Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-09-18
Bufler,S Conn d,Efaf.

THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE woRM-HOw THE
MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
(ANTI-BuTLER) COULDN'T T HIRE HALL-THE
BUTLER PLATFORM.
Butler secured the nomination at Worcester
yesterday by having his men early on the
ground. His delegates took possession of Ne
chanics' Hall, where the convention was called
to meet, before daylight, bought up all other
halls in the city, and opened and organized
ton, themselves. This coup d'etat being real
lied by the state central committee, the mayor
was called upon to interfere. He did so. but
falling to accomplish any thing, reported to The
committee that the hall had been taken pos.
session of by ''disOrderly persons" and that
in his opinion they could not be dislodged eX-
The state central committee thereupon voted
to adjourn the convention till Wednesday of
next week, at Faneuil Hall, Boston. An infor-
il maj announcement OF this adjournment was
made to an aSsemblage of delegates and 9th.
ers at the Bay State House, and it was received
with great applause. Meantime the conyen
tlon tll at Mechanics Hall, claiming to have g73
for governor. and for lieutenant governor
John f. Arnold of North Adams: secretary
OF state, Charles NJ; Strauss. of bingham; at
port auditor, j. B. O'Rielly, OF Boston trea-
surer. d. N. Spillings, of Worcester.
THE PLATFORM
adOpted Dy the Butler convention condemns
eXtraVagance in state expenditures, the un
necessary increase of officers the waste of the
public domain, which should not have been
ment, either to individuals or CORPORATIONS,
and sets forth that with exceeding shame
and sorrow we have seen President elected
by the votes of a majority of the people, at an
election held in accordance with the provi-
SlonS OF the constitution, set aside, and the
people deprived of his services in that high
Office by series of the most astounding for
gerles and perjuries, the possibility of sue
ceSsful existence of which weakenS the very
foundation of the republic. Our grief is not
lessened because this monstrous wrong was
n a m nm m OF tIrfi. tnl
mission, which found it necessary, by party
majority, to refuse to receive the evidence of
the patent frauds in the electoral votes in
order to .consummate the act. We therefore
unhesltatlngly declare that no man ought to
be permitted to hold office who is tainted
with b1 fraud dona and corruption and if it
people, then, indeed, We fear for the
perpetuity of republican institutions; that
the longer continuance OF one party in
power in the nation, and especially i'm the
commonwealth, tending to corruption. afford
ing opportunity and temptation in maladmin-
Istratlon and peculation aud the multiplica-
ton OF saIarled officers, many of them un-
known TO the constitution, thus removing the
reSponSlblllty tor disagreement from the Of
fcerS elected directly by the votes of the peo-
ple-glvlng, In fact, the administration of the
commonwealth into the hands of the officers
unconstltutionally appointed by the executive
SO as to 1nterposea Commission between itand
the people Tor the just accountability of the
executive officers for extravaganza and waste
1ul expenditure of money-make it of para
mount necessity that the administration of
state and municipal affairs shall be thorough
ly and efficiently reformed. We, therefore,
reproduce the platform for the state govern
ment as set forth by the democratic party in
It's convention in 1875, more extended refer
ence to which is found in the address OF our
candidate for governor to the citizens who
asked him to be candidate, and in which he
pledged himself to undertake to reform all
such abuses; that we deprecate the tendency
OF legislation growing year by year to place
lmpedlmentS in the way of the free exercise of
the rights of suffrage by poor aud laboring
men: the democracy hold the ballot as an in,
porn and iE.lienable right of free citizens all
legislation, therefore, should tend to give them
the full enjoyment of this right; that we call
upon al citizens, OF whatever political views,
to unite with the democracy in the elec. ION of
legislative and executive officers who viii
faithfully carry. out those great measures of
SO much needed reform, but by SO doing we
90 not hold them pledged to any further CO.
operation with the democratic party, or
bound to il save as they recognize in all
things the justice and wisdom of their princi-
pes.