The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-08
READJUsTING 2EPUBLICANIsM.

November last involved any great ana lasUlng
principle it must be looked for in the State
of New York. The election of Mr.. Cleveland
hinged on the vote of this one State. The
''rebuke" to the Republican party came from
it, and to it must one turn to discover the
cause of displeasure. But before wildly and
incontinently accepting the conclusions and
claims Of the mugwumps who act on the
principle that they CHILLED the bear" it is the
part Of sensible men to consider the entire
field. IF, after examination, it be demon
strated that the principle insisted on by the
mugwumps was the sole, or even the main
cause of Republican reverse. and if it be
further shown that the feeling actuates con-
trolling force in New York politics, it will
then be time to make overtures to the '1ead
ers' in the mugwump movement, and to
reform the Republican party in accordance
with their demands. There is not, we think,
a score of Republicans all told who do not
know that the mugwumps were in harmony
with the Republican party up to the assembling
of the national Republican convention. They
know that one, at least, of its representative
men was prominent in its deliberations and
implicitly pledged support to its nominee, if
not in direct terms. They know that their
objection was to Mr.. Blaine, and not to the
party. Hence the folly of talking Of turning
the party in any direction other than it has
been headed in the past. They know that
| George William Curtis and his select friends
were satisfied with the platform, and they
further know in what esteem these gentlemen
held the Democratic party and its specious
pledges of reform" Maddened by the nom
ination of Mr.. Blaine, and by the knowledge
that the many did not bow to the few, these
few elected to go into surly rebellion. Their
rallying cry of civil-service reform was the
only apology they could offer for going to the
aid of the ancient enemy of all that is excel
lent in civil government. It will be recalled
that their objection was to Mr. Blaine and not
to the Republican party, and that their new
f'love' was for Mr.. Cleveland, while they de-
spised and distrusted the party behind him.
To rearrange the old-time Republic
an line of battle to accommodate per-
sonal objection grown into arrogance
would be contemplate and cowardly. AS
well might the Republican principles of 1862
have been abandoned in obedience to the
will of the few who were hot-headed enough
to denounce the Emancipation Proclamation.
If the mugwumps are not already ashamed of
what they have assisted in accomplishing, it
is only because their passion and folly have
eclipsed their judgment and conscience.
But if the Republican party is to follow
after a schism, why settle on the mugwumps
any more than any one of the several cliques
or combinations that took away enough votes
from the Republican party in New York to
lose the State? The numerical strength of
the mugwumps is an unknown quantity. It
may have been 1000 or 2,OOO but it is safe to
say that they came within 5000, all told and
this is probably an extravagant estimate. It
is altogether probable, too, that their
lies alienated as many votes as they brought
to it, so that their accession was no real
advantage. On the contrary, the friends and
admirers of ex- Senator Conkling made them
selves felt in way that left no doubt of their
influence In Oneida county alone, the home
of Mr.. Conkling Republican majority of
1,946 in 1880 was changed to a Democratic
majority of thirty in 1884. In this county
over three times as many votes were turned
against Mr. Blaine as would have sufficed to elect
him. The hostility here, as in the case of the
mugwumps, was against the nominee and not
against the party, the only difference being
that Mr.. Conkling's personal friends unlike
the mugwumps, did not put forward a false
and hypocritical plea in defense of their de-
lection. 1t would be much more sensible
movement to attempt to placate Mr. Conkling
But it is nonsense to talk of better pleasing
either by changing the party's policy. Re-
publican principles are the same to-day that
they have been for years. They were good
enough for mugwumps up to June 6 of last
year, and had been for a quarter of a century
before that. In truth, the mugwumps them
selves can't deny this, and every sensible
man knows it.
But there is detection in New York greater
than both these combined, and one that is
real and tangible, and one whose strength can
be determined to vote. We refer to the
Prohibitionists, who undoubtedly have drawn
nearly all their strength from the Republican
party. Casting about %, 900 votes, they could