, 1873-08-27

a dispatch which Gomez from Washington
gives an nccornt Of what In represented 10 bo
tho programme adopted for tho dofoat Of Gen,
Dutlor in tho Republican State Convention Of
Massachusetts,. II the dispatch correctly repre-
Ronts tho situation, tho opposition tactics aro
not moro oroditablo than thoHo which Butler
himself has adoptod. Tho statement ia mado
| TINT thoro haa boan meeting ut tho Now York
/ 9an Office, in. + 1ch several Massachusetts
gentlomon participated; that q largo sum
of money was thoreupon guarantood for
tho purpose Of buying off Butlor dologatos to tho
Convention; md that q dotoctivo named Wood
has boon ongaged to manipulate tho f11nde. It
| ia also snid that somo Of tho leading Republican
| merchants Of Massachusetts have contributed to
| this corruption fund, and that many Of tho
| Bntlor delegates lave already been bought over.
| It is just possible TINT Con. Dutlor las oausod
| this programme to DO promulgated In order to
create sympathy, and to rally his friends moro
closely about him, This would bo tho natural
OBJECT Of Huol M announcement, and no one
doubta TINT Con, Butler Ia both ingenious
and interruptions enough to develop plan Of
this kind. On tho other hand, tho political
PRACTICES Of tho day warrant just such tactics as
tho anti-Dut]oritea aro reported to have adopted.
Whilo tho caucua is recognized as final and ab-
so1ato, tho only hope for on opposition within
party Ia to control tho cauous. In order to con-
troll tho caueua, 1t IL necessary to adopt tho
ways and 1noans by which CAUCUS can DO turned
frnTo ffa f,,,rt,apn T1nua %roro and or1
precisely what aro described in this alleged anti
Butlor programme.
We do not hositnte to say that, if
Con. Butler is to bo dcfoatod in tho
Massachusetts Convention in the manner
indicated, his dofeat will DO as great scandal,
and bring about just III serious results, M il lo
should DO nominated and elected. Tho orposi-
tion to Gen. Dutlor is based upon hs reputation
as corrupt political practitioner. He stands
conspicuous before tho whole country as tho
typo Of tho political guerrilla Of to-lay. He IL
the champion satary-grnbbor, tho dotondcr Of
Credit Mobilier, mud tho leader who, moro boldly
than all the others in tho Ropublican party,
stands by tho party right Or wrong. 1t is not
necessary to examine at this timo wleth~
or dou. Butter really deserves his bal
reputation. It ia enough TINT ho has it, and
that the majority in all parties believe TINT ho il
entitled to it. There aro certnin lenders of tho
Republican party in Massachusetts who think
tint Gen, Butler ought not to he elected Cover
nor Of Massachusetts this account. They
think tint auch an evont will DO damaging to tho
f1fn tf f1,1r
This is p1obably true. But, IT, in order to defeat
Gcn. Butler, they adopt tho sa.no pcrnicious
policy which haa rendered hin, odious in tho sight
Of honest people, they either show TINT tho
whole political system Of tho day is modelled
on Butler's plan, or thoy betray vicious viii
lngnoss that 1t ehan become so. If Gen. Butler
has gone about through Massachusetts mud
bought up delegates to tho Republican Conven-
tlon, and if tho Republican party of hIassaehll-
Botts is in condition wlero it can DO controlled
in this manner, tho opponents OF Con. Butler
will not better tho Hit1lation by adopting tho
same plan Of operations. TAoy 1nuy succeed
thcrcby in securing the nomination of a
less Objectionable candidate than Con.
Hntlor, but they will also hive established
the dangerous precedent that honcnt can-
tldatos can only bo secured at tho
hands Of tho Republican party by tho employ
mont Of dishonest means. At this ratio, tho
honest meu in tho party will boon become dis
honest. mud tho campaign against Butler ropro-
sonts no principle.
We strongly suspect that this ia tue truo con-
dition Of things in Massachusetts Mt the present
timo. Gen. Dut1or's opponents havo gono to
work the wrong way, eyon if the latest charge
against them iH false. They hayo acknowledged
tho absolute powor Of tho caucua to lo-
gin with. It is we'll known that Con.
Dutler's porsoual adlleronts are found among
tho Democratic as we'll aa among tho Roplb-
lioanB. It bus boon known all along that ls
mRin reliance MAS upon tue control Of tho pri-
marios, aud that ho has adopted means thereto
which lonost men cannot initiate. Yot tho lomi-
nation Of party OIL both Hilcs il 80 strong that
tho honest mon Of neither party hayo dared to
como forward with tho purpose of brcaAing
down tho corrupt political system Which giyos
Gen. Butler the advantage over bottor men.
1'hore il no sense of duty plainor than tint which
suggests to good citixcn tho propriety Of abau-
doning my purity whose 1oadorship and orGnniza-
tion hayo become corrupt II both tho Republican
aud tho Democratic rarlios aro contributing to
1ntlor's aucccsa In Massachusetts, which Hoe,ns
to 10 tho case, thou taaro should ba effort to
"sayo tho party" by tho adoption Of 1omoraliz~
Ing aud corruptng tactics. III that case, thcro
IL purity worth saying, and, if there wore, tl'o
means proposed would havo tho OBJECT Of uti!l
further degrading instead OF oleyating it.
The simple faet IL that if Con- Butler receives
tho nomination and gotta elected, and tho
ono III pretty sure to follow tho othor, tho
pooplo Of Massachusetts goneraly, and those who
aet with the Republican party n particular, ars
to blame for it, II party spirit llas taken 30
strong hold upon tho people that demonstrated
n