The Portland daily press., 1871-09-23
.IbAILY PRESS.
ND.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER %, 1871.

PORTLAND

Tie Political Phenomenon of the Year.
When the election news began to come ~
after the great Presidential contest OF Iooo
the interest centered about two points. Ino
first question was, sis Grant elected No
second was, sis Gen. Butler elected 10 w"
gress from the Essex distrct?" ecu i"''ei'
it'll bis Incompatible etfronteiy n''N '.'0Ve"-
Ell in making himself so conspicuous Ihat MS
~ raonal fonunes became somehow matter
Of General public interest, only second in i'm
portance to those of the political organization
10 which he had attached himself.
In the impeachment trial Gen. Butler did
not manage 20 get the accused convicted. but
to make himself the most conspicuous man
In Congress-
So now, in the movements preliminary To a
contest that good judges regard as likely TO oe
The most exciting and important since the
Clay and Polk campaign, Gen. Butler has
brought it about that there is as much dis
cusslon concerning his chances of success in
MS effort to become Governor OF Massachu-
etts as there is about the general result Of the
fall elections.
IT it is Gen. Buffers ambition to become
the most Conspicuous man in America he is
likely to be gtatified. All of us, willingly or
unwillingy, are contributors to bis notoriety.
He is the constant theme in the press tele-
gram. His last epithet, applied to political
opponent is in all the newspapers. His fresh
est lie about his enemy travels from Maine to
California. His new piece of demagoguism is
talked OF in every grocery store. There is on.
ly one resource left him for increasing hi;
reputation" that we can think Of and thai
is to stand on his head While delivering hi.
harangues. This might make the judcious
greve," but it would make the unthinkng
laugh, and that is all Gen. Butler cares about
= provided it all results in votes. He is not
fastfdious man. If his appearance, barefoot
and in his shirt sleeves, in all the principal
towns in the commonwealth, would be of any
avail, he would gladly sacrifice his dignity
and selfrespect to the necessities of the case
All these things are no doubt just as Gen.
Butter would have them. But What
if arts like his should succeed
What if epithets, lying and demagogisn
should prevail in that State of this Republic
where intelligence, propr'ety of conduct an,
honesty are valued most? What if in tn
model State of the Union a man more con
spicuous for his vices than any other shout
receive the endorsement OF the people? Wha
would be the moral effect in other countries
What would our best men conclude concern
ing the capabilities OF our people for self gov
ern ment? 4
d. We cannot help thinking that the triumph
of Gen. Butler in the canvass he has under
taken with such impudeLce would be a pub
lie misfortune. 1t would show that democ
,racy renders at least possible the triumph O
the worst men. We must class Gen. Butler
among the least deserving of mankind. All hi
leading notions are bad ones In finance he is
repadiator,a and he advocates war as method O
settlipgdispuies with foreign nations. He favor
prohibition, woman suffrage and the redue
ton of the hours OF labor, to be sure, but it
SO plain that he does SO because of the adyap
tage which be anticipates to himself Oh tina
account that be deserves no credit thereto,
The election of Morrissey TO Congress from
New York was less reproach to the Democ
racy at large than that OF Butler to the Chic
Magistracy OF Massachusetts would be TO the
Republicans of the United States. The latte
have reputation to sustain.