New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-28
REPUBLICAN, WAYS.

There is a considerable amount OF hide
bound persistency" in Republican Conventions
about these days. according to Mugwump or
CANS. Persons more inclined to sec things as
they are might call it manly courage or honor
able fidelity. One after another the Republ-
can State Conventions take occasion to express
the opinions and wishes of the party on tariff
ouestions. and these declarations reiterate, with
an earnestness and unanimity to Mugwumps
truly distressing, the conviction of Republic
cans that the protective system has been p bless
ing to the country, that il ought to be main
tanned with patriotic steadiness, and that the
dishonest attempts of Democrats and Mug
wumps to break it down, under pretence OF re-
forming abuses, merit public censure. III is
this sort of thing which so annoys the average
Mugwump journalist that he speaks OF the con-
yentions aforesaid as "hide-bound"
1t seems quite offensive to these persons that
the Republican party has not been convinced
by what they suppose their reasonings, nor en-
lightened by the Ignorant errors OF the greaO
statesman from Texas, nor forced into showing
the white feather by tremendous announcements
respecting the size of the Mugwump vote and
the terrible things it is going to do. To put tho
matter mildly, the Republican party treats
these persons with contempt 1t shows no fear
of them, because it has none. When they were
helped four years ago by large number OF we'll
meaning but not particularly wise individuals,
who were cheated by Mugwump falsehoods to
the effect that "the tariff was not an ISSUE"
and that cleveland was great reformer,"
the allied forces managed to miss defeat by
six or seven hundred votes. The cOnsidera-
bic body of citizens who then were duped by
Civil Service reform pretences are not glorify-
ing Mr. Cleveland at present, and the Free
Trade Mugwumps are left to brag and bully just
as they did before, but with fewer votes behind
them.
In success or defeat, however, the Republi-
can party avows its convictions and purposes
without equvocation indeed with bald can
dor which the Mugwumps are fond Of calling
Indifference to public opinion" These tail
ors of Tooley street consider their whims to be
public opinion. There is afloat great deal OF
indifference to the public and private opinion
of Mugwumps just now it must be confessed.
But the truth is that the Republican party has
never been cowardly. evasive or double-tongued
on the tariff question, since it carried Pennsyl-
vania and achieved its first national victory by
the boldest possible declaration in favor Of pro-
lection. 1t then gave pledges which the people
trusted The Republican party has never been
false to those pledges. AT no time have the
opponents of protection in its ranks been able
to command more than a triling minority in
Congress, or to make any serious contest in its
conventions, or to propose candidate for the
Presidency with the slightest hope of his NOM
ination. Because it has stood manfully by its
convictions and pledges, the Republican party
has been meanly sneered at and carefully lied
about for good many years. by persons whose
presence in the Democratic ranks now gives it
much satisfaction. But if they were many
times as numerous, the party would still have
but one course possible for it to pursue-being
an honest body of men, not able to pretend one
thing in Kentucky and another in New-Jersey,
as the Democrats and Mugwumps have done so
long. II would be obliged by the necessities
of its very being to speak frankly and fight
hard for the protection Of home industry.
This is not Indifference to public opinion"
II is simply repugnance to methods Of success
which those prefer who have neither courage
nor honesty. When person who calls him.
self Civil Service reformer persists in prating
about Mr.. Cleveands strong attachments to
a cause which he has done more to defeat and
disgrace than any President since Martin Van
Buren,, he illustrates way of seeking success
which is not Republican. When a person denies
that Mr.. Cleveland is a free trader in principle,
or that the Mills bill is free trade measure,
and pretends that all he wants is more perfect
protection for manufactures, he illustrates way
of seeking success which, Heaven be thanked, is
not Republican.