Party Animals

                                              "The Third-term Panic" by Thomas Nast, published 

                                                                            in 1874 by Harper's Weekly, on a      

                                                                 possible third term by President Ulysses S. Grant.

                                                           HARPER'S WEEKLY 

I pondered one day, just who started this mess

Of two party animals that cause us such stress.

This all needs explaining about these great goons.

It's the Dems. and the Reps. and their animal cartoons.

The donkey was first for a staunch democrat.

It was given to him who had thrown in his hat

For the campaign for president in 1828.

Andrew Jackson's his name. President was his fate.

It seems that a famous cartoonist named Nast

Then used the poor donkey to settle and cast

This animal firmly in a democrat cartoon.

And there it was set for those democrat baboons.

Thomas Nast was the same guy in 1874

Who used the cartoon as he had once before.

A jackass chasing animals that lived in a zoo.

But the elephant stood still to represent you-know-who.

The republican vote took the elephant as theirs

And decided that Nast had finally answered their prayers.

Harpers Weekly was the paper that started it all.

And now every paper has answered the call.

The Reps. and the Dems. for once got things their way.

And the symbols are enduring to this very day.