Upton Sinclair

“ If you want a license in Pedro county, you not only vote for Alf, but you pay your bills on time!"
"Must be a fortune in that!" remarked Hal; and the Judge, the Post-master and the School-commissioner appeared like children listening to a story of a feast. "You bet you!"
"I suppose it takes money to run politics in this county," Hal added.
"Well, Alf don't put none of it up, you can bet! That's the company's job."
This from the Judge; and the School-commissioner added, "De coin in dese camps is beer."
"Oh, I see!" laughed Hal. "The companies buy Alf's beer, and use it to get him votes!" ”

“ Predovich, the Galician Jew who was a member of the local school-board, and knew the words for staple groceries in fifteen languages.
Hal listened to an exposition of the crimes of the political opposition in Pedro County. Their candidate, MacDougall, had come to the state as a "tin-horn gambler," yet now he was going around making speeches in churches, and talking about the moral sentiment of the community. "And him with a district chairman keeping three families in Pedro!" declared Si Adams.
"Well," ventured Hal, "if what I hear is true, the Republican chairman isn't a plaster saint. ”

“ But we ain't playin' for the prohibition vote; and we ain't playin' for the labour vote--tryin' to stir up the riff-raff in these coal-camps, promisin' 'em high wages an' short hours. Don't he know he can't get it for 'em? ”