The New York herald., 1878-09-17
Preliminary Contest for Control of
the Convention.
TACTICS OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS.
The Machine Likely to Prove Too
Strong for the General.
DOUBLE NOMINATIONS PROBABLE.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALp.1

WokcEsrER. Mass, Sept. 16, 1878.
Climbing up the first flight Of stairs in the Bay
State House tonight your correspondent was con-
tronted with series or plscnrds, bearing the words
"Butier Headquarters." This naturally carried the
mind back TO the excited days Of 1871 1878,
the Essex statesman was assayng to Cap.
ture the Republican Convention. Gong into
the headquarters / found q motley crowd OF
politicians, somo respectable In appearance,
and others bearing tho marks OF hard tines hard
living. ana all equally enthusiastic for Butler. In
every part of the first and second floors where stand
Ing for five people could DO secured there
were impromptu meetings in progress At which
speeches were made and against the General,
cheers and hisses greeting tho speakers tho
favored rejected his the party nomi-
natiou. Leading democrats moved about doing mis-
sionary work, buttonholing delegates and appealing
TO every feeling that could supposed to 10
BILE to arg ment or prejudice.
ATTITUDE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS.
The leaders all opposed TO Butler, and they
oil here Edward Avery, chairman OF tho State Cen.
trail Committee; Judge Abbott, General James s..
Whitney, p. A. Collins, John E. Fitzgerald, Frank
Bird, Reuben Noble, Levore,t Salonstall Leopold
Morse, Jonn K Tarbox, Charles p. Thompson, Colonel
Wilder, Michael Dohsrty. Eli Thsyer, George F.
Very and others Of the same stripe OF democracy
havo been in consultation as to the bes. way beat
sheep without shepherd. Thoy have leaders.
There is not man OF any prominence in the party
wro ToI.a @ n.Sy.n WIN tne
gresham Tarbox would allow himself 70 be get up as
the figure head OF the Butler crusade. He almost
consented to run as candidate for chairman OF the
Convention and the Butler managers had counted
him. But since hc came here his backbone
has been stinened and he declines. Ho rs willing TO
night tor allowing oil duly elected and accredited dele
gates to take their seats IN tho Conventisn without
making them declare their intentous but says hc
will vote against Butler William %. Norihcnd, OF
Salem, very able lawyer, is the man on whom the
pressure Is now being brought, and BIO will probably
TACTICS OF BurLER's OPPONENTS.
Tho State Central Committee have usaa in session
delegations and tho tactics to be empoyod TO defeat
Butler in tho Convention. General Whitney will DO
selected TO preside, and that gentlsman hasworked
loy three hours on a speech while he has been
prostrated with ct Of sickness which renders mis-
II Il is delivered it Will open the fight in excel
lent style. He will take the ground that Butler, not
vsntisn would be buding any delegate voter in
the party. he will review tho Generals record,
srss as democrat MS betrayal OF the party 10 1850
ana votes while member OF the republican party up
10 the present Congress. Then he will appeal 70
every democrat 20 repudiatc tho man who abusos all
thc men and measures of the party.
BurLER DELEGATES ExcLUDKn
But this speech may never DO dcllvcrad II 10 ad-
mittsd by all parties that Butler a sweeping
Ior.ty OF the delegates hero tonight. OF the 45o
tos the General t. This ~ /. 2oo bsle~ the ss,@a.ss
made BY his managers; out there Is a very shrswd
ssnems on foot ~ 70 ovoreom. tnis .%aJs.ity
prAsan,s isslf II tho claimants for scs u are pH,i-
-buier they are TO DO admitted without regard To-
ths merits OF the case fow Gays ago q private
CIRCULAR was sent TO the democratic managers IN
SPRINGFIELD, where Butler delegates had boon elected
another c.ucns and choose = sol Of dale
gates Of the staiwart stripe. THIS was done and
pursued In other sections, and tho dele
gates chosen will DO seated. Tho Butlor delegates
from these places win DO excluded ana ey this means
the antis. Tho chairman chosen Will appoint the
sommittes on credentials before which the Butler
followers must appear as contestants, and they will
MATTER OF MUSCLE
statcme ent 10 this effect mado In evening
paper here and when II was shown to Butler man.
aser hc aid:-"That reduces tho question down TO a
viii be tho result. We have the msjority; tho
majority must rule, and II any such movsmont
as ;s that nu alluded 10 ,, s', a.'lemS'sd We WI,
throw dozen policemen down staire. In this
plan fails and the Butler me secure
the moment the chairman ds tho platform udge
Abbott will arise ana announce that tho Convention
is not democratic ana call upon aL,rue democrats
cured ana all the contcs,,ng dsIegations who
are known hostile Butler with the regularly
as,e for Governor Jaaso Abbott has gwen his legal
advice the matter, and he says that should they
take any part in the Convention alter its organization
they would be admitting that tho Convention was
democratic"
CONVENTIONS PROBABLE.
In any case there will In all probability be two
ventions tomorrow which viii nominate Two candi-
dates, Benjamin Y. Butler, OF Lowell, and Charles
Theodore Russell, Of Cambridge Tho latter has con-
ssnrsd to allow tue use his name, with the promso
promise ot u nomination next ycar. The committee
Is in kesson At THIS hour, hai.pass eleven O'Clock
night map out plan which Will secure the preserva-
sioD oil the democratic machine.
BUTLER ON THE SCENE.
General Butler was tslcgrapbed Tor tonight and DO
has arrived on the scene He found his iorces in
what disheartcned by desertions from the ranks. lie
Is now 10 close consultation with his freuds and
fno sn,t.susiSr ns mon ' feel more " hopetua TSe
State Committee has heard about twenty contested
cases, ana has dec'ded all against The General An
order was agreed upon by vote cf SO TO 10, excnd
ing all spectators and allowing the privilege OF the
sor delegates who hold tiokeis omission, news
pspsr reporters and telegraph messengers The Butler
men have thrcatcned 10 break door, 70 prevent
such contingenc. force OF twenty iour police
ties 10 ko.p the door and assist t6s doorKecpsrs IN
carrying out the orders OF the committee. Mean
while every man known to bo fat hfu 20 ,no domo.
cratic leaders Who has any plausible ~ get
the moor has been telcgrapcd 10 como up the FIRST
train aud he will be admitted.
BAD LOOK roE
The cause OF Butler looks good deal darker and
more desperate than II did at six O'CLOCK and unless
lido Of events the Essex statesman viii havo
10 record another defeat before tomorrow night.
EoOo1y can see Du',er 'o,n,sn, anu - Is
chosen by the machinery of the party, SO that
definite estimate can Do made oil the complexion of
Tho Convention. The ngbt will be one OF the most
desperate Witnessed here, and II II gets through
withoat riot tho city Of Worcester may bc consra,-
nlaied.
TIE BUTLER EfcKEr
The ticket agreed upon by the Butler men Is ~ fol-
lows:-
Governor--B r. Butler, OF Lowell
Lieutenant Governor-W. ID. Gaylord, OF North
pton.
Attorney Gonerai--Caleb Gushing, oLNewburypert.
Secretary OF State--0iiver Warner, OF Arlington.
Treasurer--J. Boyle OReIlly, OF Boston.
suTLERs SUCCESSOR IN THE HOUSE OF REP
REsENTAT1vEs.
LOWELL, Mass, Sept. 16, 1878.
The republican COMMITTEES OF the Sovonth Cos.
grsssionai dissrc. to-day votod 10 call convention
here October TO nominate successor 70 General
Butler
CONNENrICI1T nEMnnP Arc