Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-17
THE SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
oeNERAL oRosveNoR oN MuowuMr

of the Illustrated American upon the
Mugwump, in which he shows his uttel
scorn and contempt of that individual a;
a voter and participator in elections.
1T is a maxim of American politics,
he says, "that no good ever came to the
country through the action of any mug
wump or from any source whatever that
was not partisan in principle and parti
san in action"
Where he finds this sweeping maxim
or whether he thinks it original with
himself he does not say, but 1t sounds
like a reverberation from Tammany
Hall. 1t is certainly the maxim of that
organization, upon which it has long
acted General Grosvenor will also
! find that it was the maxim of General
jackson, and of the Albany regency,
and earlier still of Aaron Burr. 1t is
the keystone of the spoils system, of
which General Grosvenor has shown
himself to be the devoted friend.
And it is because the mugwump has
been so successful in Overturnng the
spols system and has to a great extent
removed the civil service of the govern
ment from the power of the spoilsmen
that General Grosvenor is so bitterly
hostile to him. "What has mugwumpery
accomplished" sneeringly inquiries the
general. "What is there to its credit"
and he answers his own question by
saying, "Grover Cleveland :" This is the
sum and substance of its doing and of
its infamy. All the general thinks is
necessary to everlastingly condemn the
mugwump at the bar of public opinion
is to name Grover Cleveland,
And he adds: "If mugwumpery ever
did anything else in the United States
in its long struggle for political power
the instance has escaped my observa-
ton" This statement itself is conclu-
sive of the generals lack of observing
power, for when has mugwumpery con-
Quoted a "long struggle for political
power" Political power is the object
and end of parties, but General Grosve-
nor himself defines the mugwumps as "a
body or combination of individuals who
have no organizations supporting now
one party and now another. He calls
them guerrilas, and despses them as
such. How, then, could they make "a
long struggle for political power?' They
are not seeking for power, but seeking
to promote the cause of one or the other
of the great political parties, as they
may deem best for the ends of good
government.
But it has also escaped his observation
that the mugwumps contributed some
part at least to the election of Major Nc
kinley. We suppose that if names were
named Mr. Carl Schurz would be called
one of the chief mugwumps in the land,
if not the high priest of the order. Gen
eral GrOsvenOr made no objection. that
we ever heard of, when Mr.. Schurz took
the stump last fall, and no one dare
now gainsay the eminent and valuable
services he rendered. Mr.. BOurke Cock !
ran has certainly not been classed among
but last fall he acted pre-
cisely as mugwumps act The New
York Evening Post, the Boston Herald, !
the Springfield Republican and other
noted mugwump newspapers added all
their power and influence in aid of Me
kinley's election, ignoring certain cher
ished principles of their own in order to
do so. and yet General Grosvenor says
the mugwumps have never done any
thing but elect Grover Cleveland
General Grosvenor's article is crude, |
untrue and foolish. 1t is unworthy of a |
politician. 1t breathes the |
political morality of the pothouse. Its
doctrines are those of an evil and cor |
rupt period in American politics. which,
thanks TO mugwumpery, will never again |
De reviyed.-Tbe Chicago Times Herald |