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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1908)
I A Bomctlmcs n. dyspeptic, but naked, Inquiringly. PMR5Kfifi '- v r not nlwnys. Ho la also 'Oh. ycB," was my nnswor. WC sometimes actuated by mo tives entirely Impersonal and unselfish. lint not al ways. And reform politics may be classed as of two kinds tho counter feit variety and tho genuine. Independent, or reform movements in political campaigns, nro Intondod to bo tho brcnklng away of members of the old parties and n consolidation of these "bolters" for tho purpose of electing a ticket which Is supposed to bo better than either of the old-lino l)arty tickets. Sometimes an inde pendent movement means this. .Some times it means that a Domocrat or a Republican who has failed of tho regu lar party nomination has been per suaded to mako the race on the ground that l.o has been doprlved of the nomination by unfair means. Hut tho basic clement of Independent movements is alwnys a claim toward a bettering of conditions, ami there fore arguing a reform, politically. Then thoro is usually the Prohibi tion movement to be reckoned with, and this Is strictly founded on reform principles. Or thoro may bo an edu cational feature In tho campaign which will prove to carry tho balanco of power as to votes, and which may bo adopted In tho platform of either of tho parties, .jvlth a view to secure votes for the whole ticket. Politics 5s largely a game of expedients, and as tho only things that count, In tho last analysis, are tho votes, It follows, therefore, as the night tho day, that votes nro tho prlmo necessities, and any expedient to catch votes is consid ered justifiable Other phases of reform politics may ontor partlculaily into national .cam palgus, und may influenco local condi tions enough to swlug victory to a sldo which may bo weaker on papor than Its antagonist. In every largo city and noticeably in my own city. I found two well de fined typos of tho political reformers, with a smnttorlng also of what were known as "cranks," "droamors" and "visionaries." Ono of tho two types rcforrod to was tho hnrd-hended citi zen who, regardless of ridicule and dis couragement, steadily set himself to work to better tho class of official selection. Without caring anything for party affiliations, ho associated with organlzatloiiH which "went after" weak or unfit cnndldntes, nnd supported and encouraged good candi dates for all offices, whether state, county or municipal. This class tt men accomplished, with tho aid of decent politicians, a great deal of good. In tho beginning, like nil men actuated by really high motives, thoy wero derided and lam pooned, and their lot, like tho police man's, was not a happy ono. Hut ns tlmo wont on Miey beenmo a forco which had to 'jo reckonod with, oven by tho most hardened of tho "bosses," .coptlng In what may bo classed ns strictly "saloon wards." In the saloon wards, whero tho al dermen for Instance, wero saloonkeep ers, or whero the saloon inlluonco pre dominated overwhelmingly, tho "boss es" did not mind reform politics any more than u rhinoceros would mind the blto of a mosquito. I never could understand, knowing the absolute hopelessness of it, why tho reformers would sometimes try to "break Into" such n wurd In an ahlermaufc cam paign. I remember very well tho oc casion of n gontleir.an calling on mo nnd cndoavorlni; to enlist my services as a speaker In a campaign of till? sort. "You know the dlsgracoful condr I , .......vi, ..u.t...tv.. , -won, we want, xo run up u ciuim- x-rfjMlPSiJ lwvP 4 Uvea entirely Impersonal ,,nto for nidorman thcro and see If wo a vnm tlons obtaining In ttal ward?" ho SSfflHHf A asked, Inquiringly. 'Oh. yes," wns my nnswor. "Well, we want to put up a candi date for alderman thcro and seo If wo can't arouse tho better clement there. Wo want to go in nnd fight tho saloons to a finish," wns his next remark. 'w"''ia"qMITWMfHrjl I i'i4"IHtn'l.1Pri mill H ''w'''hZi IB 1MflTED DOG5 CUWTWTHAMfTOATAlfROPE "Whoso finish?" said I. "Oh, wo will probably bo beaten," ho admitted, "but wo want to glvo them a campaign of education and en lightenment. What that ward needs, whnt every ward needs, la a chance to havo Its higher naturo arousod. What they want, I'm convinced, Is more op portunity to seo tho light." "Aly friend," was my reply, "I'vo trayelod some In that ward. What thoy want there Is not moro light, but moro boor." Yet, despite Fomotimos misdirected energy, these men und their associa tions did much in making political conditions hotter. For that they do sorve substantial credit. So long as thoy wore absolutely non-partisan thoy wielded consbtorablo Inlluenco, and properly, but on occasion thoy nllowed projudlco to bias thorn and did Injns tlco to good men. Tho other typo of well-known ro formor was tho ono who continually headed "reform" movements. Ho might bo a can.lldato for alderman, or the Ieglslnturo, or congress. Hut whor ever there was a "kick" coming, and a meeting advertised to protest, or or gnnlzo, this clnhs would bo on hnnd enrly nnd get the chairmanship of tho meeting, usually coming out In a "ringing" speech of denunciation against tho Infamy which tho citizens had met to combat. This put tho re former "next" If it was a proposition to nominate an opposition candidate, and ho often pcu away with tho nomi nation. Or, If ho was a professional man, a lawyer, a doctor, or n real oh tato man, ovon, It was a protty fair ad vertisement, wasn't ft? Not so "poor" to havo your picturo In tho paper next day, with a Ions nccount of you, your business and your speech, otc. Some thing that would havo coat you coin to havo In tho papers, and you got It for nothing. And then tho reporters out to Interview you nnd quite n rack et started about you. And In every largo city I suppose thoro nro only a fow brlgh.t promoters llko that standing nround waiting to sell a gold brick or two. Some of thoso "rcformors" wero pretty fierce when thoy happened to land In an office. A fow of them wero swept Into the city council nstrldo tho top of a wave of "popular Indignation" nnd thoy wero the hungry hoys, some of thorn. They woro simply on the qui vivo to bo "approached." And when thoy wero tempted thoy fell swlftlr and without a sound. Their mottft wns that of tho Hon. Wobatoi Flanagan, with a different Interpreta tion. "Whnt aro we hero for?" was their slogan, and they wont after fran chlso "divvies" or any othor "divvies" llko a terrier nftcr a rat. Heal reforms wero not so olahorato ly advertised us tho sham onos; tho louder tho "holler" nbout the roform, tho less gontdno reform was In sight. And then thoro wero tho "fad" rcform ors, going about flecking what thoy might devour In tho shnpo of having unmuzzled dogs caught with a soft curtain ropo Instead of a who noose, cab-horses provided with seats whllo waiting far a fare, tho distribution of copies of Hrownlng's pooms to cross ing policemen, or somo.Buch slmllnr projects. There are sometimes uneasy people In every community who wnnt to run tho rest of tholr neighbors; tho blggor tho community tho greater they aro llablo to bo In number. And In n city of two millions of Inhabitants tlioy are suro to bo found. Thoy haunt tho gal lory In tho council chambor of tho city, thoy Intent tho mayor's olllce, they Biirgo In with tho crowds having hearings In tho public ofllcoa In tho city halls, and whenever thoy havo no connection whatever. Substantial reforms nro of slow growth. It took over 20 years' steady work to drlvo the infnmous Justleo of tho ponco system out of Cook county. Some notnblo reformers went along very well for x tlmo until thoy got so prominent that thoy wore offered a high-salaried political position. And then they droppod practically from sight as reformers nnd renppearod na pny roll artists. This caused at times a revulsion of feeling among tho re formers at heart but thoy did not lt a little thing llko that ontiroly dls'cour ago thorn. I got so that 1 could usually "spot" a reformer as far ns I could soo him. The majority of rnforniors nro very busy wnlkera und talkors. They nro not confined to one nntlonnllty. al though I should Judge that the bulk of them nro Americans. They nil have "missions." If you ngroo with thorn, and do everything they ask, you aro "a patriot." If you dlsagreo with aomo of them In any way, ahape or manner, you nro either a scoundrel or without montal balance. Hut to ha "a patriot" In tho oyoa of Hioho who woro fanati cal you must arcodo to their domanda. "Patriots," said Sir Robert Peel, "they aprlng up llko mushrooms In tho night; I enn mako CO patriots In a single hour; I havo only to refuge some unrensonablo or absurd roquast, whon up starts a patriot." Thrro wore a number of women re former', too, during my political years, and tbey wero Invariably enlisted on Bomo moral question, as they lookod at It, tobacco, whisky, child labor, tho bettiM-injr of conditions for women, tho savhiK of girls, etc. Thoy wero very much In earnest, faithful and enthusi astic to their Ideals. Occasionally thoy BHeccedod, and at least, thoy novor Bfcined discouraged. It Is to tho credit of politicians In general, that thoy wero listened to with perfect respect, oven when It was apparent that conditions made It an nbnoluto waste of tlnio to discuss the questions. Sometimes an ordlnnnce barred their way: at othor times a slato law, or possibly tho con stitution of tho United Stales Itsolf was a stumbling-block, but thoy wero heard with pntlonco. Reform politics during my day con corned Itself mcst particularly In ro habilitating the personnel of tho cltj council. In this It mot with substan lal success, and It was tho ono oxcop 'REFORMED" tlon to poronnlnl reform which was genuine. Not that tho rofonnors did not occasionally havo "an ax to grind," but that, In tho main, thoy aided tho bent candidates. Hut at tlmeB thoy saddled themsolvos with aomo bogus roformer nnd Jnmmod him through at tho polls, felicitating thomsolvea that thoy hnd "put nnothor ovor tho political plate" whon thoy hnd In reality only ndded a "cheap graftor" to the city's pay roll. When this happened It mado tho regulation, gilt-edged graftora In tho council Indignant. Not that tho "re former" should turn out to bo "look ing for nomothlng," but Hint ho bo often took anything ho could got. Thla mude trado bad, for it acalod prlcoa and such a recruit to tho ranka of cor ruption cannon a "lieur" mnrkert in votes. A cheap scoundrel carnod Just us much contempt in tho council na an overcoat thlof earns from a railroad manipulator of stocks. I recollect tho arraignment that ono of tho "regu lars" gavo ono of theso easily pur chased "reformers." Said tho "regular," puffing slowly at a big black cigar, tho llltlo linger of bis loft hnnd ndorncd with a four bun died dollar "shiner," and hhi shirt front sporting Its mato, presented by Ida admiring "conatlts:" "I reckon 1 slzo that guy up right, at the start. I toll 'em 1 scon what kind of a lobster ho Is, tho Unit flop of tho box. I tPlI 'om, you, watch him; he's no reformer, and he's no thor oughbrod. Ho blows up In tho stretch the first tlmo lliey'ro off at tho gut. An', say! Did ho? Woll, he's olocted nil right, nnd ho goes ovor an' hooks up with tho geuzoor In tho noxt ward that wont In tho snmo tlmo ho gooa In. Them two frames up and goes out for tho stuff. Ho thoy get It? Yes, thoy gft It, und how much? Say, on tho lovol now, on tho squnro, thoy split threo hundrod between 'em for a llttlo thing thoy pull off. A hundrod and fifty apleco, Beo?" Ho paired and took a fresh puff at his cigar, und reaumod: "Why, If any cheap stiff 'd como to mo nnd try to Insult mo with loas than $G0(J I'd throw tho akato out of my office." And tho end of his cigar glowed with righteous indignation. (Copyright, hy Joseph U. Uowlos.) Not Altogether Painless. Pntlonco la Hint dentist's mothoda painless? Putrlco Not all of thorn. Ho bus a phonograph In his ollleo! Yonkora Statesman. I Tho Threo Grades of Milk. A city man took n honso In tho coun try for tho summer, Ho sought out a fnrnicr at once, looked ovor tho cowa on tho farm, found them to his liking, and said: "My servant will como to you ovory morning for a quart of milk." "All right," said tho farmer; "it will bo eight conts," "Hut it must bo puro milk, mind," said tho city man, "absolutely pure," "In Hint enso it will cost you ten ccnta." "Vory good. And you will milk tho quart from tho cow in my servant's presonco?" "Yes for 15 cents." Washington Star. Decorations for Women. Thoro nro fow decorations for wom en In Europe, tho most nnclent order coming from tho Austrian throne. It Is tho dccorntlon of tho Star nnd Cru cifix, nnd is given to women of high rank. Anothor Is the Lulscn, found ed in memory of tho beautiful queen of Prussia, whom Napoleon Insulted. Thla order Is given to all classes ot women who commit nny groat self-sacrifice Tho extraordinary popularity of flno whlto goods thla summer makes tho cholco of Starch n mnttcr of groat Im portance Dcfinnco Stnrch, being frco from nil injurloua chomlcnla, la tho only ono which is safe to uso on flno fabrics. Its great strength ns n stiffen or makea half tho usual quantity of Stnrch necessary, with tho ronult of porfect finish, cqunl to that whon tho coods wero now. Record of Good Work. Tho American bonrd of missions maintains 3S hospltnla nnd twice that number of dispensaries In the' foreign field, and Its medical missionaries last year treated ovor 370,000 cases. If Your Eyes Bother You get n box of PirrnT'S KYH SALVH, ok relinble, most biicccxfiuI cyo remedy made. All druggistsor Howard llrun., HulTufo, N. Y. Majesty or the Law. Law kopt Is only Ia,w; law broken la both law and execution. Moandor. Smoker have to call for Lewi' Slnglo Kinder cigar to get it. Your dealer or Lewis' Factory, Puorin, 111, Tho hnnd can novor oxecuto any thing higher than the chnractor can nsplre Emerson. WIS SI3I.I. OWNS AMI THAI'S CIIUAP it buy Furs & Iliilen. Write for catalog 103 N. W. Hide &. Fur Co,, Minncnpolix, Minn. To plead Hint anything la oxcuo ablo Is to admit that it is wrong. Smlloa. Tliono Tlrl, Arlilnir foot of Your prrjl Allan' KnoUi:u. 'iV nt Tnur IJmitKUt'ft torltoA.H.01uutil,l.ulto7,N. v., for amilo. Ho who hosltntcs much will accom plish little Von Moltke Mrs. VlnIovr' NootlilnR rtjrrttii, Yot children tpetlilnn, tofteni lbs Kunn, rnluco In ammlluu, alUyi pain, curet vrtad cullu. ilioa buttle If you have anything to do, do It; don't loaf on the Job. FARMS FOR RENT or wits on crop pay ment!. J. MULIIALL, Sioux City, In. Ono cannot quarrel if tho othor will not. W. N. U., OMAHA, NO. 40, 1008. I This Is What tTrfM I - I illvs Mo Equal. ft I Catches Me! IWlI I l6o.One.Thlrd More Sturoh. 1 1 I Jl I Vww iSBSf SSSBS juBSSS SSSSk This vomnn says Lydla E. IMnklmm'M Vegetable Compound eavod her llfo. lteml Lor letter. Mrs. T. C. Willndson, of Manning-, Iovvn, writes to Mrs. Pinkham: ' I can truly say that Lydla K. Pink ham's Vcgctablo Compound Baved my life, and 1 cannot express my fjratltudo to you in words. For years I suffered with tho worat forma of femalo com plaints, continually doctoring and upending1 lots of money for mcdlclno without help. I wroto you for ndvico, followed It ns directed, and took Lydla Ii Pinkham's Vcgotablo Compound and It ban restored mo to perfect health. Had it not been for you I should havo been In my grave to-uny. 1 wish every Guttering woman would try it." FACTS FOR SICK WOMEN. For thirty years Lydia E. Pink ham's Vogutublo Compound, mado from roots and horbs, has boon tho Gtandard remedy for fomalo ills, and has positively curod thousands of women who havo boon troubled with displacomonts, inflammation, ulcera tion, llbrold tumors, irregularities, periodic pains, backache, that lcar-lnrjc-ilovm feeling', ilatulonoy,indigcs t ion,dl7.zlncB8,or norvous prostration. "Why don't you try it? Sirs. IMnklinm invites nil flick women to wrlto her for ndvico. Hlto lins fruiilcd thousands to honlth. Address, Lynn, Mass. SIGKlEADAGHE Positively curod by thoso Lltllo Pills. Tliry nlo rellare Dl tremfrom Djrn pepsin, In ulgMtlonnuaTooIIenrtr ICntlnif. 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