New-York tribune., 1874-08-14
MASSACHUSETTS POLITICS.
PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE CAMPAIGN.


IER sCARE-THE CONGRESSIONAL CANVASS.
IrRoM AN OCCASIONAL CoRREsPoSDESTo OF THE TRIBUNE
BosToN, Aug. Ito intelligent Massachu-
setts people need hardly be said that the Democrats
Of the much better satisfied with the condition
Of affairs Just than any body else Everything con-
tinues 20 work In their favor The nfatuaon OF one
portion OF the Republican leaders and the hepessness
OF another the increase. The arrangements III
the Republican party for the nomination OF Governor
are about as badly they could well be- and
gble candidates for Congress are declining all about
The Democrats meantime quietly but 1t is believed
Iudciousy even shrewdy at work to profit by the op
portunties the Republicans are throwing into their
hands They have only to keep their Bourbons under III
order to accomplish this, and the prospects fair OF
their being able to do Their Convention Is called Tor
the first week in September. II will be held without
gard TO the time chosen by Republicans. Nothing in
their course ia likely to interfere with the forma-
tion OF the Democratic State ticket. william CASTOR
will head IT, and he will carry thousands OF Republican
votes in any event. Unless wisdom dawns upon his
opponents IN a larger degree than heretofore, he VIII
have good prospects Of being elected Nothing in any
event, can now prevent his making heavy inroads
upon the other party II is not at all i'm
probable that the Liberal Republicans VIII have
representative on the Democratic State ticket. The
Boston Post fayors nominating Gen. Wm F. Bartlett,
Greeley man Of 1872 for LicutenantGovernor The Sc
lection of the Hon f. W. Bird for the place would be
more accep able to the Liberal Republicans, and would
be accorded them with equal cordlaty were IL not tat
Mr. CASTOR and Mr. Bird both live in the eastern part
Of the State and it is desirable that the Lieutenant
Governor should come from the western II the Gov
ernor is taken from the other section With ticket Of
tins character aud platform after the style OF that
shadowed forth IN the Illinois meeting Of a week or
two ago there is ralying point for earnest rcformers
offered and movement Is likely 10 be set on foot that
will give the Republicans real trouble.
OLD AND NEW TROUBLES OF THE REPUBLICANS.
Tie Republicans In fact have all the trouble their
hands now that any reasonable opponent could ask to
see. Here is party that two years ago carried the
State by nearly 5000 majority and elected eleven me
bcrs by majorties That ranged from 3oD OF
400 up to 5000 10000 yet has now to begin the cam
pagn with the recollection that It's majority on the
Governors vote was reduced TO some 1900 last year.
and three or four OF the Congressional districts went
over IN their vote to the opposition All tins with only
the shadow Of Butlcr impending over its operations
Butler was beaten and broIght to Submission III that
campaign lie is disabled in advance for this contest
And yet the Republican leaders are not happy. No
sooner the bugbear that the cause OF the sore con
cs Of earlier days disposed OF than other obstacles
start up anew. Hamilton Hall has but Just time To take
breath after dsposng of the rampant giant with whom
f. had been in chronic warfare when 1t finds division
in its own ranks new difficulty is to be dealt with
The ghost Butler is hardly Laid ere the specter OF FRO
hibtion rises to appa its forces II this had been hrmy
faced, there really not very much to apprehchd
from IT, The Hamilton Hall section of the Republican
marty had twice fought this with hand and Butler
with the other aud had successfully encountered
botn But spasm Of that timidy that's SO much their
bescttng weakness again overlook them. portion
came 10 the conclusion that il would not do TO continue
in the course that had satisfied the Prohbitlonts IN
other years This time they must surrender to them al
together. Hamilton Hall has made public this symptom
OF weakness ranks through portion OF It's leauers
and in newspaper OF city that is one OF it, or
gans The result will probably neccssitate complete
surrender of the publican party to the Prohibition
lists The latter might have been modest under other
circumstances They are not likely now 10 be content
with less than has been offered them. They will claim
the denomination of Gov. Talbot and the impression l.
general that they will succeed in carrying II. The Pro-
mbtion element always strong in the Republican ranks,
will be stimulated the utmost effort In hs favor
Gen Butler will direct his followers to cooperate whcr
ever their aid can effect anything ana the anProhibi
tionists are to be told that the nomination Is inevitable
and they NAV as well accept it. The opposition to TINS
course effected nothing as yet Their wise poilW
WAS 10 oppose Gov Talbot with another Prohibitonst
but not of the vetOinc stamp Either Mr Dawes OF
Mr. Hoar OF Mr. Sanford would have been eleiole
TO this end and either could have been noml-
mated Instead, they commenced movement III
favor of Congressman Henry l.. Pierce. Mr.
Pierce ia an ProhbitiOnst. An antProhi0ltionist
is simply an impossDilty as the Republican candidate
for Governor as the Republican party Of the STATE Is
now constituted and If 1t we're not So any such Seec
tion would surely create bolt. There has bceh put
feeble response the proposition OF Mr. Pierce ana the
leaders have their 1t is not too late to re-
,risve il a. far as their own action concerned the
cayng in OF the section to the Prohbionsts con-
stitutes the real difficulty. 1t seems now to be lnsur-
mountable. The liquor issue must be added 10 the Oter
burdens the Republican party OF Massachusetts, must
bear In this canvass. They will gain one Democratic
vote by accepting it they will lose thousands OF their
own followers. There must be very large falling on
in addition 10 OF last year, which diminished so ex-
traordnarly their preponderanoe The only thing that
can save them is in bringing up the large vote
that did not 90 to polls at that time. Whether the
quor adequate TO calling this out whether iu-
deed il will not bring 1t ont the wrong slde Is sub
iect to which the able among them now giving
serious consideration.
BUTLER STILL A TERROR
Iudicrous proof has just been furnished that the
name of Butler has altogether lost its terrors
Sunday paper published an extract from speech of
one Of his followers who scented plumber in the
air. and 1t accompanied the publication with the state
ment that the speech TO be the State by
thousands 1t Is not improbable that the whole thing
was a hoax IL Of no consequence In any event yet
it was shudderingy received as premcnition OF i'm
pending evil and word sent abroad that Butler
putting his warpan and That his barbaric yawp'
might be heard any moment waking the echoes OF the
political arena. 1t cruel joke thus TO fright
the souls OF fearful adversares OF the Presidents
great guide philosopher and friend Their have
received such shock that they will not know their
wonted peace OF mind TIL they the State Convention
held unclouded by the presence OF Butler But Butler
"a In fact in II condition trouble nobody He is
out Of our fight altogether personal element, and
on some accounts may say more's the pity The
campaign is disgusngly mild in comparison with what
we had last year and two years earlier the Same
season. There never any danger OF the partys go
ing to sleep the Of It's discontinue while Butler
was about. Now 1t is advancing in tho preliminary
stages of the campaign and losing advantage after