Daily Republican., 1882-09-28
M Largest circulation of
any paper in Delaware. We
court an investigation from
the public. .@tl
THURSDAY, sEPTEMB1E IS. Vss.
Butler and his Nomination,

Ii Jhere were any noneSb DeuoCrdGS
in the Union they were supposed to ex'
ist in Massachusetts,. The party there
which was once in majority, had be-
come decimated, purified, refined and
sifted until there were so few left that
the Republicans had no difficulty In
polling well up towards hundred
thousand majority. In this general
sitting process, General Benjamin f.
Butler was one of the sound grains of
wheat that remained and at the Charles
ton National Convention, held on the
eve of the commencement of the civil
war, he voted long, steadily and loud for
John G. Breckenridge, the candidate of
Bhe extreme d!suniOnists for President.
But war came and Butler turned Union
and signalized himself early in the war
by humbling Baltimore and making the
rebels of the monumental city respect
the old flag. Butter attracted more no.
fice next to Grant than any other u
something eccentric. He united the
ul mo"lt -"c-" nrAstinn knot by declar-
ing the egroes "contraband of war"
He was charged by the rebels and their
Democratic sympathizers with stealing
spoons in Louisiana, and he cut the
Dutch Gap canal in Virginia, thing
which no her General would have
thought of. He planned the blowing
mp of Fort Fisher, by blowing up of
vessels a mile or two out on the water
from it. He was so successful in irrita-
ting the rebels that he was hOnored with
such names as Beast Butler, 'Spooney'
Butter, 'cockeyed' Butler and many
other endearing epithets. But "Ben"
didn't care for all this. He went ahead,
did what he was told to do, assisted the
Government by his counsels and at the
close of the war he found himself a
passably good Republican and out OF
pare gratitude for his services in the
var the Republicans elected him two
terms to Congress, which he never
would have reached had he remained a
Democrat. Butler however grew tired
Ot simply being Republican Congress
man. Sensation was his forte. Re-
membering the insults he had received
from the Democrats, he determined to
be revenged on them by becoming their
can tidate for Governor. He first laid
Seige to.the Republican party to capture
the nomination, but that party had no
need for him as a candidate for Cover
nor. Butler then turned to the Demo.
Gratis and raively informed them that
if they did not take him as their candi-
date for Governor, he would proceed to
take them. 1t was fun for the Demo-
Gratis to see the trouble Ben caused the
Republicans, but their hilarity ceaced
when the Essex Statesman laid seige to
their own party, and they have not
been able to see much fun in him ever
since. They tried to hold State Con.
vention in 1873 without him, but he
stole the hal in which the Convention
WAS held, led his delegates up ladder
10 back window, through which be
enter ed and carried off the Democratic
nomination. The New York Tribune
graphically describes tho panic which
fell upon the respectable wing of the
Democratic party at this manouvre and
wit h what haste they fed from Wor-
Cester, and when safely back in Boston
issued q call for o new Convention in
Faneuil Hall. They met there ton days
later, 1924 strong, and constituted a
convention, which, in their own opinion
was the most eminently respectable"
aBsemblage ever convened in the State
10 prevent Butler from capturing this
body also, they admitted no delegate
who did not have ticket, and they
kept the galleries closed till after the
session had begun, in order that Butler
might Lot enter with his "unrespecta.
blb" hosts ard overflow the convention
1rom above. Half the delegates sal
with their eyes on the door expecting
any moment to see Butler enter. But
he did not come. The convention vas
very solemn, very dignifitd and very
select. 1t nominated Judge Abbott for
Governor by acclamatiOu, ami it lis
tened with hearty approval to some ex.
eeedingly uncomplimentary remarks
about General Butter. Some Of these