Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-07-08
Buffers Programme.

Buffers Programmes.
According to an interview with Ben But
Ter in the New York Sun, which paper is, so to
speak, the Generals organ, he says, with that
innate mOdeSty which causes him to shrink
from nOtOriety and official position, that .'he
has no desire for further continuance in plb-
lie life, yet he has no doubt of his duty if
the people of Massachusetts should need his
services anywhere, and he would yield to
their cal.' 1t would seem that he does not
see his way quite clear 10 accepting the nomi-
nation o. the national grtenback party for
governor. because under the plurality system
OF eIecting in Massachusetts it is very difficult
to get any substantial vote for a third party
The strength of the national party in MlSsa-
chuSettS Is, he says, wholly unknown quln-
fity; bu, il Is evident that he does not see the
prospect ahead that it will spring into OVer-
Whelming power in a day, as was the case in
California. l. he Thought so, it is safe to say
that he would accept the nomination with
considerable prOmptneSS. Yet he m lintainS
that the causes Of popular discomfort are
greater IN Massachusetts than in California.
There are thousands more idle men in
Massachusetts than in California and
there is no outlet for labor in the
the former state as there Is in the latter.
E. B. believes, however, that the national
party Will hold the balance of power in the
next national contest: surely in the next
House Of representatives and to say the
least, i'll the States of New York and Pennsyl-
yan1a. Questioned upon the matter of his
domination for the Presidency by the national
party, Butler remarks with eveLheaieI ill.,
teligence that any man who is TO be President
had better not look for it, because, as he says
although il may seem paTaiOXical, the nearer
man gets to being President, the further he
Is from 1t. That IS to say, the moment man
becomes prominent, he is pulled down. Presi-
dental results have been accidental, in the
nominations of both parties, foc the last thirty
years, and no man Of weIl-bilanced mind and
Judgment ever allows his expectations or hopes
in that direction to influence his political
action
Upon the question, what go ID could be hoped
from the return o. Grant to the Presidential
chair he says that under Grant there WAS at
least straight forward effective adminiStra .
tiOn.-that upon the whole his administration
would compare fayOrably either with his pre-
deceSSOr, or, so far as We have got. with thu
OF his successor. Hayes, he thinks, is more
popular with the leaders of the republican
party than with the honest rank and lie of the
party, because some OF the leaders have got
something and the rank and file have 60.
nothing, aud have lost even tnat which they
lad.
As it has been a matter of question which
side Butler IS on in the Potter committee in
yestigatiOn, it may or may not throw some
daylight upon the cOnundrum 10 know that he
says the evidence so far has disclosed nothing
that every OOdy did not know b4fOre-thlt
there were frauds all wrongs aud Outra geS in
The southern states on one side and on the
other Each side seemed to think il was
proper to commit any fraud or wrong to Offset
the frauds and wrongs of the other" He holds
however, that 50 far as louisiana is con.
cerned, if the Packard government was not a
legally elected and existing COVER nment, then
MIR. Hayes was not elected President, 50 far
as the vote Of Louisiana was concerned and
without it his title was incomplete. Those
two things must stand or fall together, and lit
is mere stuff and nonsense To say that the
electoral Commission gave Mr.. Fl yves his
title" He thinks the staten nt of Mrs. jerks
was manufactured" but is bound to say that
he does not believe for a moment that Mr..
SheDabarger or Mr.. Sherman either manufac-
tured her statement or knew that she va; to
make it,
On the whole it would seem that Butler is
casting an OblIue but amazingly alert eve to
all the prospects OF success in accepting a
gubernatOTial nomination by the nationals of
Massachusetts: with the chances about ten to
one that he will conclude to decline it and run
again for Congress This he had better do
lie Will hardly experience the speci stroke of
lightning that will make him governor of Mas
sachusetts, but no doubt his c0ngre SSional
constituency will return him triumphantly to
the House. That is his special sphere and We
should all be sorry TO miss him from there.
The Baltimore Gazette has not only put on a
stylish new dress, but has moved into a Iarga