1
THE A LLIANCE - INDEPENDENT.
V
4
Songs of the People.
All times of great popular feeling:
have their representative songs.
Luther's great hymns were the songs
of the Information. The French revo
lution, with all its changes, produced
nothing more lasting than that song of
freedom the Marseillaise. Our own
wars and exciting political campaigns
have each had their songs from Yankee
Doodle and the Star Spangled Banner
to ' Marching Through Georgia" and
the Battle TTymn of the Ilepub'ic. In
fact most of our great national hymns
have been written at such times and
taken up and popularized under the
waves of feeling which seem to call for
expression in song.
It is hard to get up a great deal of
enthusiasm or poetic genius over tin
plate or iron billets and the last
twenty-live years have not been pro
ductive of thrilling popular songs. It
is only great issues that stir the popu
lar breast till plain words fail to give
utterance to the feelings they would
express. Then a truly noble and up
lifting theme and an appropriate melo
dy will often times carry a popular
movement to success.
So true is this that we are very apt
to believe its converse and to think
that unless a party has some songs of
worth it cannot hope for success. Till
recently the songs of the people's party
have been for the most part doggerels
to the air of popular dance-house bal
lads, with an occasional camp-meeting
song of similar style. Truty elevating
words and music have been very gen
erally lacking. -
It has been left to Mr. Geo. Howard
Gibson to introduce a new tone into the
songs of the party, and to write a series
of patriotic songs which are hardly
surpassed by any in our literature for
loftiness of motive and real merit from
a literary point of view, while at the
same time they are not at all lacking in
the musical quality which must neces
sarily be present before any song
touches the chord of popularity.
The series which is known as 'The
Songs of The People'' contains much
original music written by several
different composers, together with a
number of stirring pieces arranged to
fit the best of the old war tunes.
The son? which appears above is
only one of many, all of which are re
markable for their fervid patriotism
and broad humanity. In fact, if the
people's party rises to the patriotic
level of these songs, we have little
doubtof its ultimate success as a party
There is nothing in them of the sordid
ness and selfishness which have seemed
to characterize some of the party's
representatives.
The songs strike the whole octave of
human sympathy. Sparkling humor,
keen wit and bitter sarcasm, as well as
the loftier patriotic themes, are touched
in turn by the talented author, and we
are inclined to agree with the editor of
the Arena when he says "These songs
will add tens of thousands of votes to
the ranks of the people's party."
Mrs. Ella W. Peattie. a brilliant
newspaper writer reviewer and critic
in the World-Herald of Sunday, July
21th, writing of poets, "calls up Geo'ge
Howard Gibson, who has beea writing
campaign songs for the poople's party,"
and says: It is a difficult matter to
write a campaign song. It has to be
written for the masses. It must be
simple and terse and taking. There
fore it must not be hampered with re
finements. It must contain truth, or
the people will not respond to it. The
rhymes must be neat, the lines natural
and ringing and music easy. Mr. Gib
son has a "knack" for this kind of
thing, and his songs are likely to be
sung by glee clubs in every state where
the people's party has a foothold. And
glee clubs means interest and iaterest
means votes. When a cause gets to be
the one of the common people and they
get to singing songs about it, there is
a lot of fire along with the smoke.
Lincoln, Nebraska.
J&ti 0' School in a J?eU ccaTion.
Mil' Mk
Main Building. 2C5 Feet Front,
25 DEPARTMENTS.
THIRTY TEACH EFS I TiOM-OECTAFfAHi BUT
Atii spECjUiTSTS I THOROUGH fcV GHPfOTIW
THE LARGEST NORMAL SCHOOL IN THE WEST.
FORMERLY LOCATED AT SI1ENANDOA1I. IOWA.
BEAUTIFUL, healthy, sightly location, 20-acro campus, electrictreet-car;iine,
magnificent buildings (main building, dining hall to seatGOO, power house,
water supply system), tine equipments, superior accommodations, strong
faculty, experienced management, comprehensive curriculum, thorough work,
high moral and Christian influence, and low expenses for students; make this
a Great School.
peparlipeqts ai)d Colirsess
Preparatory, Roview, Normal, Pedagogic, Special Pedagogic, State Certificate,
Model School, Kindergarten, Scic ntiiic, Classic Literary, Military, Elo
cutionary, Civil ICngineering. Electrical Engineering. Commercial .
cutlonarv. Civil Eneineerim
-- - ' V V. . . . '.. 1 1
(in luding Banking. Kite. t'en. Art, ruonc scnooi. renman
ship and Drawing. Designing and lllustratiug, Shorthand
and Typewriting, Musical (including band and
orchestra,) Fine Art, Telegraphy, and Physical
Training (including Dalsarte and
TSwedish Systems )
You Can Enteral Any Time and Find JusKSuch Classes as YOu Desire.
A Practical Education Without Waste of Time. Money or Energy it Pgr Aim.
YOUR CAR FARE PAID.
In order that all may test th merits of the Western Normal College, and
see our superior advantages in the way of buildings, equipments and faculty, we
have decided to pay the railroad fare of all students from their home to Lincoln,
provided they are present cn the opening day of the fall term.
WRITE FOR PARTICULARS
FALL TERM BEGINS SEPT., 13,1892. Catalogues and Circulars Free. Writeus.
ADDRESS:
WM. M. CROAN, Pres , or W. J. KINSLEY, Sec'y and Treas.
WESTERN NORMA.L, COLLEGE,
Lincoln, Nebraska.
i ni