New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-11
Trying 10 DO TT TTICE.

Mugwump four years ago are an amusing ioo'
They appear to think they can play 1t again.
Here they are, calling each other Mug
vumps" putting on grlish ways, slmperng
toward the general public, teehecing and TIT
tering whenever red-nosed old Bourbon
prorate cuincs round and chncks them under
lbe chin. and behaving generally as though
they were lust out of boarding school They
seem unconscious that these are the same
streets they have been walking for the last
four years and that they are known TO inc
police. They arc carrying on Just as lhough
they actually believed they could once more
play off wantonness for winsOmcness on the
credulous wayfarer.
Go away. girls. Your complexion is too
ruddy.
II is quite evident that these newspapers are
anxious to retain their classification OF four
wears ago They rather like if. 1t gives them
the satisfaction of thinking they are OF some
consequence. In very small party they arc
conspicuous. to say the least, and if they 21n
only thrash round enough they will have the
appearance Of signifying something so their
ruling desire is TO continue to be recoghlzeu
AS Mugwumps': n designation when they
think locates them on superior plane an ele-
walton above all parties with much Wiuer
horizon and clearer view than Ordinary NOR
tails. But the trouble is that the MugWump Is
necessarily a Republcan-there are no Demo-
cratic Mugwumps and never were-and he
publican of such superior intelligence and hon
esty that whenever his party goes wrong he
feels called upon to administer to 1t personal
rcbuke and subject it to the discipline OF de-
feat. His purpose is simply to show the
partv that il cannot with impunity disagree
with him. As soon as the party learns that
lesson he will glacousIy resume his functions
rs teacher. prophet and leader. From the
nature of the case the Mugwurlp cannot long
continue Mugwump. His is the chrysalis
state. He must either emerge or revert. lie
never revertS. We would not wish him to-
We prefer to see him come out into Iammany
Hall or some such place as a bright, beautiful
Democratic butterfly to soar and sail about
and enjoy himself until somebody catches him
and puts him under tumblcr. Only he must
not expect to be a chrysals the year round.
The Mugwump four years ago was Repub-
lican who had an abnormal development OF
what he called conscience, but other people
called sclf-cOnSciCuSneSS. The party dlsa-
greed with him about candidates He con-
SANITY asseverated that he was in principle
Rcpublcan. 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, although
I'D to the last moment he expected it would.
And still he kicks. Still he insists upon being
classified as a 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
rretence? Your usefulness as bunco-steerers
is ended You cannot play the same game on
the same party twice in succession. 90 to
your own, little dcarS. 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 one,
"The Providence Journal" This is its first
year at It, 1t has a wet towel round its head
and is kicking like q steer, though we have no
idea what its trouble is. But it is fairly en-
titled to be classified as a Mugwump. And
we are glad of it. We would not have the
species become extinct. But "The Providence
Journaln must remember that its present dis
tinction cannot continue or be repeated. 1t is
not given TO anyb ody either to have the mumpS
or be a Mugwump twice.