, 
 From rebel English lords ; 
 It was hard work to fight it through 
 When they did use their swords. 
 
 Most twenty years has past away, 
 And it has made a change. 
 Our land is sold from day to day 
 To any English men. 
 
 In such large lots and where they chose, 
 The price was very low, 
 And sold by who? to our old foes, — 
 The ones that now do blow. 
 
 To keep in power, cheat us more, 
 All through the States and Maine, 
 That is their plan we do feel sure 
 If they do get old Blaine. 
 
 He and others are the old ones 
 That gave and sold our land 
 To railraad men for their old sons, 
 And to the English band. 
 
 Uncle Solon is a dead head, 
 
 Oh, bless him! let him go, 
 
 He has dropped out, gone with old Ned, 
 
 And left his party so. 
 
 He says our party has droped out, 
 And paper is like gold; 
 His work is done, or thereabout, 
 And he must save his soul. 
 
 Butler is the man that gained the day 
 Of our court decision, 
 And they did yield with great delay 
 To our Greenbackism. 
 
18 
 
 KOEWOOB'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 He has sold out, or thereabout, 
 And joined his brother Blaine, 
 Now he will have to go without 
 His friends he had in Maine. 
 
 And will get hissed by thousands more, 
 And he will live in fears, 
 As he goes round from door to door 
 A thinking of his steers. 
 
 His cowhide, boots and thunder too, 
 And who has got his hay, 
 His steers did eat as they did grow, 
 Just for a little hay. 
 
 How can he sleep in his new house 
 With such a guilty heart, 
 To leave his friends not all alone ; 
 Butler will take their part. 
 
 He's showed his heels and cloven foot, 
 And left the truth behind, 
 Now he may go on his own hook, 
 A loathsome place he'll find. 
 
 Down with the old Shylock bonds, 
 See the debts they have made 
 For us to pay, entirely wrong 
 In every form and shade. 
 
 Five billions of their useless bonds 
 We laborers have to pay 
 To Shylocks and their lazy sons 
 For them to hoard away. 
 
 They never should have been made 
 In any form or shape, 
 Then our debts would have all been paid : 
 Why did we not escape? 
 
 The Shylock went to Washington 
 And built him up a church, 
 He took some Reads and old Blaine sons 
 And others with old March. 
 
 Uncle Stephens done all he could, 
 Like every honest man, 
 And made us money, not of wood, 
 But paper that was grand. 
 
 It was the best that could be made 
 And never can be beat, 
 The Shylocks did make a raid 
 And took it home to keep. 
 
 And gave us some that was not good 
 In lieu of their old bonds. 
 And made it worse when'er they could 
 To do the thing that's wrong. 
 
 What has the Shylock done for us 
 That work and toil all day, 
 He steels our money and makes a fuss 
 If we ask for more pay. 
 
 He steals our land and sells it to 
 A few men to make rich, 
 And make such laws to cheat us so, 
 All with a bonded stitch. 
 
 - - 
 He make millions of paupers too, 
 Both of them we maintain, 
 He does make war and make us go, 
 Don't allow us to complain. 
 
 He starves the poor to make him rich, 
 And everything that is bad, 
 He is worse than the rotten itch 
 He makes us feel so sad. 
 
 We shall be glad when he is chained 
 With his father's devil, 
 The Butler chain can do the same 
 And stop that great evil. 
 
 Now do tell me where is his home? 
 In Democrat party? 
 Does he live there all alone 
 And live very happy? 
 
 Oh ! dear no, for he has joined the 
 Republican party, 
 Does he live there and like to see 
 His old friends so happy. 
 
 He is the the father of his church 
 And loves his good deacons, 
 His members too for they can perch 
 On his holy beacons. 
 
 Where is his church that he does own? 
 Or has he more than one? 
 His church is large and it has grown 
 To please his holy sun. 
 
 Those two old parties are his good church, 
 They have joined together, 
 He has grown old, but do not lurch, 
 Believers in his father. 
 
 He, the only son, has the power 
 In his holy kingdom, 
 And his will be done now and ever, 
 Shall be his good wisdom. 
 
 Praise God from whom all blessings flow, 
 Our Benjamin has come, 
 Praise God for Franklin, even so, 
 Praise Butler, he's our man. 
 
 Praise God, for our JVfoses is here 
 To cheer those that gireve, 
 And he will save us, never fear, 
 Oh ! from that den of thieves. 
 
 Butler always did fight slavery 
 And done it with a will, 
 That has been his great enemy, , 
 
 And he will do it still. 
 
 In Charleston city years ago 
 He fought the demon there, 
 Democrat convention, that's so, 
 It was their daily prayer. 
 
 To have it spread all through our land, 
 It was their religion, 
 And make slaves of every poor man, 
 And have a division. 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 19 
 
 Butler returned to his own home 
 To see what could be done, 
 He saw the Governor alone 
 And with him he did plan. 
 
 The militia to be all ready 
 
 To start at first alarm, 
 
 The time did come, they were happy 
 
 To go with his command. 
 
 Washington was not protected, 
 To keep the rebels out, 
 Lincoln's call was not rejected 
 By men that's good and stout. 
 
 In Baltimore as he passed through 
 Was full of rebel fight, 
 He planted cannon that would do 
 To keep the people right. 
 
 He made them safe and started on 
 With his brave little band, 
 He soon arrived at Washington, 
 And there he took command. 
 
 The news spread from place to place 
 That Butler had come, 
 The people shouted we are safe, 
 The battle is half won. 
 
 Twenty-four years are past and gone, 
 Washington is not safe. 
 Rebels are there, Lincoln is gone 
 To fill some better place. 
 
 Honest people of this nation 
 Must unite together 
 And put down such arbitration, 
 Vote for them, oh, never ! 
 
 Uncle Ben, how quick he started 
 To go and fight for us, 
 He did not wait to be drafted, 
 Or stay at home and make a fuss. 
 
 He is our friend, will vote for him, 
 To go to Washington 
 And take the chair, and expose sin 
 Wherever it is found. 
 
 THE MARSHAL'S TRIAL. 
 
 Portland, Maine, March 3, and no more, 
 Eighteen hundred and eighty-four, 
 The election day did surely come, 
 When all the drunkards could get rum. 
 
 What splendid Temperance party, 
 
 All fixed up so very hearty, 
 
 With your Maine Law hung on your side, 
 
 Which you do use just for a guide. 
 
 To help you on in your mean way, 
 And buy you votes election day, 
 You use it for a hobby-horse ; 
 Take it away you would be lost. 
 
 Nothing too mean for you to do ! 
 Elect your men with a drunken crew ; 
 With rum and gin you got your King, 
 Or any other mean old Ring. 
 
 If they were good, honest and true, 
 They wouldn't go in with such a crew; 
 Most anything to fill your rank, 
 And its connection to the bank. 
 
 That's a sample of your party; 
 Let them drink so very hearty — 
 You are corrupt in other things 
 Besides the votes your money brings. 
 
 Can you be honest with such a crew? 
 If you can 'twill be something new. 
 You call us Greenbackers "Sore-Head !' 
 It shows your arguments are dead. 
 
 It's enough to make our hearts feel sore, 
 When we look on and see you poor; 
 Your rum, your bonds and such vile stuff, 
 We all know we have got enough. 
 
 We do know what we are about, 
 And our votes will soon turn you out, 
 And send you all up Salt River, 
 Your party and rum together. 
 
 We're not to blame for what you do, 
 When you will keep on doing so, 
 And if you do not feel ashamed, 
 Can you say that we are to blame 
 
 For telling others what To* do? 
 For years past it has been true. 
 When you were honest and did right, 
 It was our joy and great delight 
 
 To help you on in your good way, 
 And vote with you election day. 
 Now you have joined that hateful ring 
 And we have left your bonded King. 
 
 The above we wrote a month ago, 
 And now we find it even so. 
 Oh ! the whitewash they all must use, 
 To hide their faults while they abuse. 
 
 Five weeks did pass with great delight 
 With those rummies that joined the fight: 
 That bought their voters with their gin, 
 And got the Republican King. 
 
 The Marshal thought it was not right 
 For those traitors to leave and fight, 
 To help that party on their way 
 For the money they had for pay. 
 
 With the right to keep on selling 
 In their stores and other dwellings, 
 The Marshal he did call together 
 His army in rainy weather. 
 
 Full thirty that are strong and stout, 
 To search and turn the liquor out 
 From all those mean pimps that did sell 
 Their votes and liquors from the still, 
 
20 
 
 NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 Some men did run, others did hide, 
 And put their liquor all one side ; 
 Left their motto in good keeping. 
 'We are not dead but are sleeping.' 
 
 Andrews, the Marshal, was not green — 
 To close the shops was plainly seen; 
 He is a man to rely on, 
 And was bold as any lion. 
 
 Temperance party did get mad, 
 To have their voters feel so bad, 
 And have their idol out of sight — 
 It will not do, it is not right. 
 
 The Marshal shall feel inspection, 
 Or he will spoil our election; 
 In the fall, when the time does come. 
 We shall need a plenty of rum. 
 
 And with their King and rummies too, 
 They filed charges they thought would do 
 To turn him out, and out forever, 
 With such mean proof, oh ! I never 
 
 Heard of rummie jail-birds before ; 
 Hunted up they might have a score. 
 It would want better proof than that 
 To hang a dog or drown a cat. 
 
 'Oh, dear, what can the matter be?' 
 Did the Marshal let them sell free? 
 Oh, no ; he closed up the vile thing, 
 And now they swear to please their King. 
 
 To the Aldermen he was brought — 
 Five Republican, two were not — 
 And to be tried for party sake, 
 He a Democrat, no mistake. 
 
 "Now we all know 'twas plainly seen, 
 They used the Marshal very mean; 
 His notice was three days ahead, 
 Just as his Mother did lay dead. 
 
 And when be requested for more time, 
 They did all wilfully decline. 
 Never knew of a case before 
 Without having a week or more. 
 
 He, like a man, fought for his rights ; 
 His case was tried all in the nights, 
 And seven charges the party made, 
 And all their proof was but a shade. 
 
 Five charges soon went out of sight, 
 And two remained for the last night. 
 They had been in jail several times, 
 And very mean, paid lots of fines. 
 
 Sullivan and Cady did swear 
 
 They paid the Marshal for his share, 
 
 Fifty dollars, several times, 
 
 To leave their cases way behind. 
 
 And swore they bribed him many times, 
 To keep from jail and pay their fines; 
 That's all the proof they brought about, 
 And yet they turned the Marshal out. 
 
 If there had been a just decision, 
 They would go into State Prison. 
 The Marshal swore it was not so ; 
 It had been planned that he must go. 
 
 Five Aldermen to please their King, 
 Joined together, voted with him. 
 Now they must find another man 
 To be Marshal and help them plan. 
 
 If you must have the old Barry, 
 Why not take your old friend Perry 
 To protect your rummy voters, 
 And all of their good supporters. 
 
 Mayor Deering would not accept 
 Of their offer, but did reject. 
 Had rather keep his Marshal in 
 Than trade him of for votes and gin. 
 
 It was their joy and great delight, 
 To fight the Marshal day and night, 
 To turn him out without delay, 
 And did succeed first day of May. 
 
 No disgrace to the old party— 
 Gatling guns to Augusta ; 
 Eight to seven for R. B. Hayes, 
 Star route thieving and other ways. 
 
 But when election day does come, 
 Oh ! five from two must stay at home, 
 And let some others take their turn, 
 That won't let justice«wiTnin them burn. 
 
 We do think of that dirty bird — 
 Never have seen, but yet have heard, 
 When we read of Mayor King, 
 Of his poor judgement what a thing. 
 
 This is my first I put in print, 
 For you to read what I do think; 
 We cannot all think just alike, 
 But we must do what e'er is right. 
 
 My little learning I will tell, 
 Was just to read, write and to spell. 
 I've told the truth the best I could; 
 Please excuse ELIAS NORWOOD. 
 
 DEATH ON TRAITORS. 
 
 Honest Republican party, 
 
 Your talk is very cheap, 
 
 About your Maine Law so smartly; 
 
 You do it for a cheat. 
 
 And to blind the temperance men, 
 To make them vote for you, 
 You put it in your platform 
 Merely to make a show. 
 
 You believe in prohibition? 
 Please tell us what you mean, 
 Only look at your position, 
 Your rumshops plainly seen 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 21 
 
 All through your temperance, 
 Full of rum and water; 
 It is a shame and pity, 
 Ruin sons and daughters. 
 
 Please do read their late new platform 
 And see how it is planned, 
 Favors monopoly, reform 
 And to protect our land. 
 
 Shylock thinks he is wide awake 
 And we are fast asleep, 
 Will catch our votes with his mean bait 
 And lay them on his heap. 
 
 We'll let him know we are not green, 
 We can't believe his lie: 
 We've been cheated and used so mean 
 It makes us very shy. 
 
 You've lied to us so many times 
 And promised us so fair, 
 We don't believe your printed lies 
 Are worth a breath of air. 
 
 You've stole our land and money too, 
 Or about the same thing, 
 Now tell us what you mean to do; 
 Oh ! what a lying ring. 
 
 How can honest temperance men 
 Vote with such a mean crew, 
 We all do know it is a shame 
 For Christian people to. 
 
 For twenty years that's past and gone 
 In Portland city so. 
 
 Just look about, see what they've done 
 With our good law, we know 
 
 The officers do have to swear 
 They will enforce our laws ; 
 And have they done it anywhere? 
 Except to have a clause. 
 
 To get their pay and have the name 
 Of being little smart, 
 And let them sell about the same 
 By keeping little dark. 
 
 Who is to blame to have rum sold 
 In every street in town, 
 In many stores, and sold so bold, 
 Most anywhere 'tis found. 
 
 Andrews, the Marshal, they turned away, 
 And now they let them sell 
 And haul their liquor any day; 
 No use for one to tell. 
 
 They crow now for they are boss, 
 And count up their voters ; 
 For Uncle Jim won't be loth 
 To receive their soakers. 
 
 What honesty, it is a crime 
 
 To use the law for that, 
 
 Vote for that law we lose our time, 
 
 Our labor is for nought. 
 
 All such traitors must be turned out . 
 And branded on their head 
 And booted on their whereabouts 
 Until they are most dead. 
 
 Now, dear friends, there is just two ways 
 
 For every man to do, 
 
 We must chose one election day 
 
 If we don't want things so. 
 
 And all that does vote with that ring 
 And help them all they can, 
 Merely to keep those traitors in 
 He's not an honest man. 
 
 And those that wish to have things right 
 Must vote for other men, 
 And drive those traitors out of sight 
 And put some new men in. 
 
 Join all together, that you must, 
 That wants to have a change, 
 And choose some man that you can trust 
 And vote and get them in. 
 
 Choose good leaders that won't sell out, 
 For those you've chose before, 
 Keep good lookout what you're about 
 And not get cheated more. 
 
 False temperance men have been sold 
 
 Time after time again, 
 
 That is the truth, if I am bold 
 
 I tell it to you plain. 
 
 'Tis not worth while to give their names 
 For every one may guess 
 Where the coat iits, they are to blame 
 For having such a mess. 
 
 Those drinking men that's sold and bought 
 Every election day, 
 That is a crime we have been taught 
 To sell our votes for pay. 
 
 Law is the same to buy their votes, 
 We know it is forbidden, 
 It is all wrong and such a stroke 
 Should never be forgiven. 
 
 As long as votes are bought and sold 
 And violate our laws, 
 We must expect to have rum sold 
 And kill our temperance cause. 
 
 Rum traffic is the crime of crimes 
 I have heard Neal Dow say; 
 Then is it right .for a few dimes 
 To throw our laws away? 
 
 See the suffering of our poor 
 People in this city, 
 How much longer must we endure 
 Such fraud and rascality. 
 
 See the wives at home grieving 
 For their husbands to come; 
 They are in your shops drinking 
 Something worse than poor rum. 
 
22 
 
 NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 And those traitors have gone to church 
 Merely to make a show, 
 Or in some easy place to perch 
 Their lazy bones they go. 
 
 If you our warning do not take, 
 Our laws you don't obey, 
 We'll let you know we're wide awake 
 On next election day. 
 
 Democrat party one was called 
 The rum party of old, 
 Now it has changed, not once for all; 
 They are waiting to be sold. 
 
 To either side they can do best 
 They are all ready to go, 
 And hide the law so they can rest 
 And please their party so. 
 
 Must we be bossed and ruled by them 
 In this free land of ours? 
 Come all the true and honest .men 
 And change that evil power. 
 
 Come, move along without delay, 
 We must no longer wait, 
 And let us all begin to-day 
 Before it is too late. 
 
 We must all answer to one call, 
 It teaches us so plain, 
 We are abused, that it is not all, 
 But through the state of Maine. 
 
 Come everyone that has some pride 
 And do your duty well, 
 And hoist your colors on our side 
 Until we stop that sell. 
 
 Come all brothers and sisters too 
 There is work enough for all, 
 To furnish all those traitors to, 
 The largest and the small. 
 
 They are a nuisance to our land 
 And we will teach them so, 
 We'll drive through and take command, 
 And let them pack and go. 
 
 Now pledge your names to our new plan 
 And work away so straight, 
 It surely will do you no harm, 
 And then keep wide awake. 
 
 Oh ! God of Love, look from above 
 On these traitors of ours, 
 Show them their ways are not of love 
 But of hated powers. 
 
 Can they be christians that do so 
 In these enlightened times? 
 In that cursed traffic we know 
 Are crime and crime of crimes. 
 
 Oh ! sooner far would I go on 
 To find a better race 
 Of christians that won't do wrong 
 To fill that sacred place. 
 
 We had better take some common men 
 That make no profession, 
 They will do right we can depend ; 
 Let them have possession 
 
 Of all our laws that rule our land, 
 They may do some better; 
 We'll let them try at our command, 
 With a good inspection. 
 
 They all shall swear in black and white, 
 To obey all our laws, 
 And let them do the thing that's right 
 To better our good cause. 
 
 Come every one must remember, 
 It was the eighth of September 
 When our- election day did come, 
 And the voters were bought with rum. 
 
 To vote for the rummy party 
 That always drink very hearty, 
 And then make a temperance law 
 For their monkey and cat's paw. 
 
 They call themselves Republicans, 
 They are nothing but anticans, 
 And lecture for the temperance cause 
 And then violate all the laws. 
 
 Talk temperance where'er they can 
 To get the men to vote for rum, 
 And vote for men that drink it too ; 
 That is the way the leaders do. 
 
 See the chuches in our city ; 
 
 Oh ! it is an awful pity 
 
 To see them vote to have rum sold, 
 
 All through the city and so bold. 
 
 Only about fifty voted, 
 I judge the way it was quoted, 
 To support a temperance man 
 And send him on to Washington. 
 
 One whose morals are not abused, 
 And would have all well used, 
 Instead of that they vote for many 
 That honest people feel' ashamed. 
 
 The leader of this great nation 
 Should be good for any station, 
 Men that support a rummy crew 
 Or any brothers will not do. 
 
 Men that are guilty of bad crimes 
 Should never go but stay behind, 
 Now it would be a great disgrace 
 For such a man to fill the place. 
 
 Men are brought before the people 
 And discussed of that great evil, 
 And found guilty in black and white; 
 They don't deny, can it be right 
 
 For church people to vote for them? 
 And with the lowest of all men, 
 Lose their good name, would be ashamed 
 To vote for Cleveland or for Blaine, 
 
NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 23 
 
 When we look on and see you go 
 And vote for men you do know, 
 That is dishonest, we can't trust 
 Your religion will come to dust. 
 
 I want you all to remember 
 
 To do better in November, 
 
 Then you will have a cheerful heart 
 
 And honest men will take your part. 
 
 Come right along without delay 
 And cast your vote as you do pray, 
 Then your churches will all increase 
 And all the poor will find relief. 
 
 We know of murders in this state 
 Caused by strong drink and no mistake, 
 Oh! the misery it does bring; 
 It is the Republican king. 
 
 That is how they keep in power, 
 To buy and steal votes every hour, 
 And then rejoice, shout and sing 
 Of victory with such a king. 
 
 They have a man that is so mean 
 A candidate, and is not green, 
 Tattooed all over feet to head 
 And not afraid to rob the dead. 
 
 Try with a needle to find one spot 
 Without hitting a tattooed dot ; 
 No wonder they scratch and fight 
 All the day and half the night 
 
 To buy voters and steal them too, 
 To carry such a man clear through. 
 All birds of the blackest feather 
 Will contrive to go together. 
 
 They know their young and father too, 
 And every one knows what to do, 
 Keep sly and cunning as a mouse 
 That has crawled into your old house 
 
 To steal his living best he can; 
 But never is so bad as man, 
 For he will steal and murder too 
 With his old rum not a few. 
 
 Dishonesty is not a crime 
 With such rascals to get a dime, 
 Call themselves honest clear through ; 
 So much self praise will never do. 
 
 God will not stop to hear your prayer, 
 He knows you have more than your share, 
 And you've gone the length of your chain, 
 And you will stop right here in Maine. 
 
 That little Tommy you do like 
 Can drink his liquor every night, 
 And he is patched from head to feet, 
 And you say he is all complete. 
 
 Some of his patches do hang loose, 
 But he will do to steal a goose ; 
 And he knows how to set his trap 
 And catch the goose that has grown fat. 
 
 Works for himself and not for us 
 And that is why we make a fuss, 
 We want a man to do our work 
 In Washington without a clerk. 
 
 And work for us not a few, 
 That is the way they all should do; 
 Little Tommy has grown so big 
 That he'll be darned if he will dig 
 
 And do our work from day to day 
 Only for a little pay, 
 So he did go to English shore 
 Where he could get a great deal more. 
 
 To be agent to sell our land 
 To our old foes to have command; 
 He has grown rich that makes us poor, 
 How much longer must we endure. 
 
 Reed is large, as can be seen, 
 What makes him little he's so mean; 
 For fear he should have the gout 
 Vote for Butler and turn him out. 
 
 Five dollars reward for that mean scamp 
 That defaced the stone and then decamped, 
 At Augusta in the state of Maine, 
 And it does belong to J. G. Blaine. 
 
 And spoiled the date of his eldest son 
 That was engraved on that pretty stone, 
 How could anyone be so mean; 
 And Uncle Jim says he has not seen 
 
 That stone or deface since it was done. 
 Can you find another such man 
 That would not have gone and hunted to 
 Catch the old rogue and put him through. 
 
 And the money he would have offered 
 To catch the rogue for what he proffered : 
 But we must excuse the man that's poor 
 And the trials he does now endure. 
 
 I hope to find some other men 
 That will give five, some others ten, 
 To hire a good detective man 
 To find the scamp or do all he can. 
 
 Go to the stone and take a sharp look 
 And mark it all down in his book, 
 And see if he can't find a shadow 
 Of the fellow who cut up the dido. 
 
 Then search around and in his house too, 
 Look very carefully all the way through, 
 And look in the glass with Uncle Jim, 
 Watch very close the shadow of him. 
 
 And give sharp look right in the eye, 
 Then he must listen and hear him sigh, 
 And catch the sound and write it plain 
 And see if it will spell Blaine. 
 
 ELIAS NORWOOD. 
 Portland, Me., Oct. 1884. 
 
24 
 
 NORWOOD'S POLITICAL POEMS. 
 
 SECOND PART. 
 
 For my mistakes will you excuse, 
 None of my truths please don't refuse; 
 I will tell you what we can do. 
 Save our money and keep sober too. 
 
 Use no liquor of any kind, 
 
 It will save you strength and time; 
 
 Tobacco please don't use, 
 
 Tea and coffee I do refuse, 
 
 For they are all poison stuff 
 And will keep us weak enough. 
 But let the rich use all they please 
 And our taxes soon will cease. 
 
 The more they use and we use none, 
 Sooner their money will be gone; 
 Save your pennies and your health 
 Will surely increase your wealth. 
 
 Eat all you want and eat enough, 
 And never eat no foolish stuff, 
 Eat no luncheon no time of day, 
 But three meals in the right way. 
 
 To save your health and all your lives, 
 Then you'll be happy and your wives; 
 Soon after that the time will come 
 When you and I are dead and gone. 
 
 Our children may have their sway 
 And be their masters every day, 
 Time will come and weJie forgotten 
 When we are all dead and rotten. 
 
 We shall all die, we know we must, 
 And our bodies turn to dust. 
 There we shall rest and never end, 
 This we know and can depend. 
 
 Our children then will command 
 And have their way and rule the land, 
 It's my religion to do good; 
 We can do no more if we would. 
 
 Now, my friends, help one another, 
 Aud live along like brothers, 
 And you'll conquor if you try; 
 Now farewell and all good-bye. 
 
 My parents were called very poor, 
 Had fifteen children, I am sure, 
 And it was so by nature planned 
 All but three were born in Cape Ann, 
 
 In Massachusetts State so good; 
 Both my parents names were Norwood, 
 When I was born can't remember, 
 On the eighteenth of September. 
 
 'Twas eighteen hundred and fourteen, 
 Near Halibut Point where it was green ; 
 My father's name was Abraham, 
 His father's name was Jonathon. 
 
 Now I do live in Portland, Maine, 
 On Lowell Street with my good dame, 
 Thirty-three is my new number, 
 This is where I make my thunder. 
 
ERRORS. 
 
 The author not being familiar with proof reading, and the rules that 
 
 govern printers, neglected to read the proof, and on examining the book 
 after coming from the press, calls attention to the following slight, errors, 
 which have been made by the printers. 
 
 PAGE. VERSE. 
 
 He owns all money 3 3 
 
 V. B. Bray 4 8 
 
 Sour tree 4 13 
 
 Uncle Jim 4 23 
 
 Pass the bill 4 24 
 
 Our freight and Oh then ... 5 5 
 
 Wisconsin land 5 7 
 
 The vane, seen it blow 5 11 
 
 And take away 5 16 
 
 They did him pet 6 14 
 
 Each one did dress 16 
 
 Would let us see 6 26 
 
 Duties had to be paid 8 24 
 
 Till uncle Johnny U 11 
 
 Did not need the 11 26 
 
 It took a pile 12 5 
 
 With your old bonds 13 17 
 
 Street; and come along 14 4 
 
 Uncle Ben that good lo 3 
 
 You stayed at home 16 28 
 
 Get you in 17 7 
 
 Temperance city 2 L 1 
 
 To punish all 22 9 
 
 Vote for Blaine 22 24 
 
 Or any brothels 22 25 
 
 Figure up and see if ' twill spell 23 27 
 
 But three square meals is 24 5 
 
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