An Indian word meaning a chieftain. Eliot’s Indian Bible has “mugquomp” for the “duke” so frequently occurring in Gen. xxxvi. In the Blaine campaign of 1884, the N.Y. Sun (June 15) styled the Independent Republicans by this name. See Notes and Queries, 7 S. i. 29, 172; ii. 117, 177; 10 S. ii. 247, 332, 351.
1835. This village I beg leave to introduce to the reader under the significant appellation of Mugwump, a word which being duly interpreted means much the same as Mah-hah-bone, which last I have discovered to signify nothing in particular; though I am perfectly aware that both these terms are used vulgarly and masonically as synonymous with greatness and strength.—D. P. Thompson, ‘Adventures of Timothy Peacock,’ p. 6.
1840. Then the great mugwump was delivered of a speech which the faithful loudly applauded.—Great Western, Lake County, Ill., July 4. (Century Dict.)
1884. I am an independent—a Mugwump. I beg to state that mugwump is the best of American. It belongs to the language of the Delaware Indians; it occurs many times in Eliot’s Indian Bible; and it means a great man.—W. Everett, Speech at Quincy, Sept. 13. (Stanford Dict.)
1889. He [the mule] cannot be trusted even when appearing honest and affectionate. His reputation as a kicker is world-wide. He was the Mugwump of the service. The mule that will not kick is a curiosity.—J. D. Billings, ‘Hardtack and Coffee,’ p. 286.
1910. There is the dim echo of bygone days in Uncle Joe’s sneers at the college professors. Poor old man of Danville! He has lived to see the Populist, the college professor, and the Mugwump cut the ground from under his feet, and he knows it not.—N.Y. Evening Post, May 19.
