This great record of Mason's had saved him from official decapitation straight along while Republican Presidents occupied the chair, but now it was occupied by a Democrat.

Mr.Cleveland was not seated in it--he was not yet inaugurated--before he was deluged with applications from Democratic politicians desiring the appointment of a thousand or so politically useful Democrats to Mason's place.

A year or two later Mason wrote me and asked me if I couldn't do something to save him from destruction.
I was very anxious to keep him in his place, but at first I could not think of any way to help him, for I was a mugwump.

We, the mugwumps, a little company made up of the unenslaved of both parties, the very best men to be found in the two great parties--that was our idea of it--voted sixty thousand strong for Mr.Cleveland in New York and elected him.

Our principles were high, and very definite.