TEMPERANCE SONG
TUNE, “ALL ON HOBBIES”
June, 1874. “The crusade” has reached Wellsboro—in an epidemic form. There is a wild feminine violence about it—an intensity of weak ferocity, so to speak, that is prophetic of a brief reign. I tried, by request, to compose a temperance song for the crusaders, but the afflatus petered out on a strong incline toward whiskey—worse luck.
IN coming down Main street I happened to meet
A rosy-cheeked damsel crusading the street,
And as she was well spoken and pleasant to see,
I allowed her to run a crusade upon me,
Chorus—All on toddy;
Good by toddy!
Oh let everybody
Go total on tea!
This sweet little damsel was free to maintain
We were losing our labor and wasting our grain
In maintaining a traffic—as bad as could be,
While the number of drunkards was—fearful to see,
Chorus—Who all drank toddy;
Got drunk on toddy!
Oh let everybody
Go total on tea!
She ground the old arguments down to an edge,
And ended at length by presenting a pledge,
Which she hinted ’twould be my salvation to sign—
But I modestly told her, not any in mine,
Chorus—For I like toddy,
Hot whiskey toddy;
Why should everybody
Their freedom resign?