New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-05
GENERAL BUTLER'S DOINGS.
THE CAMPAIGN IN MASSACHUSETTS.

frRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT TKfBuSE.I
BoSTON, Aug. 30.vI met General Butler to-day
for the first time in nearly three years. and looked
for the changes which such n lapse of time usually
brings to men of his age, hut found none save
whitening of the hair inst back of the temples. j
never saw him in better health or IN better humor.
His yacht voyage along the coast of Ncwfound-
land from which he returned only few DAYS ago,
has given rudy hue to his complexion,
and a. he strides along Tremont-st.. with the rolling
gait always natural to him, a broad-brimmed Pana-
ma hat on his head, and big whiste made OF
sharks tooth dangling at his watch chain. he might
Well be taken for jolly admiral just OF a cruise
and out of t0ggcrY-nOt admiral of the Sir
Joseph Porter type, who when the breezes blow.
generally goes below" but n genuine sca-dog. lie
still keeps the Office in Pcmberton Square which he
has occupied for many years the centre of his
markable legal and political activities. Pcmberton
Square ~ n bit Of old London without the smoke
and drt-a narrow parallelogram of shaded, high
fenced green-sward. surrounded by tall red brick
houses much favored by architects artists and after
neys, and by highly respectable corporations.
Although IT is only lttld more than n stones
throw from vortex OF strect-car and pedestrian
movement if is a delightfully."- quiet spot. to which
the OF the neighbonng thpronglfares only
pcnetrates in the form OF suEducd monotone.
General BntleI's rooms are on tho ground floor III
the sign-board directory IN the hall is one of the
least conspicuous Of many. II YOU arc in search OF
him. You penetra first to Il rather shabby waiting
room back of the stairs, aud thea TO IN interior
Office crowded with books and desks, where yoG
gooG-lOOking yOung secretary work writing
letters and where One-armed man Of military
bearing takes your card and disappears
through an inner door with a glass pane,
bearing the single word counsellor" You Will
r
the Generals private office that the room gets
air of elegance from tho red plush chairs and sofa,
picture or two on the walls and an enormous bou-
Quct OF the desk and you will notice. too that the
General sits with his back toward tho only win
dow and places yOu so that the subdned hight falls
full upon your face while his OWN j. IN deep shadow
trick of mse-en-sccne often resorted 10 by law
yers and politicians who want 10 study countc-
nances without having their own closely scTuti-
uized.
have not permission 70 print an interview with
General Butler. He thinks Silclcc golden just at
tins time. He viii hardly object. however to n
statement of what understand 10 be his reasons
for making another race for the Govcrnorship his
year. The race appears hopeless 20 everyon" outside
the middle of Massachusetts, politics, and politI-
clans IN other States have wondered how shrcwd
a man as Butter can be willing 81 pay handsomely
in trouble ard money for anothff defeat. What
ever others may think he does not regard the con-
test as certain to go against him He believes he
has much better chance tEan he had last
year. Then members of CONGRESS were chosen,
and thousands OF Republicans Woo were dis
posed to vote for him We're kept in their ranks by
appeals not 10 help the Democrats keep control OF
the House of Representatives, TINS year the cleo
ton j. purely a State affair. Butler will make BIS
fight on State issues alone, ami h6 will not permit
a ..f.t
taronisin to the positions they Will assume Ma
tional questions lie viii wholly ignore the
reney question aud the Southern question. While
the Republicans are pounding away al imitation and
the Solid South lie sill direct his blows at
Tie eXtrayagance and acknowledgement which
he thinks he pCTceivos in The State House.
chief object Of his attack will be, as
last year, the numerous commissions. unau-
thorzed by the Constitution, which manage u
large share OF tie States business. There are nnc-
teen Of these bodies, am Informed. General But
Ter saws the Republicans at the last session of the
Legislature abolished five old commissions and ere
ated three new Ones and that the three cost more
than did the five. The Constitution. he claims,
contemplafcs the election of all State officers.
Judges by the people but the commission system
puts men in important positions without giving the
people any chance to pass upon them at the polls
If ne can get the same vote tins year = last
(when he was beaten by 10000 majority, General
Butler believes he will be elected. The total vote,
he estimates, Will not be nearly as heavy as in
1879 and ne thinks his following, which is almost
wholly a personal one, viii stick 10 MN faithfully.
He does not 10 take into account the fact that
times have changed since last year. Where there
Is one man OUT OF employment now there were ten
then. Much If his vote last year was the
offspring of discomfort aud distress which no
longer exist Hard times are favorable 10
al new political agltations. and although General
Butler by so means an agitator OF tho vulgar
sort who try to deinde the wOrklngmen with the
faacy that the Government is 60 blame If work -
scarce ana wag- are low, he undoubtedly prONled
largely by the industrial depression from which
Nassachusctt- in coIumou with other manufacture
ing states. has just emerged. Whether the people
vino voted for hIm last year on the principle OF any
thing Tor change because they were lafd-prrsseu
by poverty, VIII take enough interest IN ms stare
issues, or care enongh tor MIN personally 10 Note
for him again. remains 10 be seen. lie thinks they
will, and his hopes OF success are Dasen
on this opinion ana on the DelleI thet
the Republicans cannot repeat Their heaNy
vote of 1873. When the conventions are over IL
Will be found that General Butler stan Us a. the rep
resentatye of four five different parties. lie VIII
be the regular Democratic candidate the Green
bnck-i ab0r candidate, the Independent candidate
the Woman Suffrage candidate and probably the
Prohibition candidate. Against him VIII De- the
Republicans and Abbott Democrats With 50 many
party labels stuck upon him the question may wei
be asked, 70 what party does he belong himself
This is the perennial connndrnm OF Massachusetts
politics. The only plausible answer Is that he be-
longs to no of them. hut IL first
last and all the time Il Butler man.
He is the inventor ana the soul and centre
OF the Butler party, "a unorganzed hut numerous
body, appearing under dIherent ia1tionai names;
but having its cardinal article OF falth tho DeleI
that Benjamin T. Butler the iittest man III Massa-
chusetts govern the State. The other day friend
said to Butler: " II you are elected Governor this
Fall the Democrats will nominate yoa for President
next wear. They wilt be beaten thus Fail ia New
York ONO and throughout the West. and VIII De
REACHING ont for some man who can bring them
fresh clements of sjreng 9Th" The General chewed
the butt-cnd Of an unIghted Cigar for moment be-
foIe replying. Finally he SAID " II ihe Democratic
pariy were National as well a. Democratic l would
80, IL Int I will mayer hack the record !