from Act II, Scene 2 of the English opera The Ballad of Baby Doe by Douglas Moore

Libretto: John Latouche

Role: Horace Tabor, mayor of Leadville and owner of the Matchless Mine, married to Augusta

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: lyric baritone

Setting: club room in Denver, Colorado, 1895

Synopsis: Tabor's cronies have decided to support William McKinley for president instead of the party's choice of William Jennings Bryan. Tabor tries to convince them to stay loyal, believing that Bryan will bring back the silver standard that made Tabor and his cronies rich. When they refuse to go along with him, Tabor angrily accuses them of being turncoats and declares that the smart and free men in the country will make up for them.