Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-05
TRYING TO DOT TWICE
Tho Mugwumps an Amusing Lot-The,
Stin Claim Name That Now No LonSc
Belongs to Them. -.

The Mugwumps an Amusing Lot-They
Sti1l Claim Name That Now No Longer
Belongs to Them.
Upon the whole, the newspapers who
played mugwump four years ago are an
amusing lot. They appear to think they
! can play It again Here they are, calling
each other ''mugwumps," putting on girl
ish ways, simpering toward the general
public, teeheeing and tittering whenever a
/ red-nosed old Bourbon profigate comes
round and chucks them under the chin, and
behaving generally as though they were
/ just out Of boarding school. They seem
1 uncon scious that these are the same streets
I they have been walking for the last four
! years, and that they are known to the po
! lice. They are carrying on just as though
/ they actually believed they could once more
play off wantonness for winsomeness on
/ the credulous wayfarer
60 away, girls. Your complexion is too
ruddy.
1t is quite evident that these newspapers
are anxious to retain their classification of
four years ago. They rather like it. 1t
gives them the satisfaction of thinking they
are Of some consequence. In very small
party they are conspicuous, to say the least,
and if they can only thrash round enough
they will have the appearance of signifying
something. So their ruling desire is to
continue to be recognized as mugWumps -
a designation which they think locates them
on superior plane; an elevation above all
parties with much wider horizon and
clearer view than ordinary morials. But
the trouble is that the r1ugwan,p is neces-
sarily Republican-there are no Demo
cratic mugwumps and never were-and a
Repu blican of such superior intelligence
and honesty that whenever his party goes
wrong he feels called upon to administer to
it a personal rebulse and subject 1t to the
discipline of defeat. His purpose is simply
to show the party that it can not with i'm
punity disagree with him.
AS soon as the party learns that lesson he
will graciously resume his functions as
teacher, prophet and leader. From the nat
ure of the case the mugwump can not long
continue mugwump. His is the chrysalis
state. He must either emerge or revert.
He never reverts. We would not wish him
to. We prefer to see him come out into
Tammany Hall or some such place as a
bright, beautiful Democratic butterfly, to
soar and sail about and enjoy himself until
somebody catches and puts him under
tumbler. Only he must not expect to be
chrysalis the year round.
The mugwump four years ago was, says
the New York Tribune, Republican who
had an abnormal development Of what he
called conscience, but other people called
selfconsciousness. The party disagreed
with him about candidates. He constantly
that he was in principle Re-
publican, only he could not vote for Mr..
Blaine. That was all he had or pretended to
have against the party. So he marched out
and organized himself and assisted to bring
in the present glorious Administration.
His cause Of complaint no longer exists,
up to the last moment he expected
it would. And still he kicks. Still he in
slsts upon being classified as mugwump.
He has been voting with the Democrats for
four years, and will continue to do so. Why
not drop into the party at once and have
done with this empty pretence! Your use
fulness as bunco-steerers is ended. You
can not play the same game on the same
party twice in succession. Go to your own,
little dearS. Be Democrats and own up
to it. Like dew-drops, slip into the shining
sea. There are no mugwumps any more.
Oh, we had almost forgotten. There is /
me. THE Providence JourraIn This is
is first year at it. 1t has wet towel round
is head and is kicking like steer, though
We have no idea what its trouble is. But it
s fairly entitled to be classified as a mug
vump. And we are glad of it. We would
not have the species become extinct But
The Providence Journal" must remember
hat its present distinction can not continue
Or be repeated It is not given to any body
either to have the humps or be mugwump
vice.