Nevada County picayune., 1890-03-26
A Republican spasm of Reform.

picturesque periodical violent SpaSm of political reform. With real, or mugwumpian pretense of truthful ness, candor, and honesty of pur- pose, he confessed the incompetency, prohigacy, and ineliiciency of the present municipal government. Ad- justing his single yeglass, so to speak, and surveying our broad eX- panse of hog wallows and dllapidated street crossings, and feignlng or actually feeling the shocked sensibil- ities of delicate and lovely dude, he said, in substance:
 "Ah, there We must reform and purify our town government most awfully. You Democrats must meet us Republicans in spirit of comPro- mise and put some good men on our ticket. Even our dear women and children realize that the town is rush. ing to the what-you-call-it bow-wows awfully, under the present regime. You Democrats must fuse with us, because we Republican-Union Labor bosses have led our party to that point where we are distressing large majority of our best citizens awfully, and the town will scarcely be fit for crow bait if we are allowed to run it in our own way another year. The horrid colored people have us in a hole, and, unless you Democrats fuse with us against them, we will be compelled to put some of the horrid creatures on our ticket again this year, as we did last. The very thought of that contingency is giving us a good deal of trouble, because some of our people in the ranks, in- cluding several women and children, are shocked at it."
 This makes us feel mighty bad. It affects us pretty much like La Grippe, though not in the same place.
 This amiable silk-stocking Repub- hcan signs himself Tax Payer. But, although he is bona fide tax payer to an entirely respectable eX- tent, that is not his name. And in the sense, or to the degree, that that cognomen is intended to convey the impression that he is q private citizen, it is msnomer and fraud upon the public. Tax Payer is not a private citizen. He is politician and an ofiice-holder and otliceseeker.
 And Tax Payers object is not to reform town politics or town govern ment to the extent of agreeing to or acquiescing in the election of any Democrat. His sole motive is to eX- tricate himself and his party leaders from this dilemma. Upon one hand q large number of Union Labor peo- pie who have heretofore voted the Republican, Union Labor ring ticket, :, which was black and white spotted one at the last town election, are ready to revolt whenever that dose is repeated. Upon the other hand the colored brother is de- handing several places on the ticket, and intimating what he will do if they are not given to him.
 It is to avoid putting negroes on their town ticket, and at the same time to throw the responsibility for such avoidance treachcrY to the negroes, we might more properly say-upon the Democrats, that "TaX Payer" is on his "all-fours" implor- ing the Democrats to fuse with his party. His article in the Dispatch Is simply an appeal to the Democrats to fuse with the ring politicians of his party against the negroes. Stripped of it's mugwumpian vcrbi- age, it says plainly, bluntly, and we might say unSkillfully; The negroes have us in a hole, and that hole is directly between hawk and buzzard- between the devil and the deep sea. live put negroes on our ticket enough white people of our own party will vote against it to defeat it. If we do not allow any negroes to be placed on it enough of them will vote against it, or not vote at all, to defeat it.
 If Tax Payer" is really in favor of reform, why does he not support the Democratic ticket? If it is de sirablc to have a few Democrats in the council, why is it not still more desirable to have all the town offices filled by Democrats? If one Demo- crat is a good thing to have around when things are being done, why would not full Democratic board, 7, including mayor, recorder, m Irshal and treasurer, be still better: And to reverse the proposition: If scy- cral successive entire Republican councils have been weighed ny Tax Payer" and found wanting, would q few individual Republicans be of any practical utility in a council composed partly of Democrats? If Fax Payer" can see nothing good in eight or nine Republicans, what good can he sec in smaller number of the same sort of live stock!
 And speaking of tax payers and responsibility. Will Tax Payer" designate the man on the Democratic ticket who is not a tax payer, or who is not respectable? The Democratic ticket is composed entirely of re- spectable, intelligent, trustworthy bona idle citizens and tax payers, and as such it may be commended to every voter of the town, white or