Kansas Suffrage Song - New England Music Scrapbook

O, say what thrilling songs of fairies,

Wafted o'er the Kansas prairies,

Charm the ear while zephyrs speed 'em!

Woman's pleading for her freedom.

Clear the way, the songs are floating;
Clear the way, the world is noting;

Prepare the way, the right promoting,

And ballots, too, for woman's voting.

We frankly say to fathers, brothers,

Husbands, too, and several others,

We're bound to win our right of voting,

Don't you hear the music floating?

Clear the way, the songs are floating;
Clear the way, the world is noting;

Prepare the way, the right promoting,

And ballots, too, for woman's voting.

We come to take with you our station,

Brave defenders of the nation,

And aim by noble, just endeavor

To elevate our sex forever.

Clear the way, the songs are floating;
Clear the way, the world is noting;

Prepare the way, the right promoting,

And ballots, too, for woman's voting.

By this vote we'll rid our nation

Of its vile intoxication.

Can't get rum? Oh, what a pity!

Dram-shops closed in every city.

Clear the way, the songs are floating;
Clear the way, the world is noting;

Prepare the way, the right promoting,

And ballots, too, for woman's voting.

Fear not, we'll darn each worthy stocking,

Duly keep the cradle rocking,

And beg you heed the words we utter,

The ballot wins our bread and butter.

Clear the way, the songs are floating;
Clear the way, the world is noting;

Prepare the way, the right promoting,

And ballots, too, for woman's voting.

All hail, brave Kansas! first in duty.

Yours, the meed of praise and beauty,

You'll nobly crown your deeds of daring,

Freedom to our sex declaring.

Clear the way, the songs are floating;
Clear the way, the world is noting;

Prepare the way, the right promoting,

And ballots, too, for woman's voting.

Hutchinson Family

"Kansas Suffrage Song." Lyrics: P. P. Fowler and John W. Hutchinson. Tune: "Old Dan Tucker." First line: "O, say what thrilling songs of fairies, Wafted o'er the Kansas prairies." First line of chorus: "Clear the way, the songs are floating." 1867.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Matilda Joslyn Gage, eds., History Of Woman Suffrage, Vol. 2, 1861-1876 (New York: Fowler and Wells, 1882; New York: Arno and New York Times, 1969), 2:934.
A special song had been written for me to sing, set to the tune of "Old Dan Tucker." - Viola Hutchinson Campbell, Memories of a Busy Life (Plymouth, MA: Rogers Printing Company, 1926), pages 44-45.
The campaign had been planned by well-known suffragists of Boston and New York, among whom were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Lucy Stone and Mr. Blackwell had already opened there with big guns and had returned East. As soon as we had obtained horses, the campaign was on. We were the singers, and taking one of the speakers at a time [we] would strike out through the state for a week, then another, till we had gone the rounds, going to the southern border twice. . . . We all brought up at Leavenworth before election day . . . and appeared at every voting precinct of the city, speaking and singing while standing in a barouche. . . . I got to know all those noble women well. Each was my roommate while stopping at hotels en route and I surely felt like a veteran. - Ibid.
The verse beginning, "By this vote we'll rid our nation of its vile intoxication," was enough to cause John W. Hutchinson to perform this woman-suffrage song at temperance meetings, thus singing for two causes at once. Classic John Hutchinson.

Alan Lewis

[earliest Hutchinson Family publicity likeness]

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