Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-06-20
Fashions I'm Cracking.

Iuc IhSHIOuS VI IblUllC ScoluS SceHl
to change as rapidly us the size of
ladies' bOnnets. Dennnciations we
must have with the regularity of
"our daily Bread" but their style
and object vary from season to
season.
A daily "independant' metropo-
Titan paper without twenty distinct
attacks upon different men and in,
situations would be more unpalata-
BILE then coffee without the trim
mings. Not only, it seems, shall we
have "the poor always, but an ever
increasing stream of denunciation,
aspersiOn, misrepresentation, talsifi-
cation, and villifcatiOn. Is not this
the era Of reform ? and "rcform' is
Synonymous with denunciation, of
course. Some scold coarscly and
brutally, like the New York San,
while other, like Senator Schurz,
denOunce brilliantly and with n
verbal elegance that proves that
scolding can be made one of the
fine arts. What can be nobler or
more elevating, what can induce ~
higher respect for human nature,
society, the church, or government,
than fiery aspersions Of both private
and public acts! Surely, as the
German musician sung when he
fiddled while his dilapidatcd board
ing house was Oh fire:
| "If this not good for bcd-buss is,
| do not know what better is
OF course we do not complain of
the fashion itself, for experience has
shown that fashions thrive under
sarcasm and defy ridicule. The
heels ofa lady's shoes have not been
lowered the breadth of a hair by a
fathers hOmiles, nor have their
.jaunty hats been converted into
bOnnets by the preachers declama.
ton against human vanity. We
accept therefore the daily newspaper
denuciatiOns of all things in being
or to be-and it is quite feather
in ones cap to denOunce in advice
as an unalterable and increasing
nuisence, and content ourself with
pointing out the change Of fashions.
During the Greedy campaign when
the attempt first originated to lie a
party out of power by organized
system, it was the fashion to de,
nOunce Federal office holders-first,
for laxity in the collection of the
revenue; secondly, for unparalleled
incapacity in permitting themselves
to he cheated, and, lastly, for ras
cality in detaulting with the public
revenues.
AS this tune didn't seem to be at
tractive and because somewhat
worn, new fashion sprung up last
winter. 1t is the same text only
set to different music. The Federal
officers are now denounced for be-
ing officious, intermeddling, and
over-zealous. Didn't they compel,
among several others, a pious firm
in New York city to disgorgue a
quarter of a million of dollars Z?
Didn't they compel number of
man who had had high hopes of es-
Gaping internal revenue taxation to
come down with the greenbacks ?
Horrors on horrors-what rogue
will be safe if Government revenue
collectors shall be permitted to go
about like roaring lions, seeking
whom they may devOur?
The way now is diminish the
clerical forces of the Departments
and reduce the salaries of those re-
naming so as to drive the most
efficient out of the service, repeal
all laws which permit Government
officers to examine importers books,
and all moiety acts, so that there
may be no inducement anywhere for
any one to disturb the rascals that
systematically cheat the Govern
ment." If, under this new reform
dispensation, the revenues fall so
low that the Government credit be-
comes impaired and all public enter
prises are laid low, the people may,
perhaps, become sufficiently dis
gusted to place in power chose Dem
OCratic saints of the Tammany and
William M. Tweed order to whose
sarines pilgrimages of the pious
ought to be organized.
Perhaps these metropolitan saints
had better suggest to Mr.. Dawes,
who acts as though he were the
leader of Democratic House in.
stead of a Republican, that the en-
tire machinery for the collection of
the revenue be abolished as eXtrav,
agant, expensive, and Inconvenience.
In its place let there be placed con
tributiOn boxes near all the news
paper offices and church doors, with
a printed notice that all persons
knowing themselves to be indebted
to the Government of the United
States under the laws thereof are
politely requested to deposit the
they may deem to be due.
OF course the mercantile saints of
New York, and the bankers and
brokers of Wall street, to whom the
credit of the nation is dearer than
life, and who have shown lately
such an intense desire for the speedy
redemption of the greenback curren
cy, will be fierce to contribute even
more than their share. But, if they
should refuse, why then-as during
he early part of the war the rebels
N arms were sworn and then let go
let both houses of Congress pass