"By better men not trying."
"But we have reform movements all the time, led by good men. Why aren't
these men elected?"
"Who are as absolutely inexperienced and blind as to the way to
influence votes, as well can be. Look at it, as a contest, without
regard to the merit of the cause. On one side we have bosses, who know
and understand the men in their wards, have usually made themselves
popular, are in politics for a living, have made it a life-study, and by
dear experience have learned that they must surrender their own opinions
in order to produce harmony and a solid vote. The reformer, on the
contrary, is usually a man who has other occupations, and, if I may say
so, has usually met with only partial success in them. By that I mean
that the really successful merchant, or banker, or professional man
cannot take time to work in politics, and so only the less successful
try. Each reformer, too, is sure that he himself is right, and as his
bread and butter is not in the issue, he quarrels to his heart's content
with his associates, so that they rarely can unite all their force.
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