New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-12
WHOLESOME REBUKING OVERDONE.


The business of rebuking, which has grown to
be a rather important political industry during
the dast few Gears, seems to have been carried
to the point of reproduction, and consequently
brought to temporary standstiD. The current
method Of administering what arc called whole
some rebulses came in vogue with the Mugwump
distemper The general plan OF it is for the
wholesome rebuker to 90 over very suddenly and
abruptly from the party he comes the nearest
10 believing in to the party furthest away from
him. and to slam the door after him with re-
marks of an uncomplimentary character about
the persons with whom he has been associated
There has been a general notion that the pro-
cess, if carried out with proper gesticulation and
considerable noise, would effect great changes
in the management of political parties and event.
ually in the order of nature. The Tip In this
direction, if we may be permitted to use a COM
mercial phrase, was given by the earnest tenn
perance men who began several years ago to
rebuke the party which stopped short OF their
views of absolute believing that
reasonable restriction was the more practicable
by going over to the party which favored free
rum; or, if not by going over to them, at least
by helping them to power by indirect methods
The only way they could see to administer q
wholesome rebuke to the people whom they were
nearest to agreeing with was to help those with
whom they totally disagreed. They led the
fashion.
Within the last few years it has taken strong
hold on politics. In every election the whole
some rebukers put in an early appearance and
stay through. They vote with party with
which, on the whole, they are not in sympathy,
simply to rebuke the other party. They vote
for candidates in whom they have no confidence
in order to rebuke candidates who do not IN
every particular answer their requirements. 90
the number of wholesome rebukers has gradually
grown until they have assumed an importance
that compels attention, and the wholesome re-
hu,ke has como to be a considerable factor in
nolitical action. The present Congress, how
ever, appears to have pushed the Wholesome
rebuke business to standstill. The two young
men from Massachusetts, who, following the lash
ion, administered wholesome rebuke TO the
somewhat older and more experienced politicians
of their party by refusing to accept the result OF
their party caucus, are beginning to see that
nerbaps they overdid it, The older and more
experienced politicians are so numerous and so
set in their ways that they do not accept the
wholesome rebuke kindly. On the contrary, they
make sneering remarks about the youth ana
freshness and bumptousness OF the rebukers' ana
show signs Of going right on in their own
wicked courses without paying any heed TO
wholesome ebukes or wholesome rebukers.
Then there is Mr. Mills, the defeated can
didate for Speaker, who fell into the habit OF
administering wholesome Iebukes in the last
Presidential campaign, when he rebuked an
irrevorent Guestioner by advising him to go
soak his head and afterward continued it IN
Congress. his first effort in that line being his
refusal to serve on committee In ORDER 10
rebuke Mr.. Reed, the Republican Speaker. AS
a wholesome rebuke it could hardly be called
a success, Speaker Reed continuing to pursue
his high handed and tyrannical career very much
as though he was not aware that he had been
rebuked. Mr. Mills, however was not deferred
by failure. He continued to believe in the eff
cacy of the wholesome rebukc. Consequent
". when his party caucus declined to nominate
him for Speaker he kept on rebuking. lie re-
bukcd the whole party by taking back seat
and then he rebuked his successful rival by
refusing to serve on a committee to wait on
the President. So the present Congress opens
in an atmosphere surcharged with wholesome
rebukes. But it begins to look as if the business
had been overdone. 1t is reported from Wash
ington that the new Speaker is embarrassed in
making up his committees by the fear OF being
rebuked. He does not know what to do with
Mills, for fear that statesman will come back
at him whatever he does with another wholesome
rebuke and, as for the two young men from
Massachusetts,, he knows they are all loaded up
with wholesome rebukes and liable to go of at
any time. There will probably be nothing dono
until the certainty is assured that the rebukerS
have got through rebukng.
DTpJOMACY IND CRITICISM