New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-21
THE MUG WUMP PARTY-1S64-1sS5.

! AN EXTRACT FROM A FUTURE SCHOOL HISTORY
After the exhaustive review Of the ravages OF tho
Colorado beetle potato bug In the last chapter va
como naturally to the consideration OF the MugwumH
party.
This partv first camo into notice In 1884, and was
almost wholly confined to Ncy-York. II was headed
By George william Curtis or fuller biographical ac-
count see under head OF National Calamities George
Jones Consult also Public Nusances) and Larry Cod-
kin (sce Dangers Of Unrestricted Immigration. 10
was during the Blaine. Cleveland campaign that Tho
party made its appearance, and together with man
named r. Il. Burchard (see also under bend OK Fifteen
Decisive Failures Of the World did much to defeat
Mr.. Blaine The party at first claimed to be branch
of the Republican, though 1t clear to any inteni@
gent man that It more In the nature OF nutgan
on a large oak than Of a healthy branch.
During the campaign and subsequently the party
manifested great of Mr. Blaine and the bare intel|
lIgcncc that he his to Ncw-York threw its
leaders into paroxysms OF trcpdation. On one such
occasion the G. ". Curtis mentioned above crawled
I'D high shell-bark hickory tree on staten Island,
while Godkn was found wandering almiessiy aooue
Cologne Alley in the Second Ward, and Jones was as
covered in Hobolen. They were rescued from theIr
perous positions by friends. Many Oh these mans
fostations can now only be accounted for as form
of mild insanity Of much tho same nature as some-
times develops in followers of some extremely emo~
tonal religious sects Tho adherents OF the party
nothing of Its objects or inside WORKINGS ana "ero
only required subscribe for the newspapers pup
llsbed by the leaders and vote curious, out not
important point that the names OF the papers hey
published have been lost.
The Mugwump party furnished much amusement
for the of the country, IL seems our ancestors
were not averse to quiet pleasantly. An anecdote
of Kentucky gentleman who lived In that day was
first published some fifty years ago. 1t seems
he had running horse which in every race invariably
bolted the track, lay down its back and INDUCED In
fit Of the blind saggers kicking at the air and getting
left 10 the race and that his faceously named
him Mugwump.' The student VIII see that the peo-
pie in Old pioneer times not without keen
sense OF the fitness of things.
During Cleveland's term Of Office the Mugwumu
leaders continued praise him in high terms for every
thing he did, though he gave heed to Civil Service
reform anything else for which they claimed to
lend him their support. None of the party secured
any of the Offices at the disposal OF the Administration.
When IN 1888 Benjamin Harrison Gnaugurated
March 4, 1850 nominated by the Republicans,
some expected TO the Mucwumps return 10 tha
Republican party. The more cearheaded Of the Re-
publican party leaders did not however, and not
disappointed, though the Mugwumps party passed
Of existence, the leaders going into the old Demos
cratic party. Tho rank and file of the party scattered
and it impossible 10 tell what became Of II, az
naturally no mar would up to having belonged to
II. Curtis, Jones and Godkin Joined the Democratic
party, have said, because they held the same
Views as IL free trade, a strange falacy which
reached It's height about that time. 1t subsequently,
died IN much the manner that the Greenbach
deluslon passed away.
These leaders of the old Mugwump party were not
treated well by the Democrats, who were inclined td
sheer at them and them of being late recruits
which they certainly were, the Democratic party
also went TO pieces few years after 1t Is authenu-
cally stated that after short time they said privately
that they disguised with their surroundings and
wished that they had never deserted the Republican,
party.
The fate of tho three leaders IS wrapped in much
obscurlty and the few antiquarians who have taken
trouble to look into the matter have shed but t+
tie light It, 1t Is known that Curtis was something
of a literary before he a Mugwump, and 1t Ia
claimed that after the collapse OF the Democratic party
he returned that life, and that he tho
author Of anonymous lyric which appeared late In
the nineteenth century entitled my Life is Like a
Bally Ioss7 This mas not been proved The evil
dence that he had something TO do with the authorship
of religious work entitled The Probable Fiery Futura
State of tho DlsSener7 not much stronger. Jones
dropped completely out of sight as did man named
Cardig said to have been giant, few years earlier
There families still living named Jones, but they
vehementy deny being descendants of the one undes
consideration OF Godkln but little moro Is known.
Professor Snifter has shown that his right name was
OGodkn, and tried to show that later in life he
turned It and lccturcd through the country tho
Mistakes OF the Ten Commandments but the evt,
deDcs is not without flaws.
The rise and fall OF the Mugwump party should ccrs
tainly afford the pupil much food for thought 1t Ii
Of the most curious incidents of our national his
tory, and must be classed with the Salem wchcraft
illusion and the men who used to try to 60 over
Niagara Falls in barrels. The intelligent pupil VIII
draw warning from all three for his future guidance.
Having thus briefly sketchcd the of the Mug
wump party come naturally to the progress of tho
hog cholera in the country, etc, etc.