The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-06-03
HITTING THE POLITICAL PIPE
A FEW STRAY BITS GOSSIP CONCERNING MATTERS THAT
CITY, COUNTY AND STATE

Of course an intensely partisan
paper like the Omaha Bee can not
understand how The Wageworker, an
independent paper, can say good
word for a public official who happens
to hold opposite political faith from
the editor This is wholly due to the
mental limitations Of the Omaha Bees
editor and Lincoln correspondent, for
which mental limitations The Wage
worker is in no wise to blame 1t has
strived manfully and strenuously to
educate the Bees editor and Lincoln
correspondent in ways Of liberality
of thought and honesty Of political
action, but seemingly its efforts have
been in vain All Of which reminds us
Of the story Of the old colored gentle
man who soaked bread in whiskey and
fed it to the fish. When the fish had
eaten and become duly intoxicated the
colored man caught them handily But
the largest fish in the pond evaded
capture.
"Why don't you get that big one,
uncle?" asked the white man.
dat OF fish am mullet head, sab, +"
replied the colored man. cit amt
got no brains, sab ; an dat s de reason
why it DON t fall under de influence
The moral of which story is in the
application thereof.
The scrap between the Anti-Saloon
League and the County Option League
will be watched with intense interest.
One great trouble about achieving real
reforms is that the leaders are too
often bent upon preventing the ac-
complishment Of the reforms unless it
can be brought about according to
their own plans and specifications. The
real reformer will seize upon any
medium, if it be honest and honorable,
to secure it. The reformer for revenue
only is usually bent upon so carrying
on the work-fOr a consideration
that he will not soon be pried loose
from the job by reason of having the
reform accomplished. There are few
Of us who are compelled to believe
that the seemingly big issue in this
state is being befogged by eminent re-
formers who are vastly more interested
in the collections than they are in the
speedy accomplishment Of the reform
Dr. Aylesworth. in his remarks be-
fore the Central Labor Union last
week, clearly explained the slowness
of some reforms The proposition to
make Denver dry was defeated by
$4,000 majority. The reasons were
numerous DIR. Aylesworth says that
a majority Of the church people and a
majority Of those interested in tenn
perance reform begged the anti-saloon
leaders not to inject the issue into that
hof
it was necessary to first cripple the
Beast that Judge Lindsay wrote
about so keenly There were dozen
other issues before the voters But the
anti-saloon league people were bent
upon forcing the issue. eff we don t
make a showing how can we keep up
the collections?" That seems to have
been the real impelling motive. So
they insisted on forcing the question,
with the result that it was overwhelm-
ingly defeated. But, you know, the
defeat simply means that these re-
formers will now have another year or
two in which to take up collections.
What we seem to need the most right
now is some sure method Of reforming
lot of our self-constituted reformers.
The Aldrich gubernatorial boom is
builded on a seemingly queer founda-
ton. Aldrich is being boosted by
county optionists, yet Aldrich is the
man who served the anti-county op-
tionists in the state senate in 1907, and
was instrumental in defeating the
proposition. We have heard lot
about the splendid public spirit that
actuates Mr.. Aldrich, and more of the
great service he has rendered the
state But when a man blows hot and
cold on the same proposition, merely
because cold breath here may add
strength to his campaign, and warm
breath there may disarm opposition,
we begin to suspicion that he is not
quite the patriot he and his friends
paint him.
The name of Bernard McNeny of
Red Cloud is mentioned in connection
with the democratic nomination for
attorney general. The motion is sec
onded with enthusiasm. It is only now
and then that Nebraska secures for a
paltry salary of $4,000 year an at