Frank Earl Herrick

Frank Earl Herrick was a police judge in Wheaton, Illinois in 1915.  He was born in 1876. A collection of his poetry was published in 1915.   The following poem was reprinted in the Oct’93 National Statesman:

The Prohibitionist
Frank E. Herrick

A Puritan in things of state,
With heart to dare and soul to wait,
      And never-flinching faith that right shall surely win;
Piercing with his eagle eyes
Through the veils of compromise
      And the schemes of men and parties for perpetuating sin!

A soldier-sentry on the height
At the breaking of the light
      Blowing a clear reveille to every sleeping tent,
Sending forth a ringing note
From the silver trumpet’s throat
      Like a war-cry and a challenge by a fearless foeman sent!

Undismayed by sore defeat;
Bugle sounding a retreat,
      truce or armistice or parley never touched his lip,
But his quenchless spirit rose
With the number of his foes
      And he clutched his sword and buckler with a stronger grip!

He looked on the nation’s vice
Of selling sanction for a price
      To poison, stain, and blast the noblest things of life
And his soul burst into flame
At his country’s sin and shame
      And uncompromising fury keyed him to a fiercer strife!

He beheld the tragic lives
Of the drunkards in the gyves
      And the shackles that were forged by freemen at the polls,
And the men who heard the cry
And still scornfully passed by
      With the haughty spirit of their little Levite souls

Feeling for his fellow’s fate
Stirred him to a righteous hate,
      Filled his breast with sorrow his eyes with tears,
As the Master’s eyes were wet
When he saw from Olivet
      The city soon to meet his love with mockery and jeers!

Heart of Luther, strong and brave,
Lovejoy’s pity for the slave,
      Soul and sword of Cromwell fighting with his foes,
Strength be to your shining steel,
Fire to your flaming zeal,
      Victory to your valor and your rain of righteous blows!

12 June 1914