should be the prerogative of a man also. 'What is a mugwump?' once
asked an American of a Democrat. 'It's a Republican who becomes a
Democrat,' was the answer. 'But when a Democrat becomes a Republican,
what do you call him?' 'Oh, a d---- fool!' quickly rejoined the
Democrat.

We forgive people for changing their opinions only when they do so to
espouse our views, otherwise they are, in our eyes, fools, scoundrels,
renegades, and traitors.

To my mind the most dignified, praiseworthy, manly act of a man is to
change his opinions the moment he has become persuaded that they are
wrong. To acknowledge to be in the wrong is an act of magnanimity. To
persist in holding views that one knows to be wrong is an act of
cowardice. To try to impose them on others is an act of indelicacy. The
successful man is the opportunist who does what he thinks to be right at
the moment, whatever views he may have held on the subject before.

When, in full Parliament, Victor Hugo and Lamartine declared that they
ceased to be Royalists, and immediately went to take their seats on the
Opposition benches, their honesty and manliness deserved the applause
they received.

Gladstone, who died the greatest leader of the Liberal party, began his
political life as a Tory Member of Parliament. Disraeli, Earl of
Beaconsfield, who for years was the chief of the Tory party, began his
public career as Radical member for Maidstone.

Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, to-day practically the leader of the
Conservative party, not only was an advanced Radical, but a Republican.
Up to about eighteen years ago, the comic papers never failed to
represent him with a Phrygian cap on.

Every man can be mistaken in politics as well as in science, just as he
can for a long time be mistaken in his friends.

The more you study, the more independence of mind you acquire. Events
take a new aspect, and strike you in a different light. With age,
judgment becomes more sober: you weigh more carefully the _pros_ and
_cons _of all questions, and you often arrive at the conclusion that
what you honestly believed to be right is absolutely wrong. And it is
your duty to abide by your conclusions.

The greatest crimes in history were committed by irreconcilable men who
lacked moral courage and dared not admit that they were not infallible.
Philip II. of Spain was one.

That irreconcilable Imperialist, M. Paul de Cassagnac, wrote the other
day: 'When a statesman, a leader of men, perce