Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-21
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER Il 1885.

The President and the Mugwumps.
The campaign in New York grows
more interesting as election day ap-
! proachcs. The failure of the New York
City Democratic organizations to agree
upon county ticket Is being used to
create theimpressIon that the prospect for
the success Of the Democratic ticket is
not good. 1t is, OF course, to be regretted
that there should be a lack Of harmony
among these organizations, but it is prob
able that as long as they exist it will not
be possible to control the tull Democratic
vote OF New York city for the Democratic
party.
The Mugwumps are not finding it so
easy as they expected, probably, to eX-
plain why they support the Republican,
instead Of the Democratic, candidate for
fovernor.
They say that they want to support Mr..
Gleveland's administration, and that they
intend 10 support it, but that they cannot
support Gov. Hill because be represents
the anti-reform element in the Democratic
party. 1t is, OF course, much easier to
assert that GOV. Hill leads an anti-reform
element than to prove that he does. How
can the Mugwumps consistently support
Mr.. Cleveland when they know that he is
earnestly DESTROYS of Gov. HIPS electiOng
Can it be that they differ with HIM with
respect to Gov HIPS fitness for office, or
do they wish to be understood as thinking
that Mr.. Cleveland. whom they support
because he is reformer, is anxious to
see elevated to very high Office man
whole opposed to reform? And If they
think Mr.. Cleveland is knowingly sup
porting a leader OF anti-reformers how
can they consistently continue 10 support
Mr.. Cleveland?
The fact is, the support which the
Mugwumps gave Mr.. Cleveland's admin
istration at its beginning amounted to
practically nothing after they got all they
thought it was possible for them to get.
They never did support Mr.. Cleveland
because they admired him, or regarded
HIM as a great reformer. They supported
him simply because they didn't like Mr..
Blaine, and were willing to do anything
to defeat Mr.. Blaine AS soon as the
presidential election was over they drfted
back to their party again.
1t would be much more straightforward
in them to say squarely and fairly that
they support Mr.. Davenport because he is
a Republican.
A comparison Of the records of Coy.
Hill and Mr.. Davenport shows that Gov.
Hill has better record as retormer
than Mr.. Davenport has, and it is pretty
certain that If he were the spokesman that
the Mugwumps try TO make him out to
be, the President would not desire his cleo
ton.
The Mugwumps certainly have a curl
GUS way Of supporting the President.
They have no representation in Congress,
and hence, have no chance there to lend
him helping hand in time of need. They
know that if the Republicans carry New
York it will be claimed that the Presi-
dents civil service policy is not approved
by the people, and the enemies of the adj d..
ministrauon, within the party, will be-
come holder in their attacks upon it.
The only way the Mugwumps can help
Mr.. Cleveland is by helping the Demo-
cratic party TO carry New York. They
refuse TO help Mr.. Cleveland in the only
way they can help him. 1t is fair to as
sumo, therefore, that they are not as sin
cere in their professions of goodwill to-
wards him as they would like to have the
country believe.