Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-09-28
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER Is. 1871.
Butlerism.

J. Fennimore Cooper in the Preface to
one of his works says: The great prse-
teal defect of Institutions like ours, is the
circumstance that "what is everybody ;
business Is nobody's business" q neglect
that gives to the activity of the rogue a
very dangerous aseendency over the more
dilitory correctives of the honest man."
Ben Buffers recent political career in
Massachusetts Is case in point. He Is
the active rogue in the political canvas
lust closed in that state, and obtains an
ascendenry over the multitude that is won
derfil What was everybody's business,
viz TO check his bold bad career, was sc-
cepted BY no one at first, and hence he
went on conquering town after town by
the most artful means until the common
wealth was starfled by his aulaciou> sue
cesses. The good name Of the state no
less than the good name of the Republican
party was involved in the issue. and a. the
time of the last caucus and that of the
State Convention drev near. the sober
men began to act senator Sumner and
SeElAtNE W tt~bl " lt~t Ah'Aa f'N-
test. and Representative, Dawes and Judge
Hoar put in a protest also, while nearly all
the party papers took up cudgeis and beat
the Essex Age at fearful rate. IL i ali
late but It may save the State and the
party the disgrace Of having Butler NOM
mated for Governor of Massachusetts.
But what of Butler: Why he j. - Ben But
Ter" nothing less nothing mora dema-
gogue of the ba>cr sort-with organizing
ability OF superior order. with a talent
to combine the most aniagonistic elements
OF the body polite. the runI-seller and the
ramrod temperance man. the Negro and the
lri~hlhan the hot Catholic and the Know
Nothing. the Democrat and the Republi-
can. His power to work mschefis almost
unlimited. and his disposition equals his
power.
But the strange thing in this canvas j..
that the people, ordinarily sharp and clear
sighted, can be 50 led for the time being.
II is a curious phase in the history of our
politics that there are times when the
masses seem to drit in wrong direction
without a why or Il wherefore. At such
times. they neither reason or hear 10 rea-
-on. John Van Buren,, said il j. the sober
second thought that is right In $50 the
masses went for "Tippecanoe and Tyler
too" with 4 great rush but In six months
aflerward thousands Of the men that went
for "A change for the sake of change. re-
pented Of IL. There is a streak of madness
in the masses al times which cannot be-
cured until ii has had lis run. Al such
times politics makes strange combinations.
and men with opinions. and prcjudices the
very antipodes of each other shake hand,
over their bad work. staid ohurchmen
rise from their morning devotions. wherein
they have earnestly asked that vice and
immortality may bc banished. and then rush
guilty of almost every crime forbidden 10
the decalogue II IL no second sober
thought that leads to this action Its by
ny chain of reasoning that such q course
is made plain as duty. SO the ordinarily
honest temperance man Of MASSACHUSETTS,
N~iIt4ct " any sui vi Al -ullelll HAht II
plain that Il is his duty 10 vote for Butler
nevertheless he does so. when he knows
that three-fourths of all his supporters
must be cheated in the end if he succeeds.
The convention which settles who is to
be the candidate meets in Worcester on
Thursday. the 2.th. and then we shall
know who is the successful man.