Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-14
=. BUTLERsSI."

man ever had another. The Republ-
cans are beginning to recognise this
fact, and many of them are wlnclng
under it terribly. They wish to get nd
of Butler, because they feel that he is
injuring their party, and hence
war of denunciation has been opened
upon him. The Nelg York Times.
the Republican organ in the great |
commercial metropolis, has this to say
of famous " bottled-up":
ct is question which we commend
to the careful consideration OF the
Representatives of the Republican
narty at Washington, whether our
party has not had enough OF that
element in the conduct of its at
fairs popularity known as Butter
ism p We think it would be well for
those who are responsible for the
management of the party, and for the
conspicuous public acts by which 1t Is
indeed. to ask themselves If the country
Is ready to follow through thick and
thin the lead of the Essex Congress
man. There seems to be a strong dis
nosition at the national capital to award
20 that gentleman remarkable degree
of influence and prominence IN matters
for which nature and training have
not conspicuously fitted him. ltmlght
be as well to reflect what may be the
results upon the fortunes OF the party
and upon the welfare of the country II
this disposition is allowed to go on I'M
checked.
Certainly the party is passing
through difficulties. We think the
most sanguine believer In the efficacy
of fixing things will not deny this.
| Among the causes of discomfort now
manifesting themselves is the conylc-
ton that our finances are IN very bad
way for want of decisive Congressional
action. Is it quite safe. considering
this fact, to give up the management
of the party to man whose knowledge
of finance is as limited as his devotion
to the well-recognized principles OF the
Republican party-to man who has
coduetted with Reputation, and is
pronounced champion of infiationF Is
| it prudent to put forward as the most
prominent and influential man In the
party the counsel of Special Agent
JAYNE? Gen. Butler is a Congress
man who hires himself to de-
fend a Government officer who has
made enormous sums of money out OF
laws that Congress is asked to repeal.
It is not a very delicate position to oc-
cupy. but it is quite in keeping with
Buffers character, and the party rep
resentatives who obey the beck of But
Ter only invite for the party the odlum
that attaches to such a transaction.
There was time when the prominence
of men like Butler was, to certain ex-
tent, unavoidable, though we hardly
think it was ever desirable. 1t was
when the party had set for itself few
distinct and important aims, determln-
ed by the condition of affairs after the
war. These aims Butler took good care
to pursue with conspicuous zeal. The
party, holding the end more important
than the means, did not stop TO crltl-
else him, or others like him. He could
be trusted on the strict party questions
of the past ten years, for he was ready
to be faithful in these that he might
have free swing IN other directions
He cannot be trusted now, be
cause it unfortunately turns out
that his interests and those OF
pure and sound government are
not identical. We take the lib
erty of suggesting that the party
and the country have had abou
enough Of him, and of the self-seeklng
the arrogance, the want of principle
: and the generally low standard o
: political life which he represents.
4 Why this denunciation of Butler an,
l.. earnest appeal to the party to renounc'
: him and his works: 1t is because o
e his complete control over Grant? Tha
Y must be the reason, for no such demon
e stration was made until it was know
y and read of all men that he was com
d plete master of the situation at tn
/ White House. 1t is clear that he IS Il
v somebody's way; that he is power be
e hind the throne if the interests of othe
|. leaders are to be advanced by Execu
f tive smiles and favors. This war o
e Butler cannot be for other reasons, fo
/, he is a fair average sample of the Rt
" publican leaders, certainly no worse
t. and in some respects better. "Butle
o differs from the other efficient Republ
r can leaders," says the NelC York Word
n ''only in possessing more ability an
It greater intrepidity. They all think
J. he does, but some of them lack hi
thick-skinned defiance of public crit
l. cism. 1t has never been allege
that Butler had any connec
: ton with the politics of the grea
! Republican State of Pennsylvania; bu
Pennsylvania politics are quite afte
: his pattern. Last autumn, when Blu
+ Ter was struggling against his straight
laced enemies in Massachusetts,, til
= Ne,v York Herald sent one of its entel
prising reporters to interview Ser
= ator Cameron. The Lochiel of tt
70 keystone State avowed his fulle:
" sympathy with Butler in his strugg
10 against the weak sisters of Republ
- can Massachusetts,, verifying the sa!
pr ing that "a fellow feeling makes uswol
10 drous kind Cameron, at that tim
10 stood nearer to the Administrative
e than Butler does now. He was on
n footing of the closest intimacy vii
~ President Grant. He held the impo
70 tant position of Chairman
is the Committee on Foreign A
N fairs from which Senator SUNNI
&C had been ousted with marks of indi
% nifty and contumely for no 9th
&c reason THAI that Grant distrusted al
os hated him. Cameron was made b
10 successor because he was thick wi
i. the occupant of the White House al
IA the White Houseparasites. More tn;
pa any other man in the country Gamer
W. was the confidential representative
no the President when he authorized t
, | Iy,-,IJ-e ipfo,.1-ia yUar To nublISh him