The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-09-05

in the same way that the auncrcnls OF GOV
error Washburn form one faction and those
of General Butler another The name is
attractive to many and will still serve, no
one can tell how long, as a rallying cry in
elections
We are told that this democratic state
" convention was quiet and harmonious
The first thought upon reading the dispatch
would naturally, be one of wonder that it
should be otherwise, and the faintcst ripple
of q smile might be melted that any notice
should be taken of the fact. Upon looking
over the returns of the votes for governor
given in November last, the question might
be asked, "what was the use of holding
the convention at all 2" Stranger things,
however, have happened than that Will
liam CASTOR should be the next governor of
Massachusetts,. If Butler and his friends
and Washburn and his friends are honest,
arc not the probabilities in his favor
General Butler states unrcscrvcdly and
his supporters profess to believe it--that
the administration of tho affairs of Massa-
chusctts by Governor Waslburn, and that
portion of the party which supports him,
is thoroughly corrupt and dishonest; that
every department Of the government is
rotten; that the laws arc not equally and
| impartialy enforced. in fact, that no at
tempt is made to enforce some of the more
| important laws at all that the state chart
ties arc corrupt!y managed, and controlled
| in the interest Of IA ring; that money Is
profuscly, cxtrayagdntly and wantonly en-
pended and wasted and thc public virtue
of the commonwealth is being rapidly tin
dcrmincd. To sum it all up, that no honest
| republican can vote for or sustain Governor
Washburn. any member of the present adj
minslration, or any of those individuals,
now advocating the reelection Of the pre-
| sent governor. who have, heretofore, been
looked upon as the ablcst and hest of
| Massachusetts statesmen, and the tried,
| trusted and true leaders of the party. We,
| of course, take no stock in this, but Butler
| and his friends proclaim, and profess to
| honestly believe it.. On the other hand,
| the supporters of Governor Washburn-
| the governor himself to his honor be it
| said, has been remarkably reticent during
| the CORRESPONDENCE General Butler to
be an unscrupulous demagogue, utterly unfit
to fill tho gubernatorial chair, which he
only seeks for personal ends ; that his cleo
| ton would be a lasting disgrace to the
| commonwealth that, under him, places
of trust and responsibility would he be-
| slowed as rewards for personal favors and
services; and that Massachusetts, now
| spotless, would, with him at the helm, soon
answer the picture as now drawn.
Thinking thus. and believing thus, and
concedng their honesty and sincerity in so
doing, what would, achot ought to be the in
evitable result? If William b. Washburn
is nominated for reelection, Wednesday
next, can General Butler and his adherents
as honest men, vote for him? If, on the
other hand Benjamin F. Butler shall re-
ccive the nomination for governor, can the
IIoars, Dawes, Washburn and the vast
number of those who act, think and be-
lieve as they do, maintain their character
as men of honor, integrity and honesty,
and, at the same time, support and vote
for General Butler? Is party name and
party politics above and beyond every.
thing? Must man, at the dictation of
caucuses and conventions, sacrifice his
honor, his manhood, his integrity and all
else that man ought to hold dear? Yet in
this position have these men and their CO.
| workers placed themselves. Let us look
at the figures, and, keeping in view the
fact that these men are honest-it may be
a violent presumption to talk of honesty in
politics, bnt men should be as honest there
as elsewhere, and, surety these men art
honest-and see what Gaston's chances are
We need not consider the figures at the pre-
sidential election, because the true critic
rion would be the year before, or the yeal
after that event. In proof of this state
ment we will state that we have examined
the returns for the last fifty years and tina,
in every presidential election the vote has
been largely increased from that of the pre-
ceding year, and is correspondingly larger
than that OF the succeeding year. This in
crease has been, in every instance, about il
the same proportions, while there has beer
no noticeable difference in the vote of thu
year before and after. The same is in 6
measure true of nearly every state IN thu
Union. The vote Of both parties is large
ly increased, that of the dominant party be
ing always the most marked. Taking thel
the vote of Massachusetts, for 1871, we fine
it to stand as follows: Washburn, republi
can, 1919; Adams, democrat, 47,725
showing majority for Washburn of only
27,404. There were, in addition. som,
votes cast for Pitman, a distinctive tempe
rance candidate, and for others, so that hi
majority over all-which is required, W,
think, in that state as well as this-wa
13,465. The vote for the preceding yea
is still more significant Governor Clafflin
REPUBLICAN, receiving majority Of only 8,
SG1, while in the 1869, the year after
presidential election, his majority was bu
9,73G These figures are suggestive ant
show that ii the leaders-as well as tn
rank and file-of the republicans of Mas
sachusetts are honest, the democratic stat
convention may not turn out to be 30 mucl
of farce, or William CASTOR lead forlorl
hope during the campaign. The question
of who is to be the next governor of Mus
sachusetts is becoming interesting.
THOMAS ROWLEY.
The name, even, of the man which il
placed at the head of this article is, prob
ably, unknown to the vast majority of til,