POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING. WORK AS A PATRIOT. GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.
FLAG-RAISING AT MONTEREY
In recounting all these episodes of a full life of varied engagements
I must take in account my political career which has extended from the
rebellion to the present time. I have had an unbroken line of action
in political work and yet I never was a suffragette. My work was to
help the cause of my country and those who went bravely forth to
conquer or die. I come honestly by my patriotism, for I am a
descendant in a direct line from Revolutionary stock. It was therefore
most natural for me, when the battle cry was heard to "Be up and at
them." If the enemy was in the wrong and our flag was in danger my
voice went ever out in song. I can proudly say I have taken part in
every presidential campaign from Lincoln down to McKinley. From the
beginning of the Republican party I have worked for its candidates and
won every time except when James G. Blaine was defeated. Oh, what a
fight we had! I'll never forget the Mulligan letters sent out at the
last moment, too late for a reply. There was a noble quartette of us,
Charles Parent, bass; Mrs. Parent, alto; Sam Booth, tenor, and M.R.
Blake, contralto. How the old Wigwam rang with our patriotic songs,
the bands playing martial airs for the "Plumed Knight." How we stepped
off with the song of the Mulligan Guards to the appropriate parody
written by Sam Booth on these letters. Everything was done to win but
we lost and when Mr. Richart read off the returns my heart sank within
me and I said, "I never can stay to hear the result." I quietly went
off the platform to my home, only to wake in the morning to learn that
Grover Cleveland was to be the next president. He was never a favorite
candidate of mine, no matter what he was in the eyes of the world.
Impressions will remain in spite of facts. The faces of all our
presidents and their lives are as familiar to me as the faces of all
the masters of music.
[Illustration: Sam Booth
Conspicuous in the Seventies as a writer of political lyrics and a
campaign singer of great popularity.]
President Lincoln came first upon my list of successful candidates and
was the sixteenth president of the United States. I was one year old
when he became a member of the bar in 1837. He was twenty-eight when I
was born in Illinois. When he was inaugurated, March 4, 1861, I was
twenty years old and at that time in Boston when the mighty civil war
began. When he was elected the second term I was in Santa Cruz,
California and in the midst of the campaign. I wonder how many times I
sang Vive l'America and the Star Spangled Banner before the victory
was won and the hurrahs filling the air at our successes. But our joy
was turned into mourning when he was assassinated on April 14, 1865.
He had only a short time to serve the nation that honored him. He was
succeeded by Andrew Johnson, the vice-president. The eighteenth
president was U.S. Grant, who served two terms, 1869-77. I was in San
Francisco then and both times I was in the campaign and won. I saw him
also in 1879 as he returned from the tour of the world. The nineteenth
president, R.B. Hayes, came next in order. I was then in San Francisco
and also in the employ of the Republican committee as vocalist. James
A. Garfield became the twentieth president. He was inaugurated March
4, 1881, and had served only three months when the assassin's bullet
laid him low. Chester A. Arthur, vice-president, took his place, the
third vice-president, to become the nation's chief executive during
the time I aided the Republican campaign committee. I now come to the
twenty-third president, Benjamin Harrison, whose campaign was a record
breaker. At that time I was living in San Bernardino, California, in
one of the largest counties of southern California. This county had
been democratic since 1849. The Republicans determined to win the
county. There were enough progressives to attempt it and war on the
corrupt old ring. The Grand Opera house was engaged as the place to
inaugurate the campaign. My son was director of the Seventh Regiment
band and also of the orchestra at the opera house. I had signed an
agreement to sing for the committee throughout the campaign. With this
arrangement the music was assured. All other details completed we were
ready for the great battle. Our initial performance took place
November 9, 1888, in the Grand Opera house, San Bernardino. The
announcement in the morning papers after the first gun was fired was
the following:
"Record of the Democratic party shown on the Chinese question from the
days of '49, in an able and eloquent speech by Judge Adams of San Luis
Obispo, at the Republican meeting last night.
"Patriotic and stirring music by Mrs. Blake-Alverson who was recalled
five times.
"A magnificent speech upon the Tariff Question by Judge W.A. Cheney of
Los Angeles.
"The assemblage was called to order by H.J. Hurley, Chairman of the
R.C. Committee, who introduced John L. Campbell as chairman of the
meeting. The list of vice-presidents was called by Lyman Evans Esq.,
etc."
This was the opening gun. The campaign began so auspiciously that the
Riverside committee desired our services and on June 29 the train for
Riverside left San Bernardino with five hundred boosters and at Colton
about twenty-five men and a drum corps got aboard. On arriving at
Riverside the visitors were received by the Republican club, the men
forming in procession and seventy-five women taking carriages for the
Glenwood and Rowell hotels. The line of march was long and when the
procession arrived at the Opera house it was discovered the vast crowd
could not be accommodated. The women were given the preference. Nearly
a thousand torches were carried in a line headed by the Colton Drum
Corps. At the Opera house, Hon. H.M. Streeter presided with E.W.
Holmes as secretary. The gathering opened with political music and
patriotic airs by the band and glee club. The address of the evening
was made by A.H. Naftzger, followed by Capt. C.W.C. Rowell. Rev. T.C.
Hunt made a ringing speech for Harrison and protection to home
industries. Capt. N.G. Gill and H.B. Everest presented the new
features of the campaign issues. Judge H.M. Jones made a fine and
telling speech, causing much enthusiasm, followed by George
Nickerson's singing with fine effect, The Red, White and Blue. Other
telling speeches followed. Then Mrs. Blake-Alverson sang Vive
l'America and in response to a tremendous applause sang the following
song, to the tune of Tippecanoe:
The convention last week in Chicago
Decided, unanimously, too,
To put up a man for the nation,
The grandson of Tippecanoe.
They balloted lusty and strong,
Won over the enemy, too,
And when they had counted the ballots
They saw 'twas for Tippecanoe.