Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-23
Reform.
"Heard YOU those loud contending knaves
Arouse the mi ghty from their graves?
And seize Columbia by her pate
And iump her UP and down with hate

"Heard YOU those loud contendng knaves
Arouse the mighty from their graves2
And seize Columbia by her pate
And jump her up and down with hate
Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are-or
have been,-marching, not to glory and the
tented field, but to scenes of mob violence and
the riot of the commune.
The fires of an oratorical Vesuvius seem
raging in my bosom, and long to get up aud
howl, when / see the American Eagle crouch
in the corner of Uncle Sans barn yard, una
BILE to assert his superiority over the cackling
flock that make fun of his disgrace, The
strikers have struck the country has had a
spasm Bring out the bottles and spoons for
there is going to be howl for another dose
of "Reform" when man gets up and begins
to howl for reform. When man gets up and
begins to howl for reform, look out, he's mao, and
somebody is going to get hurt. just which
way he is going to sling his boomerang he
probably doesn't know, but in vague way he
believes the government is to blame for every
difficulty, and that it is in need of dose of
Reform, and he is going to help administer
it even if he has to accept an Office to do it.
1t has often been said that there is a soft
place in every mans heart. To be more exact
fit is not in his heart it is in his head, and he is
apt to take comfort in exhibiting it.
If the efforts at reform had all deserved the
name they bore where would our country be
to-day? Millions of miles the other side of
perfection. But, sad to relate, this title is
used for almost every theme over which the
demagogue spreads the mantle of his elo-
quenee and in its application it is as pliable
as molasses candy, and as elastic as the con-
science Of thorough bred politician.
After a series of spasmodic efforts at reform,
and when we have reached that portion of
the political Zodiac that is governed by the
spirit of calmness how pl easant it is TO sit
down and calculate just how much nearer we
are to the Millennium If the reforms of the
past few years have led the American people
any nearer to the promised land of perfection,
it is hard to discern it, and still a hundred men
have arisen and proclaimed themselves to be
the Moses, who could lead us out of the will
derness of Corruption. few years since, here
in Wisconsin, "The Honest Old Farmer" the
man of many woes, and many bounties, f0rsook
the pillow handles, and shaking the dust of the
burrows from his feet, grasped the standard on
which was emblazoned that magic word "Re-
FORM and led his hosts to storm the citadel
at Madison aud captured it. And what did we
look for then ? A new era in Wisconsin poll
tics and death to political dishonesty. Two
years passed away, and the scepter was about
to depart from him forever, and Dishonesty
came stalking forth as fat and sleek as Mill
waukee alderman. Sleek and fat from long
feasting at the public crib, and with his pock-
cts filled with maps. stationery, and such other
state property as was available. Then Reform
"Foded his tents like the Arabs and silently
stole away and his valiant champion threw
down the standard, kicked over his throne, and
went out and climbed over the fence and quiz
city picked up his hoe and went to digging his
winter potatoes. And now, although he has
ceased to be the champion of reform, he still
dwells in the bo,snty-ful memory of his former
subjects and, like the Mysian Attalus, cult
Yates his garden of herbs, ever grooming to
himself