Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-09
THE NEW MUGWUMPS.
Tariff Reform, Hard Money and
Abolition of SpOils Urged.
FREE SILVER LAWS DENOUNCED.
Mr.. Means Explains the Aims and Objects
of the New Party.
HE WOULD VOTE FOR MR.. CLEVELAND

Means delivered an address in which he ex
planned what the new party is. He said
the party was formed on November IA
when few men pledged absolute loyalty
to each other and to the cause. A commit.
tee then appointed had since been busy in
| circulating documents and circulars
among which was the following address tc
the public:
''We maintain that political parties have
no reason to exist, unless, for the general
welfare of the public, they are devoted to
the advocacy of clearly defined principles;
We maintain that the Republican and Dem
ocratic parties of to-day have outlived their
usefulness, and that they deem it more im-
portant to perpetuate themselves than to
give to our country good legislation; we
maintain that both of the existing parties
have served 'to make the public admins
tration the mirror of the ill-concerted and
incongruous projects of faction" We call
upon every citizen of the United States
who believes in the principles of the new
party to take an active part in securing the
enrolment of new members. We are
ready to furnish documents and printed
forms to those who are willing to undertake
the work of organization in the different
States All who believe in our cause are
invited to communicate with u.s. Address
the Committee of Seven, Box 1884, Boston,
Mass"
The Declaration of Principles.
t'Mr. Means read declaration of prin-
ciples which were to the effect that every
paper dollar issued by the United States
Government should be redeemable in gold
at the option of the holder; that there
should be tariff for revenue only, and the
abolition of the spoils system was demand
ed. Finding no existing party which advo-
Gates these principles they enrolled them
selves as members of the new party.
Continuing, he said: ''Whether or not we
like to admit the fact, it is none the less
true that the political affairs of our nation
are not approaching crisis, but thai they
have already come to crisis L have been
looking over the files of the papers, and in
fancy l have been again passing through
the stirring experiences of those good old
times of no longer ago than the year 1884.
l have been reading the words which fell
from your lips, gentlemen; the types were
cold, but it required no effort to recall the
earnestness and the passion with which
those words were spoken, and as L read
them 1 reioiced to know that they were the
utterances of men who always stand ready
to help their country in time of need.
''In discussing the new party the question
we have to ask ourselves is this: Is the
time fully ripe for it? The words I have
quoted were spoken by Mr.. Lowell to the
New York Reform Club, April 13, 1888,
AT that time he thought that the old parties
''the very instruments of destruction"
might possibly furnish the means of check
ing growing evils. Conditions have been
changed since Mr.. Lowell was taken away.
Conditions have changed in the last few
weeks. On the 10Th of November one of
the leading members of the club wrote to
me as follows: 81 think that the move
ment for new party is premature. 1t may
become necessary if the Democrats do not
improve theirposition on the silver question.
think that there is good ground to expect
that they will do So" Another of your
leaders, who in November thought that the
time for action had not come, saidto me last
week: 4 never knew political events to
happen so rapidly as they have during the
last few weeks Whatever your opinions
are to-day, Acknowledgements, are we not
all agreed that our duty is now loudly call
ing upon us for prompt and vigorous action
of some kind? Are we not all agreed on
that?
s'Now there is one fact which we must face.
We Mugwumps have never been and never
shall be as Mugwumps, popular or infuen-
tial in the great West. We are not under
stood, we do not have chance to be, we do
not go West often enough, We are not
known; the only Mugwnmp known in the
West is the fictitious "cold roast Boston"
who was created by certain news
papers for purposes of their own. Now it
is time that we have kind of an organiza-
tion as Independents, but our doctrines did ]
not take very deep root in the West in 1884,
and it is of paramount importance that at
this very time we should find out the reason
why.
"People NAV talk about sectionalism; sec
which, though waning in the
South, is said to be growing in the West. |
But why should we fear this thing when we |
that it is based upon nothing, |
that under fair legislation we should all be |
in the same boat, and that the sectionalism |
of to-day, worked up, as it is, by the worst l
politicians of both parties, is nothing in the |
world but a manufactured article, the |
product of too thriving industry which |
will soon perish for want of our protection. |
''There is another point; in carrying on
the work of reform to which, as o club, we |
are committed, we cannot get the thousands |
Of recruits whom we want unless we have a |
drum and a fife and a banner. 1 think the I
experience we had in 'S4 teaches us that the |
average American voter wants a party of |
his own all the time; that he would rather
20 into new party than go into party |
which he himself has been long in the habit
Of thinking to be in the wrong; that he
doesn't like to seem to be guilty of the
which is implied in going over to
h. I, IL, |
hat when he does change, he wants to be
sure that he will be suited; isn't it so?
''Is the time ripe for a new party? Can
my powerful new party be formed unless
here is great moral question like the
lavery question, upon which men may |
mite? Yes. A new party can be formed
conditions are favorable, and |
o-day the political atmosphere of this
country is in a state of unstable euuilib-
ium, and when you, gentlemen, send forth
he electric spark the precipitation is sure
o come.
Disaster Would Follow Free Silver.
sI do not believe that this country could
scape general disaster under free silver
aw, as it has so far escaped it under the
present tariff law; 1 believe that if a bill for
he free coinage of silver should become a
aw, for short time, we should have what
Vould De called time OF unexampled pros
,erity, and after the period of imitation had
each its fated limit the silver bubble would
,urst, and then would come the dire dav of
when the rich had run to cover
eaving the poor to pay the score. Now
What shall we do about it? How shall we
vert the danger? How can the people be
ssured of honest money unless they are
ducated up to it? How can this be done
Inless the matter is kept constantly before
hem by the new party?
81 think that nearly all of us were glad in