New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-16
InuNQRE1RR REEORM

themselves is to reform the Democratic dog
30 that in future the dog shall not waggle the
tail. but the tell shall waggle the dog. The
harmless part of the dog is to keep the bark
ing and biting end in subsection. 1t Is very
well meaning proposal, but there are reasons
for doubling its entire success. Chief Of these ls
that the dog is the heavier of the two; he always
has wsRgled the tail, and probably always
will. Take out the large cities OF the North'
and the Northern wing of the Democratic
party would collapse. Take out from the large
cities the low wards, the ignorant and crln-
NAL classes, and the party would disappear.
The heavy end OF the party is the barking ana
biting part the end that needs reforming; that
supports Bosses that contributes most TO the
corruption Of politics that requires to be kept
in subsection. The respectable gentlemen
who are SO assiduOusly devotng themselves
to Dundreary methods of reform are very
small and insignificant minOrlty-the harmless
tail of the dog. The heavy end OF the animal
has al ways wagged the tail and the latter so lar
from rebelllng, or even demonstrating against
it, has always consented to follow, and seemed
rather proud of the association. 1t has quiv-
cred with JOY at the capture of bone by the
be tucked when driven out of soft warm
places.
But the dog has had hard luck OF late. lie
has been driven out from comfortable places !;
has been disappointed in butchers meat that
he played all sorts of tricks and rolled over
in much mud to get, and has lost seyera
old bones that had not been quite
gnawed bare. So now, to change the
luck, it is proposed to reverse the dog;
to set him on tail first, and hereafter
have the tail waggle the dog. 1t is to
be done by means of resolutions and pream-
bles and articles of association and cOnstltu-
tons and bylaws and a general reorganza-
ton of the dog, by which the order OF nature
is to be reversed. The dog happens just now
to be very sore and good deal bedrdggled.
He betrays his presence only by an occasional
yelp of pain, and is not disposed to be ac-
tive. The tail, however, seems 10 be, consid-
ering the circumstances, unusually demon
strative, and is all in flutter over the Dun
dreary plan, under which it is hereafter to
lead, and control. aud waggle the dog.
There are, in fact, two tails, one at the
Brunswick and the other at the Young Mems
Club in Twenty-fouIth-st.; but they have
common purpose. aud, II necessary. Will sDllce
themselves together, the great thing being to
establish the precedence, priority and waggng
mower of the tail over tue dog Imagine the
Democracy of the city emptying itself out
from the halls and clubs the slums, the GIN
mills, dives and dens, and massing to the
number of a hundred thousand under the
leadership of hundred respectable citizens
to purify politics The dog, with q reform
banner tied to his perpendicular tail, punging
stern foremost into the fray for butchers meat
and bones
1t won't do, gentlemen. The dog end is too
heavy for you You can't reform him by
changing him end for end, and yOu can't de-
cevc the people by going ut them tail first
and pretending that this small ornamental and
harmless minority controls the end that barks
and bites, and wagges it at will. Leaders
don't make parties EOr rcorgaulze them /;
narties choose lead and at their
pleasure change them. You gentlemen who
are busying yourselves with this scheme
ought to know tha, you are only the tail, and
that YOU can neither change nor conceal the
nature Of the dog. Nor can you waggle Lin.
There Is bur one way TO reform that kind OF
dog, and that IS to-cut of his tail. And cut
il Just behind his ears.