New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-31
BAY STATE POLITICS.
BUTLER AND THE DEMOCRATS.

Boston. Aug. 2S.-A distinguishing peculiarly
of General Butler politician is that he is more
plague to his friends than pest to his enemies.
Sometimes he becomes this by laundering but moro
often through restless ambition and self-seeklng.
The Republicans of Massachusetts, have heretofore
been the sufferers from it, and the Democrats have
mocked them in their woe but now, behold the
hour of their own tribulaton cOmeth and is even at
the door Butler is about as much of Democrat
in the year 1873 as he was a Republican in
the years 1871 and 1878. He is undertake
ing to use the one party as he attempted to use the
other, for his own political preferment. The Dem
ocrats, who were wont to dwell in sarcastic vein
upon Buffers enterprises, now "smIe sort OF
sickly SMILE" and confess to troubled souls on the
subject. He is their eRtdut terrible this year.
good many of them fear that he is about to smash
their party to pieces They are in less healthy con-
dition to resist him than even the Republcans-not
that their leaders are less united in opposition but
because they fear that the of their voters are
more accessible to his wlles, and less easily con-
trolled against him. They have given up all idea
of increasing their strength, even holding 1t up to
the standard of the last few years. The prob
lem now is to preserve the organization and keep
the number of deserters as small as possible.
The Democratic party Of Massachusetts, has good
leadership in point of ability and character Its mis-
fortune is to be now somewhat divided by personal
jealousies and dslikes. and to be embarrassed by
rather turbulent and doubtful following The man
who has demonstrated the greatest capacity to
draw votes is Ex-Governor CASTOR. He has strength
outside the party ranks because he is cautious and
conservative and is personally liked. and he is IA
vorite with the Irish voters because he mas been
successful. His unaggressiye spirit in Office has,
however hurt him with some of his associates in
leadership, and there has grown up more or less
bitter feeling toward him the part of Judge ADJ
bott ex-Mayor L. q. Prince, and the minor poll
ticians who follow their fortunes George NJ. Stearns'
an able and popular man in the western
part of the State, IS still more pronounced
in his dislike of the Ex-Governor The
other more prominent Democrats, like Charles
Lew Woodbury. and ex-Congressman Tarbox, IN
this section GeoEge w. Gill, of Worcester aud Rtu-
ben Noble of Westfeld, take little part IN this
quarrel some of them being inclined toward Mr..
CASTOR. The three Irish leaders, p A. Collins,
John Z. Fitzgerald and Thomas j. Gargon, are d.
vided in their sympathies f. w. Bird is personally
favOrably inclined to Ex-Governor CASTOR, but does
not like his uneuterprising, non-commlttal policy,
and thinks he should have stood aside more read
lily in favor of Charles Francis Adams. The Adamses,
father and son. take no part in preliminary politics
Among the younger Democrats, the ablest man Is
pN-IOnQreSslDau william W. W dIItlit ldlc VI Ah'
With Congressional District. He is the strongest
lawyer, the most cultured, the most thoughtful,
with superior understanding and higher capacity to
reason upon the principles of government than any
of his associates The most popular man, however.
and the one popularity supposed to be the abest is
Charles p. Thompson. The most ambitious leaders
are the three Irish politicians Mr.. Collins Mr. Fitz-
gerald and Mr.. GOrgan. Mr.. Warren is modest, has
large law business and is not in very good health.
The Irish leaders are sagaeiOus enough not to push
their OWL claims unduly. Six months ago IL was
pretty well agreed that the polite course for the
party was to nominate Mr.. Thompson for Governor.
The design was TO have a strong partisan campaign
under his leadership, making prominent the pros
pect that the Democrats were 10 elect the next
President and to get as imposing a vote in Massa-
chusetts ~ as possible. II is this slate that Butler
has come IN to break.
General Butler has always had plenty Of personal
friends among the Democratic leaders. l doubt II
he has alenated of them since he left the party
after the days Of the They never realized that
the Democrats suffering essentially byhs action
with the other side, and they have looked on as |
have ntimated, with amusement at the perplexity
he caused the Republicans. He has been radical
Republican that he didn't draw away many of the
votes the Democrats needed. Some of them, like
Congressman Dean, of the III District, turned IN
and quietly helped him. at times and others were
very complacent over the effect of his ramDagings.
don't think they ever really considered him per-
manently separated from the party, he was so con-
stantly exhibiting the manners and the attributes Of
the good old Democrat as he was, and as he might
again be. II is only in the past session of Congress
that they have been brought 10 anticipate
him in embarrassing relations. His vote in favor
of giving Dean his seat was a symptom of this
dial intent that existed. IL was in the move he
made TO give General Shields the Office OF door
keeper that the danger first appeared.
There are in the Democratic party of Massachusetts,
probably nearly 10000 votes OF these, say 10000
always had n soft side toward Butler. His impul-
sive temperament his peculiar picturesque bearing
his Tipperary instinct 10 mix in every melee, his
reckless disregard Of what is generally considered
prOpriety all appealed to the instincts If not to tho
imagination, of this class of men. Educated people
of this nationality, like Mr.. Boyle Oleilly have
aided In this tendency Of the Irish voters toward
Butler to an extent that was not expected. These
influences and acts combined have az last effected
a general movement Of the Irish voters toward his
standard, and have cheated q genuine embarrass
ment in the minds Of the Democratic leaders. IL
has pretty nearly upset the plan to nominate Mr.
Charles II. Thompson for Governor.
Then came Mr. Dennis Kearney over the plains
from California into the State. kearney proved to
be considerably more than was bsrgained for. L
have told You what a boomerang nc became to But
Ter i'm his Republican relations. He was only less
dangerous TO the Democratic policy He bid fair to
set the Irish voters frantic. All the worst passions
and preiudices in their nature were aroused. twas
soon evident that the problem was TO hold them not
alone to Democracy, but TO decency, under bis APP
meals Before he had been in the State a week, The
PiIot hastened to cry "haltp 10 its cOuntrymen.
Still sInguarly infatuated as regards Kearney's
alter egO 1t gave as principal reason for this course
that there was danger of his injurng Buffers pros
poets by his incorporate utterances. As write,
KeaTney has been sent out of the state, and Butler
has been induced 70 put in partial disclaimer of
approval OF his rawlings. strong effort will be
made TO keep hun away. How far it is to be
fnI time will disclose. The fact remains that lie
came here in Buffers interests, was Endorsed by
Butler in advance and has raised storm that will
not he so easily laid as many imagine
In the meantime, what are the Democratic leaders
gong to do about it Will they submit to let Butler