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Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation.

Grant that the old Adam in these persons may be so buried, that the new man may be raised up in them.

The oyster-women lock'd their fish up, And trudged away to cry, No Bishop.

All zeal for a reform, that gives offence To peace and charity, is mere pretence.

The Bolshevists would blow up the fabric with high explosive, with horror. Others would pull down with the crowbars and with cranks--especially with cranks. . . . Sweating, slums, the sense of semi-slavery in labour, must go. We must cultivate a sense of manhood by treating men as men.

All reformers are bachelors.

My desolation does begin to make A better life.

I do not mean to be disrespectful, but the attempt of the Lords to stop the progress of reform, reminds me very forcibly of the great storm of Sidmouth, and of the conduct of the excellent Mrs. Partington on that occasion. In the winter of 1824, there set in a great flood upon that town--the tide rose to an incredible height: the waves rushed in upon the houses, and everything was threatened with destruction. In the midst of this sublime and terrible storm, Dame Partington, who lived upon the beach, was seen at the door of her house with mop and pattens, trundling her mop, squeezing out the sea water, and vigorously pushing away the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic was roused. Mrs. Partington's spirit was up; but I need not tell you that the contest was unequal. The Atlantic Ocean beat Mrs. Partington. She was excellent at a slop or a puddle, but she should not have meddled with a tempest.

Every reform, however necessary, will by weak minds be carried to an excess which will itself need reforming.

A conservative is someone who believes in reform. But not now.

Reform is born of need, not pity. No vital movement of the people has worked down, for good or evil; fermented, instead, carried up the heaving, cloggy mass.

One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.

At twenty a man is full of fight and hope. He wants to reform the world. When he is seventy he still wants to reform the world, but he knows he can't.

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations . . . can never effect a reform.

Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be a private opinion again, it will solve the problem of the age.

Every reformation must have its victims. You can't expect the fatted calf to share the enthusiasm of the angels over the prodigal's return.

Every abuse ought to be reformed, unless the reform is more dangerous than the abuse itself.

Reform must come from within, not from without. You cannot legislate for virtue.

The hole and the patch should be commensurate.

Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.