The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-07
REy. BUFFERS PROGRAMME.
mn GOTEENOR or MASSdCHUSETIs,
CiNDIDlIE EOR PRESIDENT!

L., Pnrty-Thc Annirs of the N"tion-How
c,, ti,t hid ora Fraudulent President.
NrwntgyPoHr. July AFTER the conclu-
.,,n Of Con. u. r. Buffers notable address to
.'o N,,yburyport Greonbackers. on the Fourth
" uly he was sought out by reporter for
r,,r srN The following conversation oc-
Cured;
a gentleman ut the meeting to-day Inns just
,o.n telling me. General. that II you will run for
cnv,rnor OF Massachusetts this fall. you are
oor,au to be- elected. ana that election will give
you nm uneuuallcd prominence for the next
p,csid,ucy Under these circumstances. the
,nhlle is naturally curious TO know what you
,blnk about II. and what you intend To doy"
81 don't know" replied the General. slowly,
a.. ~, ,neditativciy chewod up half Of his just
,Ich,rl cigar and let the light 20 quite out. ."
h.y, beon away from Massachusetts. substan-
,,arv for eight months. know nothing OF the
wishes or feelings Of the people. or their polit-
,.,l ,leas OF the future. / have no desire for
mr,her continuance In public life. / went to
Congress the list time only because did not
uteto be- thrust out. but l nm quite willing to
90 ant Of my own accord. And yet havo no
aonbt Of my duty II the people OF the Common
,,asi,n need my services anywhere and should
yield 10 such call. though would not seek
4, There Is worry great need that there should
n, some change in the manner In which affairs
ar, carried ON In this Commonwealth. and IL
that is ever complishod. 1t must bo done out
aida OF party. Neither OF the old parties can do
IL II doesn't make any odds whether you elect
a man upon one side or tho other; he can no
more make the necessary upturnng OF tho ex-
istlng condition OF affairs than Gulliver could
tear himself away from tho Llliputians when
hey had him pcgged down by the hair. Social.
financial. and other interests are SO interlaced
,ha, each party is bound down to Just about the
same style and way Of administration"
What are the crying evils OF the Administrs-
ton In the old Bay State p
In tho first place. we are governed by Boards
OF Commissioners. unknown TO the Consttu-
ton, costing us very much more than would the
constitutional Government propcr-thc Gov
ernor. Council. and two Houses. Every portion
Of the Government Of Massachusetts, Is put out
70 commissions. We have. in more or less nc
tivty soma twenty-scven different boards and
commissions. At least we have had. don't
know how many have been abolished, or II any
have. And some OF them are very large extern
sive, and expensive. Then. one party having
administered the Government substantially Tor
u quarter Of century-for almost thirty vears
may say-aI possible places naye Ten maze
mense and places more or less sinecures are
found In all directions-nll the result OF long
continued running in one rut. without mean
tng 10 charge any special corruption on A. OF
Is. or C.. the aggregation OF officers and en-
ployees Of the Government Is simply out
raReous., and. for the people. burdensome De-
The legislative act to save the savings banks
from the consequences of their own greed. 10
Que OF the indicative things OF which you CON-
plain. 10 H. not 2"
Yes. That was one OF the great wrongs
done 10 the people. Ii was thought best 10 con-
ccal II from the people us far rs possible &c
prevent their knowing anything about II "Ncep
by degrees, rs it's use became necessary, lest ~
WIS sald, they might in their Indignation teal
down the banks and perhaps hang few di
rectors. The newspapers printed no record o
the discussion Of that act. and whom l tele
graphel on from Washington AN expose Of III
character. M soon rs II came to my knowledge
not paper in Boston would publish II. Why
thNtwas uut into the hands Of a receiver had
mortgage on the house OF II mechanic. he hav
INK had a loan from that bank. They would no
accept the repayment Of the loan in small in
ftaNmcnis. but told him 10 put his money int
the bank IN the form Of deposits. and SO have
ready y pay in lump when the mortgage Eel
receiver In charge refused TO offset the monel
IN the hank against the mortgage and tn
mans house WIS liable 10 be- sold upon fore
closure. He sold his bank book al shave
lOu see how II operates! He hud the money Il
the bank 10 pay on the mortgage. yet by III
operation OF our laws tIt utIit tltS NfFf libt
him, the mortgage Was foreclose.l. and MS HON
WAS liable to be swept away. That looks NOR
OF an outrage than whore the mortgage Is !
one bank and the money in another, when III
same result IL attained without the interventio
OF any receiver. but the principle IL the same.
In plain terms. General. seeing the evil
that exist and the means Tor ruIneiying then
do you intend running Tor Governor this ial
and becoming the standard bearer In the wor
Of reform 2"
All can say about that is that have M
yet made up my mind. do not know whcthe
there IN such "A condition OF parties that shoul
attempt it. II involves great deal Of labor AL
sion. and see no personal end 10 gnn in
which would be- compensation. Yet. H.
thought that the people OF the Commonweali
would rise no aud give new adm nistration
the Government. 50 that matters here could
upturned as breaking-up plough would VI
turn tho ,greenswnrd prior 20 seeding Il dow
again, why. possibly. l might act rs pougl
But the question is whether there + Tore
enough to drive the plough. through To ski
over the turf would not be Of any good. ath Dug
II would be- very much ensier for tho plough"
But you promised several years ago 10 shak
W the public affairs OF Massachusetts. and III
peopln have n way of expecting you W kee
your prOnilaeH.
welt. l did my best TO DO 4 twice, and va
politics IN the hands OF the leaders OF the IL
pull Lean party"
The support Of the Greenbackers you ar
o. rourse. certain Of. AT what d, you estima
Their rra strength In this State p
Included under the general term Greer
hackers ~ ] endenvored 10 explain to-da
thrt- il great underlying dissatisfied elemen
drsdlsned class OF people who are dete
non IS 20 have n change, but under our plurh
l'i system II Ii very difficult TO got any sub6'aI
ial vote Tor u third party. That is illustrate
Ia ths The Prohbitory party. on the tempe
nn'r' Question. usually have nearly u maIor
M the House and Senate. yet on distinctly
domination Tor Governor they rarely cast mol
ihan twelve or fifteen thousnnd votes out OF Nv
hundred and odd thousand. Men will not gu
their party relations in a hopeless contest. Tn
u Tie d hiculty with all third party movement
ender the plurality system. Under the old sy
Nm, which required majority to elect. thii
p.lH vote counted"
you run for Governor do you not thir
y2a Nl be able 10 carry much OF the old Dem
~, Not as against their party nominatlo
u 'Ahs, The party tie does not hold Republ
oaus wild the same strength that II does Dem
eiMs. me Democratic party. ms a minori
nurN. II always we'll organized. disciplined nj
compact, and IL hns voted SO many times
hops,rssly IN this State that 1t has got tho
OuEhly consolidated"
have you not reason 10 believe that "
would nave the support OF the Democrats.
Use you should accept the nomination OF Il
1rsrn1aekers IN August. prior to the Dem
crate Convention"
have no knowledge on that subject ha,
no doubt the National party would nominate u
Tor Governor II | would accept the nomihatiO
Dut as 10 the Democratic party have no know
edge and cannot speak. And the strength
The National party IN Massaeh useits ID at pre-
eht a wholly unknown quantity. am told Ill
IN some towns II IL overwhelming, while
others It does not seem 10 have made mu