The Indianapolis journal., 1886-01-07

Neglect of Important Matters and Great
Deal of Tilsing ut Wind Mills.

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Deal of Tilting at Mills.
Interview with John w. Bookwalter.
Said l. s'Mr. Bookwalter, what do you think
of the administration at Washington City, of
Clevelandm
II do not care to take any public position on
that subject" said Mr.. Bookwalter.
After rejecting little while he said: "I don't
mind saying, however. that don't think much
of this administration. 1t does not approach the
substantial questions which affect realities in
this country, but seems to be trlfng with little
methods of school keeping, ETC.. which wins great
applause from what are called the mugwumps,
and somewhat pleasantly affect innocent people
do not think much of that sort of eowardice
which after taking the nomination of one po-
litical party as its standard bearer runs over to
the other party for applause and support You
gentlemen in the Republican party are still in
power Your ideas. or the reflection dominate
President Cleveland. He apparently has more
respect for you than he has for the party which
elected him. Like good many men who are
pushed into national affairs before they have had
a chance to study them. Mr. Cleveland is now
consuming the public time with displays of his
personality. The country is looking away from
things which give bread to millions and keep up
our status as nation to the Presidents blunt
ness IN correcting newspaper reporter for his
shrewdness in outwitting senator. Time is too
short for all that. 1t will drop away into the
insignificance Of ten thousand such things whi CHI
have happened in every administration. Mears
time the public will have come no nearer ascer-
tanning the great facts Of life and profting by
them In the aggregate production of life and
trade.
"Al over Europe questions of trade are pre-
ceding and have preceded the chivalry and antics
of princes and prime ministers. Here we are
back at the old study of morals correcting wind
mills, attempting to reason, that man. that liv-
ing animal, is divided into two classes of saints
and sinners All that ought to have been set
tied in the sixteenth century when the Puritans
set up God in the world. Now, these mugwumps
as they are called, appear to us in all periods.
"They are the disappointed men of the Repub-
lcan party | allude to gentlemen like Mr..
Curtis and some of these editors who consider
distribution of rewards. One thought he ought
to have been made Minister to England perhaps,
| another made collector of the port, and some
other one called into the Cabinet. 1t is always
the case that the disappointed literary spirits
project and sometimes achieve new movements
They will produce no permanent impression on
affairs. In my opinion the election of Hill, as
Governor will return them all to the Republican
party. If they had beaten Hill they would have
survived longer. Hills election recalls the Dem
ocratic party to its allegiance. Clevela nds ad-
minstration strengthens the Republican party
and gives it probably the better chance in 1888
The tendency of his administrations to dissat
isfy the intermediate elements with the Democ
racy. Most of his rebukes go straight toward
the Democratic party. / think his nomination
was a mistake on the part of the Democrats
They were in better position, If seems to me-
when they met in Chicago than they are to-day
They ought to have been wise enough out there
to have declared for the things they believed in
in their platform, and let the mere matter of
winning the election take care of itself
Now, this man Hill the new Governor of the
State of New York, has got at least one idea
| and that is that you must not fritter away your
party organization and adopt passing manners
which will tend to demoraliZe it. / think that
Hill will, If he has not already. come to the front
| %t11n nA.11 Al
will be seeking in the air for a firm public opin
ion. which before he comesto the end of his term
will have disappeared into the ranks of the two
respective parties.
For mself," said Mr.. Bookwalter. II cannot
fail to see the hypocrisy in this called moral
administration at Washington. Here is Presi-
dent frowning at political matters and turning
his back upon the party workers, bringing TO the
head of the Cabinet an old machine politician
like Manning. If he had only asked Manning in
there as President Pierce asked Marcy to come
as politician, it would have been all right, but
Manning has to follow the President and be su-
percilious with his old political friends whom he
made it point of honor to stand by az they stood
by him. Take it all in all, the highest virtue
man is capable of is fidelity to friend When
men have served you we'll in the line of your
ambition, do not play Chester A. Arthur with
them and remand them to contempt when they
are only product OF your school teaching; con-
tnue TO employ them, and 1t you can--and you
always can when you have the power-raise
their tone 1 have but little confidence in reform
which commences in ingratitude.
''These explosions of wrath at the White
House are something new from the locality, es-
pecially for reform. The mistakes of the news
paper press all of the presidents havs felt, but
they have all kept their temper The person to
whom the President addressed his letter berat-
ing the press went to the extreme of partisan
insolence when he had presidential candidate
stripped naked and tattooed. That this sort of
man should write to the President for vindica-
tion, and the President give it to him in the way
he did, seems to me to show Weakness