New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-19
ANOTHER MUGWUMP DISAPPOINTMENT

History does not Of course, repeat ITSELF. mat
Is. In terms. And yet experience teaches that
the great functiOnares the High Muckamucks.
who have more or less to do with the making or
history. so called, DO repeat the same processes
and offer the same surprises ut widely separated
intervals, upon the recurrence of similar condi-
tions 1t NAV be remembered that when Mr..
Clevcland's last Administration was relatively
as near its close as the present one now Is ana
the necessity seemed much more urgent for
making denomination sure than for running the
engagements by which bis first nomination and
election had been secured, the president caimi!
turned his back upon his Mugwump supporters,
who for three years had been singing his praises
because Of his devotion to the principles or
Civil Service Reform. In the twinkling or an
eve Civil Service Reform went to pieces In all
the executive departments, before the exgencies
of party necessity and personal ambition, in
view of an approaching Democratic National
Convention 1t most bewiiderinS whiri.
The Mugwump Contingent bent itself double In
an agony Of distress, and the Mugwump press
broke out with reproaches and upbraidings, with
charges of treachery and betrayal. The clamor
OF Cleveland-worshp was broken short OF, while
the Democratic spolsmen revied and scotfed at
the discounted worShippers.
The present exigency is the same rs that
which presented itself to Mr. Cleveland eight
years ago A Democratic National Convention
Is in sight Similar conditions demand similar
change of front, similar turning Of the back
upon the same very earnest, very noisy, very
devout, but in point Of numbers very unimpor-
tant, band of worshippers. The Mugwumps,
Il; OF torp
of his first Administration deserted him in 1888.
went back to his support in 1892. Since then
they have been worshlpping him chiefly because
of his un-American, which they called his Anti
lingo. policy. The effect Of this policy, like his
Civil Service Reform policy during his first Adj
ministration, has been to offend and drive away
from him the practical politicians, who are now,
as they always have been, the vital element
as well as the numerical majority of the Demo
cratic party They saw the foOlishness OF Mug
wumpery in practical Democratic politics in his
first Administration, and tried to convince him
Of it. He only began TO see it at the close OF
his Administration, when the practical poll
ticians Of his party did convince him, with
National Convention in sight that Civil Service
Reform was the bane, and the spoils OF public
Office the vital breath, Of the party to which he
looked for a denomination.
The present Cleveland Administration Is draw
ing to a close. Another National Convention Is
in sight The Mugwump Contingent and the
Mugwump press in the same whirl OF be-
wildermcnt that they were in eight years ago.
Then the Civil Service Reformer turned spoils-
man so suddenly as TO make their heads swim.
Now the Anti-Jingo has turned lingo even while
the Mugwump press was Haunting his Anti
Jingosm in the very issue in which the grand
sOmersaut was announced. Eight years ago
they cried out Of their sackclOth and ashes that
Cleveland had betrayed Civil Service Reform
with the base purpose Of securing renOmina-
ton They are saying the same thing to-day
of his conversion 10 Jingoism. Whoever will
take the trouble 20 tun back TO the Mugwump
newspaper files of eight years ago will find the
same sort Of lamentations and bcwangs that
fill their columns to-day. 1t Is not, strictly
speaking. a repetition Of history, but it is a
repetition Of familiar trick by recognized
maker of history. We cannot but feel sorry for
our Mugwump friends. but. really they ought
10 have known better than 10 trust Cleveland
second time 1t is their own fault that they
have permitted him TO fool them twice Let
us hope, though. that they will not conclude
with the little girl who was disappointed upon
finding what her doll was filled with. that the
whole world Is stuffed with sawdust'