Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1893 — PRAYING TO DEMOCRACY’S DAGON. [ARTICLE]

PRAYING TO DEMOCRACY’S DAGON.

A Colorado Democrat Supplicates at the Fountain of All Democratic Power and Wisdom. The following prayer by a Democrat to Cleveland is reprinted in response to a large number of requests. It will be seen that it originated in a democratic convention in Colorado: Previous to the close of the Democratic county convention last Tuesday, Edward Croke, Mayor of Irwin, arose and all the delegates reverently bowed their heads n while he offered prayer to Almighty Cleveland. The voice was filled with emotion, and the reporter found it. difficult to get every word, but here it is: “Oh, Almighty and all powerful Cleveland, who art in Washington, whengnot fishing; thou who art the.father of Ruth and Ruth’s sister, and the godfather of the Democratic party (its father wouldn’t own it if he were here ), we hail thy name as the great political prophet of the, country. We bow down before thee in humble political obedience. When thou sayestgo, we go: when thou sayest come, we come. We have no desire but to serve thee. If thou sayest black is white we swear to it, and lick the everlasting stuffin out of the man who disputes it. When thou takest snuff we will sneeze; when thou sayest free silver we will echo thy words: when

thou sayest gold, then gold it is. We are Democrats after the improved modern type. Our busines is to vote the ticket and vote ’er straight. What is it to us whether we have free silver or not? We are but dogs that ©at the Crumbs that fall from our’masters’ tables. When the crumbs fall we wag our tails; when they fall fast we wag faster; when they don’t fall we stand and wait until they do. This is democracy. This is the kind of democracy which elected thee, our great and mighty Cleveland. Oh, most great and adored master, we love thee for what thou hast done for us. We because thou art Clevela.^z We humbly surrender our-, selves to thee.. Do with us as thou wilt. Though wheat is but 40 cents a bushel we love thee; though cotton is low we love thee; though business is dull we love thee; though thousands, millions are out of employment we love thee; though our children are clothed in rags we love thee; though our wife, the dear companion of our bosom, is scantily dressed and looks so shabby she can’t go to church, we love thee; though we are sinking deeper into debt and poverty is knocking at the door, and hunger is staring us in the face, we love thee still. This shows our great, faith and love for thee. Our wives and children are willing to sacrifice, even as the Hindoo mother sacrifices her offspring by throwing it under the crushing wheels of the juggernaut. Oh, mighty Cleveland, words can not express our love for thee. We love our party too. What care we about the many promises it made? we know it promised free silver* and we know it won’t give it to, us, but we will stick to the party. We know we said if it did not do the things it promised to do we would leave it, but we lied when we said it. We thought then we had some manhood about us, but we ain’t. We have no independence. Thou, oh mighty Cleveland, hast all the manhood and independence in the party. We are fools, liars, lickspittles, mudsills. We' have

no business to want anything or say anything. Last year we favofed free silver, and now we have to oppose it. We favored it then because we thought it was right. We oppose it now, most adored master, because thou tellest us to. Ain’t we a honey of the first water? Did .ever dog serve his master more faithfully? Did ever dog get less for it? Ob, mighty master, we are ready to serve thee and. thy party. All the pay we we ask is to be patted oh the back by some local politician and called a good Democrat. We ain’t got any sense. We don’t want any, only enough to vote the ticket. It don’t tak&any sense to be a good democrat. What a joyful thought! We don’t have to think. We don’t have to worry. Our work is all mapped out for us. All that 'is expected is to do what we are told to do. We thank thee oh Cleveland, that we are- democrats. We thank tjjee for the panic. We

thunk thee fprfhe-hungry idle meh and vtomeh ifi the land. We;thank thee for the low prices. We thank, the for the bante that have busted and the thousands of busings failures since thou hast come into power. We thank thee for the hard times. We thank rhee for the rags our children wear. We thank thee for .the clothes our wife needs and can’t get. We thank thee for what thou hast done for the banker and what thou hast not done for the people. We thank thee for all these things because it is our duty as a good' Democrat to do so. It may be ‘against the grain,’ but we will take our medicine. We will work our wives to death, starve our children, sacrifice our home, crucify liberty, and kill prosperity, but we will never go back on the dear old party, and on thee, our most adored Cleveland, Thou art of more account than all of us put together. Thou knowest more than the South and West Call us fools; spit in our faces; wipe your feet on us; we will love thee all the more. And now our great political father we leave us in thy care. Do with us as thou wilt. Kick silver into the middle of the next century; issue more bonds; establish State banks; foster trusts;bribe Congressmen with patronage; fish whenever thou wilt, and hunt snipe whenever thou carest to, and we will indorse everything thou doest, carry . Cleveland roosters, campaign torches, and forever more sing thy praise. Amen.