Posted by Tim Riley Link: The Pinkertons
on 10/21/2009, 12:59 am, in reply to "Re: Clarification"
The song "Hobo's Lullaby" clearly states that the "police cause you trouble" and the image of heaven is that "there'll be no policeman there" BUT no one should take that as slight or offensive comment to today's policemen. You have to take into account the history and the time the song was written by Goebel Reeves. In the late nineteeth and early twentieth centuries, "policemen" were routinely a security force hired by wealthy men to protect their interests. Even in the late 1800s, cities like New York would have several groups of "policemen" and "firemen" fighting each other for control. The Pinkertons were the most famous of these groups that often infiltrated unions in order to break them. At one point, the state of Ohio, outlawed these private police because they actually outnumbered the standing US Army in the state.
The "police" hired by the railroads made life miserable for the hobo and any migrant worker trying to move around to make a living during the depression. Often being far more brutal than any punishment merited. These are the "police" that are referred to in the song. They have little relationship to the public servants in today's cities and towns.
I am including a wikipedia link about the Pinkertons. It makes for interesting reading. The book "Gangs of New York" has more on the competing "fire companies" in the 1800s that basically raced to the scene of a fire trying to be first to establish claim on the site which often included stealing anything of value from the house while they were putting out the fire. Again, this bears no relation to the dedicated fire fighters of today.
The history told in folk songs is something I always find interesting research.
Responses: