The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-27
MAssAUHUsETTs POLITICS.


perhaps. better purposes for the
day. The committee was hastily convened,
aud If we remember aright-wc have not
the data at hand TO refer to, at this mo-
ment-the convention was ordered to be
held in Worcester, on the tenth day of Sep
TENDER. Although there remains only
fifteen days between the present time and
the understood day for holding this all-im-
portant asscmblage, yet an official call has
not been made, and, even. the basis of repre-
sentation, upon which delegates are to be
elected. has not been authoritively an
nounccd. Until this is done, of course,
primary meetings cannot be called or the
probabilities Judged of with anything of
accuracy Notwithstanding all this, the
republican, party of Massachusetts, stirred
to It's very center, and every politician of
high or low degree, is busily at work. The
first gun was fired by 'botllcd Butler" in
the shape of a three cent postage stamp.
Unable to comprehend how man could be
inspired by anything else than dollars and
cents, in his view of political affairs or in
the holding of office, this. to him, was an
unanswerablc argument in favor of the
back pay action. What was little, miscr-
able, petty, three cents postage stamp ?
What did so contemplate sum as three
cents amount to? Scarcely a man, woman,
or child could be found in Massachusetts,
or elsewhere in the country, but
would look upon such sum as not worth
saving. Why, we doubt if the child could
he found in the good old Bay State
whether his lot was cast with the rich or
poor--that did not exceed that sum month
ly for candy. If this fact could be brought
home to the people, thought the General,
hencefcrth plain sailing.
The shot from the first gun, however,
fell short of its mark. The people saw
something more than a postage stamp in
the question. They would have, willingly
and cheerfully, paid these needy men three
or five cents each, if it were needed to re-
tain them from want or keep them in the
paths of honesty. A subscription list for
son no subscriber to contribute more
than three ccnts-would, doubtless, have
brought him, annually, more than his three
cent a voter additional salary as men
women and children would have We'd with
each other in the strife to see which class
should contribute the most postage stamps.
The stamp dodge didn't work, as the most
uniformed could see that there was some
thing more than mere money involved in
the transaction. There was a principle
beneath, and it was the principle that had
aroused the people The pop gun having
failed of its purpose, and its charge fallen
/ far short of the mark, broadsidc was next
/ fired. We call it - broadsdc," because
ii was intended as such, and, also, because
it would be so termed by photographers
and printers. 1t was issued, originally, as
Il supplement to a newspaper and was a
broadsidc" indeed. In addition to de-
Tense Of his course in engineering the retro
active clause Of the increase of salary bill,
and pOckcting the proceeds thereof which,
by the way, occupied very small portion
/ thereof-it was made upof low, vile, mean
charges, statements and nuendocs in refer
ence to his colleagues and others, which,
whether true or false, had nothing to do
with the question. With this "broadside "
our readers are familiar, and we, therefore,
pass it by for the present. The opposition
to General Butler was not, in the mean
while, silent. The br0adside" was an
swered in an able, concise and telling re-
joinder from one of the assailed, George f.
Iioar, one of Massachusetts delegation IN
Congress, as, also, by others. Warning
ton has buckled on his armor, and is fore
most in the strife, being daily reinforced by
all that is good, and noble, and true, among
the republicans of Massachusetts.
We have often thought that Ncrmonters
were able to take care of themselves, and
that, outside of the state, it was nobody s
business who we nominated, or what we
did, in our political conventions, or who
we nominated and elected as governor.
This we still believe to certain extent,
and we believe the people of Vermont are
abundantly able to take care Of themselves,
and that we need no Interference or dicta-
ton from outside. The same is. also, true
OF Massachusetts, but every republican is
concerned and directly interested in every
thing that has direct bearing upon the
life of the party, the purity of our politics,
and the honor of our country. One of our
wisest and best statesmen declared that
Office should seek the man, and not man
the office, and this is an axiom of pure,
decent, reputable politics. If Benjamin F.
Butler is tile man for governor of Massa-
chusetts, the people will discover it, and
place him there, in spite of the efforts of
his opponents. When, however, he takes
the stump" personally solicits support,
and deals in vile calumny in reference to
everyone who dares oppose him, the whole
aspect changes, and the country partakes
OF the disgrace of Massachusetts. There
are many men, too, who honestly think
we are not of the numbcr-that the time
has come for the disruption of existing
parties ard the formation of new ones. and.
therefore, support the pretensions of But
Ter, being well assured that his nomination
will be the death knell of the republican
party. We believe, with them, that if the
Butler element shall gain the ascendency
In the republican party of Massachusetts,
the work of disintegration will have COM
menced, if not actually have been accom-
plished. That these and other issues, as
well as the purity of our politics and the
honor of our common country, are In
volved' Is apparent to every ono that has