New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-04


Evening Post has cut off all the ttular shout
der straps and chevrons, and even the nnottend-
ing brass buttons of his Christian name, from
Labor Commissioner Peck, leaving him only his
eruDtiyc monoSyllabic surname must be some
thing of a surprise TO Peek" III was so
short time ago that the MuSwump newspapers
were talking about 1.-THE Honorable Charles
F. Peck Commissioner Of the Bureau OF stats
tics of Labor Of the State OF New-l ork, and
of what his figures and facts proved concern
ing the demoralzing effect Of the Mckinley
tariff upon the wages of woikingmen and talk
ing as though what he said was clinching and
conclusive. There was something in their
manner toward the Commissioner that went
beyond mere respect for Official POSITION II
was the Difference paid TO authority lie was
quoted "a an authority his reports ana his
statistic, were unimpeachablc, and his argu-
ments and conclusions unanSwerable. Such
was the Difference paid "the Honorable Charles
F. Peck. Commissioner of the Bureau OF Stats
tics OF Labor of the State of New-l ork.' IL
was very confdng very beautiful touching,
indeed
The Commissioner made report the other
day The figures and facts upon which he had
relied to forify him in his arguments and
clinch his conclusions were not forthcoming.
He had failed to find them. What was worse,
the figures and facts he did find were in violent
conflict with all his pleconceived views and
theories and with the dogmas by which the
Muewulnps swear. As il did not occur to him
as part of his Official functions tc diston his
figures or suppress his facts, or Withhold his
report from publication. because il might Affect
current politics, he let The whole thing out
Immediately there was great upfoar' lh~
very large faction in the Democratic party
which does not believe Protection is robbery,
and does not assimilatc or affiliate with the
Mugu1Imps, but is mp on end day ard nsh'
on account of the danger of "neg-o DONNA
tiop.r was not much disturbed by the report.
But the Mugwumps were all struck mp in
heap. Just as when train running on the
most beautiful and delightful theories strikes
commonplace. ugly fact and huddes the
"a ssengcrs together And some OF them said
at first blush "There'S some mistake about
this Probably typographical errors, and all
that sort of thing. Commissioner Peck knows
enough to know that figures and facts do not
count az against theories. There must be
mistake somewhere For the prevailing be-
lief of the high-caste Mugwumps is that the
appearance of figures and facts in n nude state
in the presence OF theories that are all clothed
with argument beautificd with logic and fixed
in place by demonstration, is not only mmod-
est but brazen. They could not understand
how or why this Democratic official, who know
very well the shocking effect OF such things
upon the sensitive Mugwump mind. should have
trotted out just at this time these naked hsufcs
and shameless facts.
But there they were. in plain sight. Shock
inc beyond measure TO the Mugwrmp mind.
The first effect was the curtailment in the Mug
vump press of the Labor Commissioners titular
adornments Instead OF 1.-the Honorable
Charles F. Peck. Commissioner Of the Bureau
of Statistics of Labor of the state OF New
York" ~ became Labor Commissioner Peck"
then he was Mr.. Charles +. Peck" then Mr.
Peck" then 1.-THE so-called Commissioner
Peck" then suddenly and with dull thud
nothing but "Pecl" plain, monosyllabic
peek You may almost hear the whipSnap-
ping crack of it as You see it printed IN The
Evening Post" We do not know MIR. Charles
F. Peck, but we suspect that the suddenness
with which he has been stripped of his title, and
had the buttons OF his Christian name cnt off
and been set down "a plain Peck" with an
angry pop in it, has surprised him. No doubt
other surprises are in store for him. At Buz-
Yards Bay he is probably described as that
miserable cuss, Peek In the interior Of
Massachusetts they will speak of him as that
poor crittcr. Peck" At the South they are, no
doubt, talking of him at this moment rs that
damn scoundre Peck and he may consider
himself extremely fortunate if, before the end
of another week, "Thc Evening POST does not
begin TO denounce him in the Latin language
And this is what he gets for telling the truth
at an inopportune time.
Peek has our sympathy. lie may console
himself however by the reflection that great
many Democrats will Z" love him for the enemies
he has made