New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-20
A SAD LOSS or TEMPER.

The readers of our always lively and inter
esting Democratic contemporary, "Ihe New
York Sum- have no doubt observed with regret
that since it became the personal organ OF MI
Platt 1t has lost much Of its Oldtime playful
ness and good nature and at times really seems
TO lose its temper. From. being cheerful and
ioyous-for its satire has usually been or
CHEEKY mrth-prOvoking Sort and even It's
cynlcsm has not lacked the note Of joyousness
it has become fretful and almost ill-tempered.
Formerly its practice was-and 1t was inimitabie
in this respect-to provoke mirh by the simple
but excrucatingly funny device Of taking the
man whom il desired to hold up to general con-
tempt by his middle lnital-lf he had one-and
keeping 1t in the air in an endless variety OF
combinations with the skill OF n baljugger ana
the versatility Of frst-class comedian. There
was no end to the fun 1t made in this way.
1t was. in Homeric phrase. enough to provoke
on high Olympus the inextinguishable laughter
of the gods. Though sometimes bewildering In
its effect and confusing to the sense, II was
never tiresome, and. what was more. II was
inexhaustible SO that at last men came to say:
Heaven help the man with middle name who
falls under the dispcasure OF The Sun He
will be an object Of dersion so long as the
vocabulary belonging 10 his initial holds out
Take. for instance Marcus A. Hanna-"The
SUMS" most recent victim. There was time
when the "A" stood for a new name every day
and sometimes for several different names In
the same issue; and every time new name
was sprung the whole country fairly held It's
sides II was so cxcruclatingly and Increasingly
funny But this has ceased. II Is now many
DAYS since our contemporary has invented
new middle name for Mark Hanna. The last
mention Of him was az Marcus Ashtabula Han
ma which, being n repetition seemed 10 indi-
cate sort OF WEAKNESS OF the wits and tagging
in the sense Of humor that was not nj all en-
couragng TO habiual readers, 70 whom the
middle initial Joke had become almost ncccs
sity But this Is not all Either because Will
lam Mckinley has no middle name or because
our contemporary has lost It's temper Ii has
begun calling that gentleman "Prosperitys
Dumb Doublefacc" Now. this falls very far
short Of the fine humor Of the middle Initial
pleasantly Indeed. 1t almost falls within the
line OF very coarse invective and low bunoon-
cry And this. We are very certain. our contem-
porary would not indulge In unless under some
personal provocation which had aroused resent
ment. Under some such personal provoca'ion
our contemporary described Grover Cleveland
as the stuffed Prophet" Everybody recog-
nlZed the severity " the deruncalOn, and many
admitted It's appropriateness. but the fact re-
mains that Mr. Cleveland has been three times
nominated. twice elected. and has IN uncom-
monty good show 10 be renominated for Prcsi-
dent Of the United States Notwithstanding.
The descent from high order Of humor 20
n low grade OF invectlye seems TO us as II no
doubt does to the habltual readers OF THE sun.
as n mistake. from the point OF view OF expcil'
ency or policy. Loss OF temper at 80 early
stage OF political campaign Is very bad
sign We can understand. OF course. that In
the changed conditions since THE Sun" sup
ported General Butler Il Grccnback platform
1t is perfectly justified In demanding, and In
sistlng with junction. and fervor on Its demand,
that the Republican party shall place no can
didate in nomination who Is not ready TO an
swer on his piazza In the daytime or shove up
his chamber window and answer at any hour Of
the night, any question that any newspaper
reporter may ask him az 10 whether he Is for
sound money and what in detail he thinks sound
money Is. That is all right. But we really
think that "Thc Sun" makes a mistake in get
ting so mad because he doesn't do 1t as to call
him names, and call him bad names In anger,
Just because he has no middle name upon which
1t can play upon gOOd-humoredly. 1t Is excusabe
In Mr.. Plat, whom ''The Sum- describes as
doing good work for public morals and moral
politics. to call Mr.. Mckinley by hard names.
because Mr. Plat. besides being all on fire for
sound money has eggs in the basket which
McKinley's nomination will break. But we
really don't see why The Sun" should fly of
the handle and lose its temper over it. Let us
hope that our contemporary will presently re-
cover It's equanmty and resume ts old and
timehonored practice with middle names. We
hate TO say so. but at the rate 1t Is now going
on it will presently take rank with "Thc New
York Evening Post"