New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-20

without parallel. Political history furnishes
Z. no such grotesque character as this, and GER
tainly no political party ever before was
cursed with such an Old Man of the Sea. 1t is
not strange that many Democrats, as he AYERS,
are supporting him the wonder is that any
body else, any one pretending to he Repub-
lican or to have Republican principles and Re-
publican success at heart, should vote either
| for his nomination or election. For II there
| is any thing in the platforms or professions or
| pretenses of parties, Mr.. Butler is no more
| Republican than the loudest shouter Tor
"Tilden and Reform" who believes in rag
money and change in the Federal offices.
And yet he is theHRepubhcan candidate, regu-
larly nominated; he will no doubt be supported
by thousands OF citizens who will vote for
Hayes and Wheeler, and who call themselves
and believe they are Republicans. What Is more
than that, and worse, great many well mean
! ing Republicans will vote for him who have no
confidence in his integrity and no sympathy
whatever with any of his purposes. They
will vote for him, knowing him to be one or
the most mischevous of politicians, the pro-
moter OF more corrupt and dishonest schemes
than any other man in public life, and the
active agent Of more political decentralization
than any man in his party or of his time.
And they will do it simply because the
honest and conscientious Republicans OF
his district, of whom there were enough TO
defeat him, allowed HIM to get control of the
caucuses and primaries and the nominating
convention, and have not now the pluck and
manhood to make q stand against him and IN
opposition to the regular nomination they have
permitted him to bag and carry oil.
The Republicans of Massachusetts learn
very slowly and laboriously that eternal Wig
lance is the price of pretty much everything
in this world, and especially of freedom from
Butler In the With District they knew,
early enough to have taken measures to defeat
him, that he was intriguing for the nominal
ton. ard they knew equally well that he was
in no sense in accord with the Republican
party upon the absorbing and vital issues OF
the day. Above all, they knew that
for party which was making prom
incnt the issue of political reform and
promising the publication of politics, to put
in nomination such man IS Butler was
confession of rogucry at the outset and an
outrage upon the common sense of the people.
And yet they allowed him to he nominated.
Now that he is nominated they are sitting
down supincly under Ii, apparently without
the pluck to oppose his election, or the man
hood even TO enter a protest against 1t. The
effects of all this weakness and tOwardlce are
felt not alone by the Republicans OF the
Seventh Massachusetts District or OF the
State of Massachusetts,, but by the
whole party and the whole country.
We have seen them before and know upon
lust what to calculate. This political pest IL
no new potato bug or sudden grasshopper.
We have witnessed his ravagcs before we
know his habits aud his manners, and pre-
cisrly what his appearance means for any
heathfu growth or wholesome influence in
politics. He blasts whatever is decent and
purc and worthy of cultivation that lac comes
in contact with in public life. He Is
rs prolific of evil as the potato bug, rs
pervasive as the grasshopper, and wherever
he goes he generates contamination. The
one credit that belongs to him Is that he does
it openly and without cOncealment Indeed, he
boasts of It, IL Is this fact that leaves the Re
publicans who vote for him without any excuse.
They are not deceived. They know the sort
of man he is, and know that he Is just the
sort the party they represent is pretending To
desire 10 put ont of Office and OF public lie.
Still, in the spirit of pure deyiltry, for 1t can
be nothing else, they fOist him upon the party
and upon the country, holding themselves up
"A political liars and cheats, and the weak Re-
publicans who want to oppose him, but dare
not, as towards.
Is there no man in the With Massachusetts,
District with the manness and pluck, aud
unseIfsh patriotism, 10 raise against this UNI
principled ntrguer the standard of revolt
| Two years ago. against a much less objection
able regular Republican candidate, the indie
| pendent and set-repecting Republicans
of the district, led by Judge +. X.
Hoar raised an opposition that resulted
in his defeat. Eight years ago, in another
! district, tho opposition to Butler IN
the Republican party took shape in the nom
| nation of an independent Republican against
| him, and the movement though unsuccessful,
was productive of good in the opportunity it
| afforded honest men TO protest against bad
nomination and against the unrighteOusness OF
caucus dictation. Who doubts that III the
| With District there are hundreds of con-
scientiOus Republicans who feel outraged
| at the nomination of Butler, and are
longing for an opportunity to pnt on record
| their protest against itf 1t will be n shame 10
the Republicans of that district and disgrace
to the party in the State and in the country
if there does not appear before the day
of election some organized movement Of
honest Republicans against Mr.. Buffers election
to Congress. Having thrust himself into the
| field and seized the nomination, he is expecting
to be supported as the regular nominee If he
is so accepted without protest or opposition by
the party in the district, he must be held rs a