The New York herald., 1878-12-01
The "People's Candidate Explains
His Relations with Dennis.
TOO MUCH RECOMMENDED.
A Rude Politician Who Asked Advice, but
Kept His Own Counsel.
ARCADIAN SIMPLICITY ABUSED
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
Boston. Nov. 20. 1873.
During the campaign in this State which closed on
November ) and resulted in the defeat Of General
Butler there good deal OF abuse heaped upon
the peoples candidate he delights to be called
Among the charges one TO the effect that
hc was responsible for Kearney's visit ia
the East and his vile language and incen
diary speeches. 1T was also alleged that hs
paid the sand lot orator $1,000 his services For
time appearances seemed to favor this assumption,
but after thorough examination of the case.
convinced that neither Butler nor his agents paid
Kearney cent. Now comes General Butler himself
in letter to San Francisco gentleman. and utterly
repudiates Kearney and all his acts. The letter is
thus conceived:-
BUTLER DENIES KEARSEy
No. II PEMBERToS SQUARE
BosToN Nov 25, 1873. {
DEAR sR--1t is many years since we met person.
ally, when yon and / on the democratic side fought
the fight for the reduction of the hours of labor in
city from fourteen hours to ten hours. And at
that time, in the mills of Lowell in lsi9 1850.
IA you will remember, placard was put
up saying that anybody who voted the Ben
Butler ten hour ticket would be discharged
We won the fight at that time and passed a law re-
qnring everybody to vote in sealed envelope SO as
get rid OF intimidation of that description which
law was afterward so modified by the whig party as
to become useless. Obliged you for the inter-
est you have taken, an old Massachusetts, man. in
the late campaign here, and can confirm your pre-
by the intimidation Of voters by their employers.
MISTAKEN THE LOTS.
You ask me of the effect of Kearney's advent and
performances while in the State. knew nothing of
Kcarney, and had no communication with him. di-
recty indirectly until he into the State early
in the autumn. was then informed by friend that
he desired to see me upon some questions of law in
regard to the action of the Constitutional Convention.
of which understand him to be a member, i'll rela-
ton to the Chinese in California. assumed that
from intelligent and enterprsing city
as san Francisco who was acknowledged to be tha
been elected to convention to revise the State
stitution as / understood he hal been by a very
large majority, and who came intc my State with
such Endorsement. was proper person
for me to show the courtesies usual whom
distinguished strangers into tho
town where / am if they desire to see me-that
should call upon them. II he not nit person.
you suggest for me to call upon, made the mistake
because of the Endorsement of the city OF San Fran
CISCO II all the worth. intelligence and learning Of
the people of San Francisco cannot prevent the elec-
ton of men to the highest political duties.
such the reorganization OF their State
government with full knowledge OF all tho
facts you certainly ought not to blame me for having
made the same mistake following their action and
doing ought to do If their action had been proper.
being in entire ignorance tile whole subject and.
having no other knowledge to kearney's worthi-
except the high letters of credit that he brought
from San Francisco and California by the action Of
your people
When saw him he informed me that he desired my
in State to order its own police regulations in
gard to those who come into the State asked him
swer them in writing. and you have probably seen
my answer in which distinctly said that gave no
opinion upon the wisdom or propriety of snch
action but only upon the power that the State has
TO act and believe no lawyer has questioned tha
accuracy OF my legal conclusions. II 80 Is has es-
capped my notice. When saw him did not ask him
to take any part in the campaign but he informed
me that his purpose was to organize tho
the State campaign. This had inaugurated upon
local issues alone. and in which, of for
of knowledge neither lie nor any other person out
cid cf tta fufa afford mn aid Hp in
formed me that his mission was to organize tho
workingmen of Massachusetts, as part OF the work.
tion with the workingmen OF the Pacific SLOPE,
With that matter of course. had and
ask me to take any part in it. 1t is
due to him to say that he never suggested that ha
wished TO receive any money from me and certainly
offered the payment of any money to him in
any way. directly or indirectly. He addressed tha
people at his own time. at his own pleasure. in his
own way and for his purposes and never under
any direction or intmation from me or mine.
kEaRNEY BECAME BuGGABoo.
I have no doubt that the incorporate utterances
which he was reported by the newspapers to hava
made. and which he alleges were untruly reported.
the cause of the loss of great many votes to
gaboo to frighten timid but we'll meaning people
from voting i doubt not that there wcro
q good many good men and more good women
who might have influenced good men otherwise
frightened ont of their support of me by what Mr..
hesrey was 20 M sad ana re- Mi% dr =
of votes that would have been required to hay0
given me plurality over Mr.. Talbot. saw him, q
think, three times during the campaign.
Az to his calls upon me. The purpose Of his call
was, think TO thank me for the answers to his
questions and at another time TO have me contradcb
the report that 1 had paid him any money
and to take leave on his departure. After the
State campaign over, when he called. L
said I thought that he had better not take
any part in getting up workingmcn's organizations
in the city of Boston in the municipal election be-
cause thought that absolutely none VI his busi-
ness, and would only rebound toi the benefit of .
partzan republican nomination in the interests oe
the present extravagant cabal of officers who hold
the city Of Boston under republican rule and make
it the most expensive government per capita OF
any city in the United States, far rs l am
informed. Kcarney then told me that he should
organize a laboring mans party in the municipal
election for his own purposes that ne had promised
to do it and that he would do it, That was the only
thing that looked like any asking OF favor from him
by me, and that he refused me.
FLING A REPUBLICANS
Contemporaneous with that came here the utter--
OF his secretary that he had made his speeches
purposely incendiary during tho state campaign
with the intention OF defeating me- That, coupiet
with the that the end of the campaign kearnev
was found in the Office OF the Boston Herald. my
bitter opponct receiving hts mail there, IL that
paper is 20 he believed aud tina, the Herald published
article in which he praised and taken into its
favor. aud that in the municipal election he was
doing exactly what they would wish 90 have him do.
constitute a part of the evidence which seems to
point the conclusion that he has been acting in tho
interest OF my opponents, whether for pay not
they know better than do. simply not aud havo
not been responsible for him. his sayings or doines
at ALL The only lesson draw from the whole matter
Is that hereafter when California sends her rcprcse
tatve men to Massachusetts,. shall make my own in
quries about them before trust TO the Endorsements
OF the state city from which they hope.
old Massachusetts, man and for many years in
California. you will the Justice and necessity OF
this caution. Thanking you for your expressions OF
regard am very truly your friend and servant
BENJAMIN Il. BUTLER.
4. G. GILMAN, 1.03i Montgomery street, San Fran.
cisco.