A FINAL PLEA FOR UNION James Sherman Rowland In reply to my esteemed relation, I thus review the situation, Old Owsley County is not behind, To have a preacher and poet combined, It’s great to occupy this situation And so I’m proud of my relation. Oh! his wonderful mind how it did sour From Heidelberg to the hills of Needmore To Pleasant Grove it next did bound, And then in Baalam’s land was found. And then on top of this research, He hints that I must build a church. There’s too many churches now, tis said, You’ve got yours started so go ahead, And when it’s done you should be proud To send for the Rollers to get you a crowd. That’s what they did for you, Ball and Woolum, For you see it takes the Rollers to pull ‘em. Your house is a frame, mine is a wreck, Let’s put ‘em together and have a good’n by heck! I could bring over my ties and my planks, And we together could offer our thanks. We could get Bro. Spencer to bring the crowd in, And Bro. Bent Bowman to save them from sin. It looks like relations like us could unite, And against sin and Satan make a good fight; But the long and short of it is you see, You Campbellites can with no one agree. Unite, unite you always will say And all the uniting must come your way. If you don’t want my money, bring it hence sir, I’ll take it right over and give it to Spencer, And if he won’t have my five dollar bill, There is one thing certain your evangelist will. For he is a man of great renown, No other like him has ever been found. I commend your method of secret giving, For that’s the kind of life to be living; If all your deeds you told to your wife You’d live in hot water the rest of your life. For this is a fact we have both learned of course, If they knew all our deeds there would be a divorce. Now my dear cousin please think on my plan, And unite with the Rollers at once, if you can, Join in with each other and in worship sit, And ever be ready the difference to split, Their religion is so warm and yours is so cold A mixture of both would be good for the soul.