The Ramrodders

A reform challenge arrives in Fort Canibas just as its veteran political leader settles into another comfortable day. Thelismer Thornton, called the Duke of Fort Canibas, has represented his district for fifty years and treats warnings about unrest with amusement. His opponent Ivus Niles turns up with a sheep on a cord, using it as a public picture of voters led by their political boss.

Holman Day's Maine novel follows the friction between party machinery and demands for honest government. Its scenes move from noisy village speeches to a tense conference where leaders argue over principles, the enforcement of a law against selling liquor, and a candidate's claim to help shape his platform. Dry replies, oversized personalities, and competing claims to authority give the political disputes a comic edge. Readers interested in how public ideals meet private bargaining will find those pressures expressed through direct confrontations and sharp dialogue.