The sun., 1891-06-09

Taking Effect Immediately.
Tho pitltul plight ot the ardent elect oral
refOrnera. who began their crusade IN 1897.
and now. just four years later, ara prone in
the ditch which they dug for their oppo-
nents. ls well worth tho con stlera ton III the
jh liclous the tendcr-heurte !, and the Inn
perfectly informed. 1t teaches lesson. In
which all patriotic mon are concerned, In q
manner which only the jocose can enjoy fully.
Tho essential trouble with til, regcnerat-
ing roiorners OF the Mugmump brand has
ban always that they are in nh insignificant
minority In every voting community. and
that In con sequence of this. II IL :hs!r sinls-
t. destiny t. be on the wrong side Of every
public question. .inc8 the moment they ally
t'mM selves with tho majority. or with
p'bu ar pr.n 'lps or candidate. they cnnse
tO ba Mugwumps and are shorI OF all power
OF causing Q mmotiOu and excitement.
Acc 'rdnSty. when In 1897 few labor
crauk+ proposed plan Of voting which
would deprive many cltizens OF their const-
tutlonal right Of suffrage. and letter and
cOnfusl, the nrtton OF many others. the Mug
Wumns. d'sce ming II ray of hope In the hori-
zoi OF di.franohsems tiaw them
new movement. and raised great din and
up-oar which neither arguments could still
nor admnnitions soothe. They refused to
lie comfortel unless tn, American system
o. voting should be Overthrown, man.
hood franchise done away with. and
tho equality Which all men enjoy before
the luw abolished. Insteai OF this they
favored n plan OF marks and crosses based
UPON tho ever-veraal and popular school
g lme o; "Ht, tat toe" Each elector was
to declare h 8 choice Of candidate by a series
OF automRtical marks and ilourlshes, and
the work was to b, done within the &C.
creoy OF frai wooden cell, to the ac.
comp lninlent OF passwo -Is AMI signals.
we'll calculated u bring vo ing into pop,,-
lar disreput'. and to enable tho ra'orm-
ers Themselves to gain by trinkery
those lucrative public positions which they
c0lld not oxpe:t to obtain by fair a nd open
methods. They form ri themselves into a
mammoth lctgua, hired expensive quarters,
sht Ops.iei tho foo ga.es o, coDIuua ~
conducted on cheap yellow
pals. They began their onslal shts on tho
franchise In 1887; We're overpowcred, but rc-
su,ned the fray In 1898; they wora Knocked
ont for q sec md time. but rallied with great
power OF lung, in 1899; ware knocked out
for the third t'no. demoralized and scat
tered. but r;:sl,ed haadloag into the fight In
1929. with such dlsaslr 'us rasu ts that their
forces aro now about as hard to locate as
last years beautiful snow. or tho sweet
violcts OF tho year bcinre.
But while with blank cartri,l ,es they have
b"an bomb,ri'nG tho cla lei o! American
suffrage. successive Legislatures have not
boon id.c. and thus, little by little, under
tho watchfnl Democratic cye Of Governor
HILL, the electoral system ~ the State
has beon altered In many essential ns-
poets not prrjudleial t., tho voters rights.
Tic not result Of thesn chung IS Is tint
th, reforlners Themselves have b .ca oLllt-
Grated as q political force OF even modest
d msnsions, ahd that their oppplsnts in the
great parties hava been strengthened more
by Legislation than there wa- any reason to
think ppsAibi, four years ago, when tho
rrauk+ hegan their crusade.
Tho politirai life 81 n rafornar Ia not. in
tho longitude Of New York. OF Suci munot-
Dnous gIyety and caesrinsss rs tn deprive
him forever OF tho mental sympathles Of
tho bcAevoient bit the fearful and relent.
loss ratributSon which with heavy hand has
thos, who attem ,ted to discradit
suffrage in this S'a.e. Inspires a
pity which not even ston, hear In Il
eathefn breast could withhold.
Neiore they began medillng with the vot-
ng syat ,M OF tho State. the Mugwump ro.
lormerv he'd always the power to nominate, |
support. and vots for such candidates ~
hey wished to favor, and no one could say
hem nay. Besides. no one wantsd TO- But |
,0w IL 1t now nndsr the amended ballot
.eiorm law? They cannot even nominate q
icket unles, by procuring a prod!glous
number Of slEnat,ires, each ono to be |
worn to before q plebsisn notary, and each
'lgner TO prove hlmsalf citizen. As there
lrs not 80 many Mugwumps In tho whole
,tate. 0r In any division Of the state. as the
aw requires for nomination by Independent
,ertifcste. their pastime OF previous yoars
II ruuping or making up ticket IL taken
way from them. What1s worse evon than
his. however, is the fsot that under the law
which ttle clamor of the electoral reformsrs
inspired. they have not even the poor prlvi-
ege Of putting upon their separate ticket tho
OF any party already nominated,
ince the latter can. by cavest forbid the
$50 Of their names. Hence the Mugwumps.
vho are themselves political blanks. must
D the future either vote blank tickets or not
,ote at all. unless they forswear Mugwump-
ry. Nis little early to make any predic-
Inn. but the probabilities lint very strongly