{"id":6997,"date":"2021-01-27T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/poetry.newspaperhistory.com\/?p=449"},"modified":"2021-01-27T01:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T06:00:00","slug":"a-parable-for-reformers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/a-parable-for-reformers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Parable for Reformers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\"><em>From the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/chroniclingamerica.loc.gov\/lccn\/sn99021999\/1913-01-27\/ed-1\/seq-4\/\"><em>Omaha Daily Bee, January 27, 1913<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em>\n \n\n \u2019Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,\n Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;\n But over its terrible edge there had slipped\n A duke, and full many a peasant.\n So the people said something would have to be done\n But their projects did not at all tally.\n Some said, \u201cPut a fence around the edge of the cliff\u201d;\n Some, \u201cAn ambulance down in the valley.\u201d\n \n But the cry for the ambulance carried the day\n And it spread through the neighboring city.\n A fence may be useful or not, it is true\n But each heart became brimful of pity\n For those who slipped over that dangerous cliff\n And the dwellers in highways and valley\n Gave pounds or gave pence, not to put up a fence,\n But an ambulance down in the valley.\n \n \u201cFor the cliff is all right if you\u2019re careful,\u201d they said,\n \u201cAnd if folks ever slip and are dropping,\n It isn\u2019t the slipping that hurts them so much\n As the shock down below when they\u2019re stopping.\u201d\n So day after day as those mishaps occurred,\n Quick forth would these rescuers sally\n To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff\n With their ambulance down in the valley.\n \n Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,\n For the voice of true wisdom is calling:\n \u201cTo rescue the fallen is good, but it\u2019s best\n To prevent other people from falling.\u201d\n Better close up the source of temptation and crime\n Than deliver from dungeon or galley;\n Better put a strong fence around the top of the cliff\n Than an ambulance down in the valley.<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> \u2019Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,<br \/>\n Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;<br \/>\n But over its terrible edge there had slipped<br \/>\n A duke, and full many a peasant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newspapers","category-omaha-daily-bee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6997\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desperaudio.com\/newspaperpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}