The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-11-26
CROKER'S PLAIN TALK.
What he has to say About the Du.
ties of Officials and his Compli-
ments to Mugwumps.

Mr.. Alfred Henry Lewis, the able
correspondent of the New York Jour
nal, recently interviewed Mr.. Richard
Croker, the Tamnany Chief, at the
horse show, and elected from that tao
turn individual two columns of rather
interesting ideas and opinions, chief
among which is that part describing
the duty of officials and touching on
reformers ana mugwumps. Mr.. Gro.
ker's word pointing of typical mug
wump was good and easily prepared
the way for prize competition inaug-
urated by the editor of the Journal
for the best description of a mugwump.
AS to the duties of officials, Mr..
Croker says:
on THE DUTIES OF OFFICIALS.
"There will be no excuse received,
no exceptions made, no favorites. The
official must do his du y or step down
and out. The next administration of
New York City affairs rhust be better
than the last, aud as good as the best
in the city's history. The people eX-
pect it; they have given tie city to
the Democracy with that pledge that
understanding. The party word and
the party welfare hereafter both de-
maud that the pc ple's hope in that
behalf mus either lie disa, pointed
nor half answered. The uext city adj
ministratiou must be equal to those
hopes Of good overum. Mt upon which
the people has builieh."
"'Put none tut Democrats on guardv
| said, i, | understand, to b TIE motto
of Judge Van Weeks administration.
1t has IA chteutu. sound"
at is the RIGHT doc lIne," replied Mr..
Croker. "I've 10 palIe ce With asnlv-
cling, callrW rested mugW umpery.
l can respect "a man Ike Plat, who
fights for his convictions and tOlloNs
his flag But these tn een-the.lnes
fellows these b-lter-thau-t ht-pary co.
pie; these wolves of p litics, who are 80
hungry aud rapacluus of office that,
laying convictions aside, they " ill 90 to
any party which will feed them and
follow both, aud beg from both al once;
that mugwump form of man I've 80
use for. Why should Van Wyck or
any oily else III power call su, h a turn
coat thing of politics as IA mugwump 10
office? a man who would desert ti is
party would desert hi, country. ana IA
mugwuup cannot be trusted"
Evidently" | remarked, in appIau-
sive comment, "you DO not think over
well of mug" Jump"
why should I?' retorted Mr.. Croker.
'What Is mugwumI? He loves
money, not men. AS primary mat
ter, he is usually traitor. He cou.dr't
rule his party, 80 he seeks to ruin 1t; he
couldn't have some office he was af-
ter not icing fit for It-and so he
leaves his party, pulls long face, be-
gins to pirate OF purity in place and d
higher political life. That is one form
of mugWump.
TOUCHING THE REFoRNIERS AND MUG
WUMPS.
"Another very large class of mug
wumps aud self-styled 'refnrmers' are
these men who, with strong private
reasons for doubtIng their owe respect
ability, make hlpocrtical efforts to fool
the world. They become mugwumps
because they look on them as the elite
the 400 Of politics. There is such
thing as fashion in politics, and these
mugwumps, whose guiding principle is
that the best. dressed citizen is the best
citizen, lure to them many weak,
would-be fashlonables, who, with pasls
to cover up, find in mugwumpery what
they deem to be a garment Of respect
ability.
Usually a mugwump is "a hyp0crite,
false to everybody but himself. If his
nation is in q v ar, DOES he defend her
does he enlist? Never. Norman ever
found mugwump with arms in his
hands fighting for his country. No
battlefield of any age ever saw the color
of mugwump's blood. None ever
will. In this Country your mugwunp
is generally an Anglomaniac, always
licking British boots. One of your
mugWamp's earmarks is to reprOve
patriotism as jlngiism, aud another IL
10 regard every European country, es
peclally England, as better than his
own. I've no Use for such folk, no
trust in them; nothing but contempt
for them, aud if were Van Wyck I'd
suoneT set fire to an office than put
such poor creature in ii. Put none
but Democrats on guard meets my full
Endorsement
CONCERNING SETH Low.
"Speaking OF mugwumps," | said,
"now the fight is over, what do you
think of Seth L,W?"
81 think he's Az sharp polit cian as
any in the laud." replied Mr.. Croker,
and continuing with a suIle, land as
good "a boss as ever came before my
eyes.
There's another mugwump yell"
went on Mr.. Croker, "I'd like to speak
of. There's been such hypOcrllical
howl about "a bos>' that people " no
don't think aud never stop To ask inioI-
NATION of some one who does think
might suppose "a bpss' was some form
of fiery dragon of politics meant for the
worlds destruction. do you want 10
know who is the true boss OF Tam
macy Hall? The members, just as the
people are of the country. Every or
gauizatioD, whether business, political,
educational or rel. gious, must have "A
head. And you eau call that head "a
boss if you 81 choose. BY such phras-
ing, Mckinley, as president OF the
country, is n boss Seth Low, as the
head Of Columbia College, is a boss
Bishop Potter, dur, ctIng his church, is
boss; John Wauamaker, in control
of his store, is boss For the same
reason that the country, the churches,
Il .s.,I