Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1873-01-23
HUMBUG.

OTeuis noollter-Wntle the cOnStruc-
tion Of Railways TO a great extent,
monorolizes the attention of the
people-wh'le Holly and stand-pipe
systems of Water Works agitate To-
ledoans-while the fair sex, not con-
tent with the sphere Of Home, are
prone to laupch their bark in the
stormy sea of politics, to vote. and
hold ofBce-while "foam globes"
OF pasnion are effervescing from the
whirlpools of agitation both North
Isand South-while some are debating
whether the Republic of France is a
real patriotic aspiration tor freedom
and equality. or sham, prolific with
partisan jealcusies and contending
factions-while San Fancisco rejoic-
es that her capitalists were not bit
ten more by the huge diamond swim
die, and while New York is beginning
to congratulate herself that hanging
for murder is not "played out" and
that there is glimmerlng prospect
that thieves may be punished, we, in
our quiet unpretending way, looking
at all these things and many others
by the clear glass Of meditation, feel
constrained to say 8 few words on
the subject of Humbug-that thing
SO prevalent, so potent, and so close
ly interviewer with all the actions Of
mankind and ramifying through all
the avenues of social, commercial
and political life.
Humbug has, within a few years,
grown from mere abstraction into
reality. 1t has, in great measure,
lost its suspicious and disreputable
character, and taken prominent
position among fashionable and re-
spectacle society. Instead Of being
looked at askance, and having the
cold shoulder turned on it, it is ccur-
ted and caressed. Fashion patroni-
zes it-Wealth acknowledges it
Poetry sings for 1.-THE world en-
courages and bows to its success,
and even true genius is sometimes
dazzled with its tinsel and glitter, and
und feels discontented with Its own
less rapid, but more honorable ad-
vance.
1t seems to be an effect of the lib.
erty and opportunity which opinion
nowadays finds for expressing it
self, that subjects become more in
| volved, complicated and less easy OF
solution. Every man that has the
| feast inkling of an idea claims for
| birnself an audience, and generally
Eobtains it. Sham and shoddy sway
the multitude CO extensively with
chat which is real. Josh Blllingism
and Nasby dishwater are as potent
as the profoundly of TYNDALL CT
the research OF an AGAssIE. True
diamonds are not in demand, when
paste will answer every purpose.
Amid the universal hubbub thus oc
casioned, the few who have power
to "look into the seeds of time" and
discern the truth, are fain to hold
their tongues, lest they be met with
gibes and sneers. The world pendu
lates from one extreme TO the other
until authentic history comes in as
umpire and settles the dispute. Blu
in every subject so conroverted, We
think it is safe rule Of judging tc
allow little Of real, essential truth
and sincerity to everything, and tc
4 make allowance for large ingredi
ence of passion, false zeal, mistakes
and especially of Humbug. The
| world is like a doting old father
ready to listen to every tale from his
children, and to espouse that side
whose claims he last heard
1t seems that the redundant spiri
4 ofliberty which our nation posses
ses, and the wide range which is Civ
zen to the development of all sorts o
opinions, renders it peculiarly liable
to be imposed upon by multitudes O
specious, crude, ,uhanalyzed doctrines
and quilting. money-extracting hum
bugs, from the green-cheese theory
Of the moons composition down t.
Holly waterworks. Everything
flourishes here like rank vegetation
on prarie soil. When q Turk seei
something wondersul, he looks will
imperturable composure on it
strokes his beard and exclaims, Gal
lah is Allah h',-"God is great"
German beholds 1t with phlegmati'
4 stolidity, smokes his pipe and i'm
mediatcly proceeds to build up
I theory. B Frenchman grimaces
shrugs, enjoys it excessively, ant
turns and forgets it. Jon Bull pres
ses forward cautiously, gives it
sinister look, wheezes and sneers
| But Brother Jonathan walks up will
his hands in his pockets. and exclaim
"Hallo! Mister, what's the price P
"Only shillin, !" "Wall, reckon
can go it then" If the thing is goo,
he congratula.es himself on havin.
had the worth of his money, and
not, he urges all his friends to g,
and see it.
K Without possessing the flashy, yer
satile excitability OF the Frenchman
we have got into such a habit O
thinking that the whole creation
was made for our playground, tina
:, we consider ourselves deprived O
, some of tn, perquisites if we do no
enter into a nominal possession O
every variety that offers itself. Ad
to this the facts that Jonathan is de
i termined not 10 be behindhand wit
the other nations of the eartt
f and wishes to show the Ol
q World that he can afford-to pay fo
anything that Royalty itself smile
Il on, and that he has also genuin
t admiration for a well concocted, we
= conducted and successful humbue
/, and it can easily be seen why we ar
: SO credulous, and part with our NOR
f eyso easily.
And, after all, who can blame ar
y other? What business, what pre-
, fesslon. what relation in life is nc
largely spiced, and made snowy an