, 1888-10-18
THE BIG SHOW AND THE LITTLE
ONE.

The humi.ating position occupied by
the mugwump press in this campaign is
painfully illustrated in an editorial of the
New York Times entitled IAN Important
| Side Issue" Those who are familiar with
the course Of the Times. in the Blaine cam
paign, will be absolutely paralized at
learning that this "Side Issue" is no more
nor less than civil Service Reform"
Listen to the Times:
II the question of tariff reform is the
one great central issue of the present cam
paiRn there is at least one side issue of
such magnitude that it should not be kept
| in the background. Notwithstanding
complaints of the failure to come fully up
to the exacting standard of civil service re-
formers, there has been distinct, and,
considering all the circumstances of the
case, remarkable improvement in the
public service.
Thus, the funeral baked meats of dead
civil service reform are to be used to coldly
furnish forth the marriage table of q sec.
ond term.
And so the little side show has finally
shrunk to such pitifu proportions, as to be
placed entirely in charge of the widow
Mugwump, the blind old lady who has
been going over the country for the last
four years soliciting political aims, while
the big circus continues to be run by the
old management.
Well may the broken hearted widow ex-
claim: "I desire you to bestow your pity
on me; for am most poor widow and
a stranger born out of your dominions,
Alas, sir! In what, have ! offended youp"
If the little mugwump side show has
proven failure, the old management are
bending every effort to please the people
under the big tent, where full band
six pieces furnished by the house ways
and means committee-is rendering that
popular air yankee Doodle"-with free
trade variations-from sheets Of music
illuminated by the standard oil monopoly |
and illustrated by that celebrated cam.
paign artist, Thomas Mast. his first appear.
ance in his new role, on any stage. The
educated animals attached to this great |
show, after feeding four years on govern
ment pap. from trick-mule Barnum to the
nimble Higgins, are up to all sorts Of tricks, |
such as counting l00.000-the Arkansas
political canards--a la
the Morey letter--and others of an equally |
amusing character. The stars--Mills, |
Carlisle and Breckenridge--appear at each |
performance astonishing the audience by |
their wonderful feats, especially the one |
never before attempted--of climbing |
political pole creased with a mixture of |
confederate cotton oil, yankee petro-
leum and western lard. The attendance |
at the performances under the big tent,
which was at first very large, owing to
the skill displayed in getting out the huge
poster,
The Biggest Ring in the World. Free
Trade in Saw-dust. Come ln,"
has, it is sad Ito the management to re-
late, been gradually falling off.
All the visitors from Orego 4, Maine and
Vermont left in body disguised at an at
tempt to palm off fresh-sheared sheep
for a genuine "woolly horse" and the in-
dicauions point to a decided decrease in
receipts from now until the season closes
in November. To add to the discomfort
of the management, caused by this de-
parture, there is decided tendency on
the part of some of the performers to as
sumo roles, for which Ringmaster Scott
declares they are unsuited, while they in
sist that he has grown careless in his man
ner of handling his whip, often applying
it directly to the backs, instead of dexter
iously appearing to do so, as has been the
"time,honored custom handed down from
the fathers" of ringmasters.
Meantime, the sad, soft voice of the
widow Mugwump is heard at the entrance
of the little side show: "Please buy a
ticket and help blind woman"