The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-30

He Found His Mugwump Friends Were
There to Give Him Points-George Fred
Williams Told How He Had Skipped
the Great Pacificator, stopped the
Lesson and the Jolliffcation Was Re-
sumed.
New YORK. November 29.-Under the
heading s'The Mugwumps Began IT. the
Sun of today says:
Just at this time, when there has been
so much talk about the conferences of
eminent Democrats here in New York,
it may be said that most of the discus
sion had it's starting point at the dinner
of November IS given by Henry Willard
to Mr.. Cleveland. Mr.. Willard is the di-
rector general of the Evening Post,
which has displayed such zeal in insist
ing on an extraordinary session of Con-
gress after March next. Mr.. Willard
during the campaign gave valuable as
sistance to the National Campaign Com
mittee, and, although he has not commu-
nicated his desire to Mr.. Cleveland, it is
in the air that he would like to be either
Secretary of the Interior or Minister to
Berlin. At Mr.. Wizards dinner Mr..
Cleveland, of course, was the chief
guest, and, outside of two or three rec
ognizeda Democrats, the tables were
filed up with anti-snappers and Mug
wumps from New York ana other states.
After Mr.. Willard had formally greeted
the guest of the evening Mr.. Cleveland
responded with a non-committal speech.
Mr. Cleveland believed that the dinner
was given by Mr.. Willard merely for re-
joicing, and he SO accepted the compli-
ment.
Shortly after Mr.. Cleveland had made
his speech it was apparent to
Certain OId-line Democrats
round the board that there was pur-
pose in the dinner, and this purpose was
soon made apparent when most of the
anti-snappers and Mugwumps took turns
in letting fly what they would do about
an extraordinary session if they were
Presidents. George Fred Williams, the
Mugwump Congressman, who has just
been relegated to private life, was a sort
of spokesman ssof the Extremists" As
one of the guests at this dinner explained
yesterday, the old-line Democrats must
not now say anything about free traders.
The extreme tariff Mugwumps are now
spoken of as Extremists.
.sWelI, George Fred got on his feet and
recounted his career. He told how in
1876 he jumped out of the Republican
party, and jumped back two years later,
only to jump out again two years after
that, then to jump back two years later,
and finally, in 1884, landed once for all
on his feet and had remained a Demo-
crat ever since"
ssYoung George Fred,n said the SUMS
informant, ''then began ripping up the
earth. An extra session must be called
Immediately after Mr.. Cleveland's inan-
guration The Mckinley tariff law must
be wiped off the face of the earth in
stantly if not sooner.
'sHe went on in this strain, the anti
snapperss and Mugwumps applauding for
all they were worth Mr.. Cleveland sat
silent. It would not be the exact truth
to say that he was embarrassed. But he
was greatly interested in the turn of af-
fairs atwhat was
Supposed To Be a Jollifcation Dinner.
Mr.. Willard acted as postmaster, and
he was about to call the next speaker to
support George Fred's views when the
Hon. William c. Whitney rose in his
place and made speech. Mr.. Whitney
had observed how things were running,
and addressing Mr.. Willard, the host, and
the assemblage he made one of the most
serious speeches of his life. In substance
he said that it was only one week after
election, and that it was too soon to dis
cuss seriously, in his opinion, matters
which would come up for legislation at
Washington. In his most balmy Ian
guage the Great Pacificator remarked
for the benefit of George Fred and the
4 IL hot II. ar6 xuoc