The Placer herald., 1874-06-06
TRUE REFORM.

the selection by Independent voters in the
various counties, of delegates, to meet at
Virginia City, to-day to form State Cen
trail Committee, "for conference, consulta-
tion, and organization of the Independent
party of the State of Nevada" We hope
their actions will prove worthy of the cause.
There is no doubt but the people of our sis
ter State have reasons to be dissatisfied
with the actions of both the old part'e
and if the new party shows determination
to redress the wrongs, which old ones have
imposed, it will not lack for strength. But
the people need be cautious. "Reform" is
popular word with the down-trodden
masses; it carries with it the idea of relief
from unequal and burdensome taxation, a
speedy restoration of our national honor,
and hasty return to the full enjoyment of
the innumerous blessings we once enjoyed.
But we should remember the popular spirit
of the times tends to corruption the politi
cal atmosphere of the whole nation is tainted
with fraud, and mems hearts seem prone to
evil; the peoples best friends, professedly.
are liable to turn against their interests, and
the loudest reformer may prove the biggest
cheat 1t is trying times for those who are
really honest, and on their part, too much
caution can not be displayed. The very
popularity of this word Reform, " is sig
nal for demagogues to seize upon it as means
to divert The popular cause, AMI under its
auring banner, work out their own ex
atation, and the peoples bondage. In this
State, the word was adopted first, by few,
with only the purity of their motives to
prompt them to earnest action in spite of the
anathemas of their enemies. The struggle
in California, to carry out the spirit of re-
form, began by a few people, in a few
counties-Paccr was one of the few--and
when it was seen they were in earnest, all
the good people looked on with admiration,
and when those few appealed to the State at
large for help in forwarding the good work
which they had commenced, their cries
were not in vain. The reformers in Cali
lornia, actuated only by the purest motives,
aud desire to labor for the good
of the whole, met with the success
tt ey deserved, and, though the move is vet
in its infancy, they have been the means, in
various ways, of accomplishing much good
So long as honesty and purity Of purpose
shall be their aim, their works will continue
said before, there are many things of which
we should be extremely cautious; the first
and most important of which is, to see
that corrupt men, feigning purity, and evil
designers, pretending honest motives, do not
get possession of our ranks, and do as the
Republican leaders have done under the
sacred name Of "Union," lead US into
deeper trouble. The second, and next in
importance, is, that we do not give our en-
doroement to every move that has inscribed
on its banner Reform, until we are salts
fed of its purity. For, in these trying
times, when old parties are falling to pieces,
and men are seeking for something new
there will be many leaders rise up, and with
promises of all that is good, appeal to the
people to follow. If the Independent move
ment in Nevada has its origin in the hearts
of the honest masses, and is led and sup
ported by them, we may rely on its sinceri-
ty, and expect from it the accomplishment
of much good; and more than that, we
would cite them to our example, to inspire
them with hopes of success. 1t is, at least,
to be hoped that there will be something
done towards purifying Nevada politics.
VICTORIA WooDHULL is now in California
which is the signal for our newspapers to tell