726 THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION. 



But the practices of which I have been speaking are slowly 

 and surely filching from us the whole of our country all, at 

 least, that made it the best to live in and the easiest to die 

 for. If parties will not look after their own drainage and 

 ventilation, there must be somebody who will do it for 

 them, who will cry out without ceasing till their fellow 

 citizens are aroused to the danger of infection. This duty 

 can be done only by men disassociated from the interests 

 of party." 



The spirit of partisanship is the greatest obstacle in 

 the way of reform. When labor organizations have edu- 

 cated their members to lay aside all partisan prejudice we 

 can then take a calm survey of the situation. 



Closely connected with partisan prejudice and largely 

 dependent on the latter for its successful existence, is party 

 slavery. This feature, which predominates largely in both 

 political parties, is a serious obstacle in the way of econo- 

 mic reform. Thousands of men who, between the periods 

 of political excitement attending elections, are apparently 

 divested of every form of prejudice, and imbued with a 

 spirit of reform, will, under the methods so well under- 

 stood and employed by those who make politics a profession, 

 go to the polls on election day and vote for men who they 

 know are not in sympathy with their interests. A genu- 

 ine reformer is true to his interests and those of his fellow 

 man 365 days in the year. It is not sufficient to be true 

 364 days, and then when the time comes to forsake our 

 interests and violate every profession we have ever made in 

 the interest of reform. It is useless to repeat, in detail, 

 the various methods used by the political "bosses" to ac- 

 complish their objects. Every expedient is resorted to, 

 and effort exhausted to sow seeds of discord among the 

 ranks of labor organizations. The most outrageous plans 

 are resorted to to create division, strife and dissension. 

 These efforts are only too often successful. Men are coaxed, 



