New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-27
TIE WIDOV7S NEXT SIEGE.

| There is good deal of nervous apprehension
| in the Democratic party concerning the lnten-
| tions of General B. F. Butler. We see 1t re-
marked in some Democratic quarters that IL Is
all nonsense to speak Of the General as P1esi-
Dental candidate; that he has no claims upon
the Democracy and will be able to get no fol-
| lowing in their convention. This talk Is met
| nv ominous shakings of the head by other
Democrats, who say it is great mistake 10
treat the Butler problem so lightly; that he Is
Democratic Presidential possibility ana Is
very likely to enter the convention with for
| mdable following. This view seems to us to
be the more rational one. The General I'M
doubtedly has his eye on the nomination. mat
fact is apparent to every careful observer OF his
movements He has the Massachusetts, Democ-
racy in his pocket and is likely to go into the
convention with its solid delegation in his
fayor. That of itself will be no slight advan-
tage. He will he very likely to have delega-
tions from other New England States, for his
prestige in carrying Massachusetts, has made
him popular with the party in all the neighbor-
ing States. He has had valuable experience i'll
capturing delegates and conventions, and he Is
going to give himself the benefit of it now.
If any man believes the General is going to
iniure his prospects by an unwise course as
Governor he makes a grave miscalculati0n. lie
is going to give his whole time and mind to the
task of governing in such way as to make
capital for General Butler. His name was
mentioned recently as il possibility in cOnnec-
ton with the United States Senatorship, when
he met the report with this emphatic avowal :
u am not q candidate for the Senatorship
7 hatr holn IN m
"people of Massachusetts as Governor, and l
"intend to give it to them" We have no
doubt he WILL He is likely to make the most
energetic Governor the State has seen for many
years, and all his energy will have the same
ultimate Object-the accumulation OF capital
tor a Presidential nomination. Massachusetts,
has been so well &C verned that there Is small
opportunity for noisy refOrmer, but the Cen
eral can he depended upon to keep his right
hand thoroughly informed of what his left
hand is doing all the time. His light will not
be concealed under a bushel during the next
year. There will he frequent prOclamations
from the housu-tOps, and if the Democracy is
looking around for refOrmer for candidate
in 1884 it will have hard work to turn in any
direction without stumbling over Benjamin
f. Butler. He is likely to answer "Herc !" q
minute or so before his name is called.
We shall view his wooing of the National
Democracy with great interest. and we say
frankly at the outset that he has our best
wishes. He is pertinacious and energetic
wooer, but he has won the consent of naughty
and unwilling Massachusetts,, and after that
any success is possible. Rebufs do not dis
courage him. and rdicule and contemptuous
observations he treats with lofty indifference.
The Democracy will do well to harden its heart
and double its outposts. The siege will be
rather quiet and stealthy one at first, bnt it
will wax holder and more open as the end APP
proaches Massachusetts was at first indignant;
then disgusted; then thoroughly frightened
and then there was feeble shrek and final
surrender 1t would be an immense Joke to see
the National Democracy follow this pro-
gramme during the next Gig hteen months.