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To: SouthWall
Sorry to insult your breakfast food. I'm sure your grits have much better morals, both before and after they're eaten.

Anyway, since you asked.......

The term comes from the mid-19th century "Clear Grit" party, who were Upper Canadian reformers with support concentrated among southwestern Ontario farmers, who were frustrated and disillusioned by the 1849 Reform government of Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine's lack of radicalism.

The Clear Grits advocated universal male suffrage, representation by population, democratic institutions and free trade with the United States. They came under the leadership of Toronto editor George Brown and, in 1857 joined with the Reform Party to became part of what became the Liberal Party of Ontario and Liberal Party of Canada.

The Clear Grits were one of a long series of farmer based radical reform movements. Later examples were the United Farmers and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. The word "Grit" has become synonymous with "Liberal" in English Canada.

My, how things change, eh?

15 posted on 04/30/2005 7:22:56 AM PDT by fanfan (" The liberal party is not corrupt " Prime Minister Paul Martin)
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To: fanfan
It's always been one of my favorite Canadian political ironies that Brown was eventually assassinated by one of his own disgruntled newspaper employees. - LOL!
16 posted on 04/30/2005 7:39:07 AM PDT by GMMAC (paraphrasing Parrish: "damned Liberals, I hate those bastards!")
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To: fanfan
Thanks for the history lesson.

When I'm eating breakfast tomorrow morning, I will try envisioning my grits as liberals.

I may have to hold my nose to eat them.
24 posted on 05/02/2005 9:54:34 AM PDT by SouthWall (People believe President Bush will kill the terrorist, and Kerry will talk to them.)
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