“The Prop of the Nation”

Description

"'Who is the support of our country today, The rich or the poor?' you may ask. No, it is the man with the toil-hardened hand Who forever you'll find at his task." The song describes the various accomplishments of the worker, from farming to construction

Supplemental text

Prop of the Nation, The
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

From Anne Warner, Traditional American Folk Songs from the Anne &
Frank Warner Collection, #74, p. 180. From the singing of
Lena Bourne Fish of New Hampshire. Collected 1941.

"Who is the support of our country today,
The rich or the poor?" you may ask.
No, it is the man with the toil-hardened hand
Who forever you'll find at his task.

He labors with zeal and earnestly strives
To obtain all the best things of life.
He will give of his substance to brothers in need,
To those who have failed in the strife.

(4 additional stanzas)

Notes

Lena Bourne Fish, who sang this song for the Warners, thought it came from Rutherford B. Hayes's presidential campaign of 1876. There is, perhaps, some logic to this; Hayes, while not poor, was by no means as well-off as his Democratic opponent, Samuel Tilden. Hayes was also completely honest (a welcome change after the corruption of the Grant administration); it is sad to note that he became president as a result of Republican electoral chicanery in which he had no part. - RBW

References

1. Warner 74, "The Prop of the Nation' (1 text, 1 tune)
2. ST Wa074 (Partial)
3. BI, Wa074