Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-13
Hnoxrille 5uurnal.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1874.
Political shippers.

wIckeIneSS ana exceeding sinfuiness
Of this world how lhe was sick OF
its hollow yanities how he had In
vain endeayored to reform il, and to
bring about the rule OF honesty and
purity and now, Disguised with its
leartlessness and corruption, he had
determined to withdraw from the
contamination Of its villainy, and
spend the few remaining days OF his
virtuous career in pious seclusion.
They must bid farewell, he said, and
never attempt 10 find his hermitage ;
he would never more be seen by any
OF his kind. His wants were simple,
and he would not require their as
sistance during the few remaining
days Of his life. He then wept copi-
ousIy and departed. a few days
afterwards his friends found him,
living In religious contemplation in
the heart of an immense cheese. Ii
Is needless to say that the old hermit
involuntarily took In boarders there
after, 10 long as the hermitage last
ed.
There be rats in this day and gen.
Grafton, rodents Of the human species
whose names are household words I'm
political circles, that are periodically
smitten with grief at the wickedness
Of the party with which they. have
SO long associated, and proclaim
from the housetops their intentions
Of retiring from the midst Of so
much wickedness, that they may the
more thoroughly reform their late
associates. They do not, in the zeal
Of their reformatory piety, conceal
from their left hand the actions and
intentions and desires Of their dex-
ter digit; they tell it In Gath and
they whisper it-loudly--in the
streets Of Ascalon. They are borne
down with grief on account of the
exceeding sinfulness Of the party;
they have loved and respected their
party associates, but solemn duty
to obligations higher than party, an
unwavering devotion to principles
bolies than a party platform, com
pels them to Withdraw from the
ranks where they have so long
marched. 1t all sounds very beauti-
full, very grand, very noble, but alas,
our faith in the reforlners Is badly
shaken when through the tears Of
sorrow that blind our eyes as we
watch these great and good men sad
~ march out from the Republican
party, we plainly see these vanish
ing figures, their dignity disappear
ing as they get further away, making
nnmistakable and hasty tracks to-
ward great cheese looming i'm the
distance, in which they hope to
spend their days in tranquility, hon
0rs and emoluments Of Office.
How these liberal reformers prated
Of corruption and wickedness and
Cesarism two or three years ago.
How bitter they were in their denun-
citation Of a party with which they
had labored and voted, almost since
lis organization. How they made
the wellsin ring with their shouts,
when they drew after them one of
the giants Of the party. But how
perceptibie was the odor Of cheese in
that hegira. Never before was this
country so well supplied with her.
initage eheeses. There was one
large one, Of the size and proper
tions Of the White House; there
were legions Of smaller cheeses,
ranging In size from post Office to
custom house. But then, as always
since, the people preferred the "cor-
ruptlon" so loudly complained OF, to
the " reform so volubly promised.
aud when the cheeses were safely
placed away on the shelves beyond
their reach, the reformers disbanded
their organization, disintegrated and
crumbied into a nameless mob,
which scattered back into all kinds
and classes and conditions Of par
ties.
Still later there has been another
spasn Of political piety among these
chronic reformers. 1t has broken
nut in several localities, but nowhere
does II make more noise than in
Iowa. AS usual the leaders are ven
cradle rats who have been reared
and tourished on cheese, until cheese
is Indispensable to their very politi-
cli existence. They have been fed
on IL In tho Republican party
until people began to suspect
they were eating more Of
1T than was good FOR them, and