The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-12-18

the editor OF the Evening Post. Whel
the Post passed under MIR. Godkin's ed
itorial control it found few things TIA
pleased it in American politics. 1t ap
peared to hate Republicanism and {,
despise Democracy. meaning, Of course
the party organizations known undei
these names, Mr.. Godkin made tn,
Post the original mugwump. and a very
able mugwump II was and is. for hi:
associates and successors seem to out.
Herod Herod in their mugwumpery
Many people believed at first that mug
wumpery was independence. Then
mugwumpery took on another meaning.
1t was described best as anti-American.
Against "Americanism," which it in
variably quoted. as here indicated. the
bitterest sneers We're directed. But II
its most devoted disciple is still TO be
accepted as its oracle. mugwumpery is
in the last analysis just Bourbonism. II
hates change. Opinions should be form
ed early and seldom IL ever altered. Mr..
Godkin. in a signed editorial communi-
cation 10 the Evening Post. pub
lished on Wednesday. makes this clear.
His article is reminiscent Of the late
Francis Parkman. and here are some
excerpts from it:
ITO sum up. he had. in the rarest de-
gree. that virtue which the Romans
called constantia' and placed so high
among the qualities of character. 80
This ought not TO be a singular thing
among educated men. but. as a matter
Of fact. nothing is rarer one Of the
effects Of democracy. on which he often
dwelt. and concerning which. l confess.
l agreed with him, was the disappear
ance Of what might be called the men
Of light and leading. for to be a man
of light and leading one must certain
ly provide himself. early in life, with a
set of opinions which win bear rough
usage. In fact. the number Of
those who are able to stand defeat, and
continue the work Of a losing fight. is
very small This increasing tendency
Of democracy to kill opposition by sheer
weight Of numbers was a subject 1
often discussed with Mr.. Parkman. and
found that he had paid more attention
TO it than l had. He had long remarked
the growing horror among Americans
of what they call getting left mean
ing thereby being left in minority.
Nothing seemed TO ill them with more
dread than being abandoned by the
larger number Of voters. In fact. the
greatest use I see Of an aristOcracy in
a free country is the supply Of num-
Der Of men. however small. who are
not afraid TO stand alone; whose faith
in their own opinions is not shaken by
the fact that most people do not hold
them. AS 1 have said before, Parkman,
though a fervent Democrat, believed
only in what might be called a led
demOcracy-t Is a democracy whose
opinions are shaped and whose action
IS determined by a few men Of known
capacity. That any good can eventual
ly come from buffalo stampedes,' eth
er in congress or in the country, Of an
ignorant and excited multitude, he re-
fused to believe. That way, he consid-
cred. danger lay. To the effect Of this
on young men need not draw atten-
ton. Youth is the period in which
character is formed and guides are
adopted for conduct through life This
is something to which, as far as 1 can
see, our colleges pay little heed. Our
college youths are narrowed by agita-
tors, just az much as the mobs In our
streets. At the outbreak Of the late
war. swashbuckler was allowed to
raid our undergraduates, and carry
them off in considerable numbers from
their studies, to serve as recruits in a
contest Of whose causes and objects
they we're equally ignorant"
Mr.. Bryan. too, is "fervent Demo-
crat," but, like Mr.. Godkin. he believes
in led democracy And so, as mat
ter Of fact. does Croker, provided he Is
the leader. But the main point Of re-
semblance between William ]. Bryan
and Edward L. Godkin, and the point
that makes them typical Bourbons, is
their steadfastness in holding to politi-
cal opinions rejected by the people and