The Nevada County picayune., 1908-10-01
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 classed as of two kinds the counter felt variety and the genuine.
 Independent. or reform movements in political campaigns. are intended to be the breaking away of members of the old parties and consolidation Of these "bolters for the purpose of electing a ticket which is supposed to oe better than either of the old-line party tickets. Sometimes an inde- pendent movement means this. Some times it means that Democrat OF d Republican who has failed of the regu- lar party nomination has been per suaded to make the race on the ground that he has been deprived of the nomination by unfair means But the basic element of independent movements is always claim toward {. bettering of conditions, and there fore arguing a reform, politically.
 Then there is usually the Prohibi tion movement to be reckoned with, and this is strictly founded on reform principles. Or there may he an edu- cational feature in the campaign which will prove to carry the balance of power as to votes, and which may be adopted in the platform of either of the parties. with a view to secure votes for the whole ticket Politics is largely game of eXpedients, and as the only things that count in the last analysis, are the votes. il follows. therefore. as the night the day, that votes are the prime necessities. and any eXpedieut to catch votes is consid- cred justifiablo.
 Other phases of reform politics may enter particularly into national cam paigns, and may influence local Condi- tions enough 'o swing victory to a side which may he weaker on paper than it's antagonist
 In every large city and noticcably in my own city, l fouud two well de fined types of the political rcformers. with a smatterine also Of what were known as "cranks," "dreamers' and "visionarics." One of the two types referred to was the hard-hCadcd citi- zen who. regardless of ridicule and dis couragement, steadily set himself to work to better the class of off ciai selection. Without caring anything for party affiliations. he associated with organizations which went after" weak or unfit candidates. and supported and encouraged good candi- dates for all offices, whether state, county or municipal
 This class Ct men accomplished, with the aid of decent politicians, a great deal of good. In the beginning. like all men actuated by really high motives, they were derided and lam. pooned. and their lot like the police mans, was not a happy one. But as time went on they became a force which had to 9e reckored with, even by the most hardened of the bosses. excepting in what may be classed as strictly saloon wards"
 In the saloon wards. where the al dermen for instance, were Saluonkecp- CTS, or where the saloon influence pre- dominated overwhelmingly the boss, es' did not mind reform politics any more than a rhinoceros would mind the bite of mosquito. l neyer could understand, knowing the absolute hopelessness of it, why the relormers would sometimes try to break into" such a ward in an aldermanic cam paign. l remember very well the oc- n .ol of gentleman calling on me and endeayorins 10 enlist my services as speaker in campaign of this sort.
 You know the disgraceful condi.