He did not
unite suavity of manner with vigor of action, and at times he
allowed himself to reflect upon the motives of opponents and to
use language that was personally offensive. He told the
Legislature in one veto message that "of all the defective and
shabby legislation which has been presented to me, this is the
worst and most inexcusable." He once sent a scolding message to
the State Senate, in which he said that "the money of the State
is apparently expended with no regard to economy," and that
"barefaced jobbery has been permitted." The Senate having refused
to confirm a certain appointee, he declared that the opposition
had "its rise in an overwhelming greed for the patronage which
may attach to the place," and that the practical effect of such
opposition was to perpetuate "the practice of unblushing
peculation." What he said was quite true and it was the kind of
truth that hurt. The brusqueness of his official style and the
censoriousness of his language infused even more personal
bitterness into the opposition which developed within his own
party than in that felt in the ranks of the opposing party. At
the same time, these traits delighted a growing body of reformers
hostile to both the regular parties. These "Mugwumps," as they
were called, were as a class so addicted to personal invective
that it was said of them with as much truth as wit that they
brought malice into politics without even the excuse of
partisanship.
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