New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-19
cFYFRAL BUTLER'S RETURN.

THE TRIBUNE is always good reading for
Massachusetts, because II Is paper Tor the
most intelligent people, and Massachusetts Is an
eminently Intelligent community. But TIN,
morning it will be read with special interest IN
the State of the Pilgrims. One OF Che lNcllcst
pilgrims that she has ever sent forth Is on his
way home, and his return will cause iluttcr
i'm the staid old State. General Butler has
stirred up politics in Massachusetts ~ 40 other
man ever did before When he told a reporter
a few months ago that he wa- positively ont of
politics, Bcacon-st. and the State House would
have hcaved a sigh Of relief if anyone coad
have believed it. But the common feeling WIS
that the news was too good 10 be true. Now
the General comes back from his Yachting and
his pleasuring to business And II Is very
likely that his business may yet be found To
disturb seriously the peace OF parties.
Since he introduced a comic sort Of burglary
into politics, and captured a convention by
taking possession of it, hall before daylight,
the Boston Democrats and Republicans have
never felt at ease about General Butler.
When he at last gave up the prctcncc Of hcng
n Republican, while doing all he could to d-in-
tcgIatc and break down the party, and trans
fcrrcd his bObtail following to the side with
which he had beer 80 long in sympathy, there
was much rejoicing among Republicans. But
their Joy was tempered with fear that he would
attempt at some future day to force himself
back into the party against the paltys will.
The welcome which the Democrats gave him
was not exactly of the sort which the Prodigal
Son received No fattcd calf was slain, and the
leaders of the party, if they could have lad
their way would have fed him on hu>ks alto
gcther They never felt certain that he had
brought forth fruits meet for repentance, and
would turn him out if they had dared. The
General seemed to feel at last that Massachu-
sets had had surfcit of Butler, and to be
| forced to the conclusion that his time for dis
appearing" had come. So he has been on Nh
| extended yachting cruise, and politics in
| Massachusetts has been as placid in his absence
as the surface of one of her many millponds.
Bnt now he ~ obS up scrcncly" once more and
threatens the peace of Boston.
| Butler is the most agile and elusive of free
| lances in politics, and one never knows where
| 10 place him. Whether he will continue to call
| himself a Democrat or double the numerical
| strength of the One and Only Truly Independent
Party by Joining forces with Judge Davis, il
still uncertain. Unless the General lost flesh
while he was off yachting the combination
| would be weighty one The pcrplexing qucs-
ton would be as to which should be the Gen
| eral and which the army in the campaign.
| Butler, with his constitutional contempt for the
| proprieties and disrcspcct Of dignitics, would
| insist on reducing Judge Davis to the ranks. "A
proceeding to which the bulky discOvcrer and
organizer OF the independent host would
seriously object. But there could be little
doubt of the result The Lowell politician has
had too much experience in reducing to submis-
sion the organizations with which he has allied
himself to be overmatched in any such contest
by the Illinois Senator. A man who oOrrallod
and branded with his own mark the whole
Democratic party OF Massachusetts, in spite of
the frantic efforts of the frightened herd to
escape, would have little difficulty in Ovcrmas-
tering the present Independent Party of One
| In the talk reported elsewhere, General
Butler Is expansive about the intimidation in