The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-11-01
The Democratic Leader Of 1889.


of politicians who are clamoring for
place and power in this country any one
so Extensively notorious as is the pres
ent Democratic candidate for Governor
of Massachusetts, Ben Butler. For
years prior to 1860 he was Democratic
spouter in Massachusetts, but even then
was not trusted by his own party. In
1860 he was appointed delegate to the
Charleston Democratic Convention, and
on reaching that city abandoned the
candidate of the North and voted ex-
clusively for JEFF Davis. When that
Convention adjourned to meet a month
later at Baltimore. he seeded from the
Convention and went over to the Breck-
inridge and disunion Convention.
When the war broke out he became a
wild Republican. and in time General,
and after mas. .uerading as command
er for several years was finally ''bottled
up" by Grant From the army he was
translated into Congress, and there he
blossomed in all the fruitfulness of total
depravity.
During the last Congress Mr.. Robe
nson was the target of all the Democratic
charges, moral and political; he was
held up as the example of all that was
scandalous and dishonest in politics and
in official life. Nothing was too bad to
lay at his door, and nothing too extrav-
agant to be added to his responsibility.
The fact was, that Mr.. Robson ap-
peared infamous in Democratic eyes be-
cause of the absence of Ben Butler. Had
Butler been present Robson would
have "a en- position among the white
robed angles. He became black only
in the absence of the man of darker hue.
ii there was any man in the United
States more responsible than another for
political abuses it was Ben Butler. Ii
there was one man in the land more re-
lenileSs than another in cruelty. bar
barity, constitutional violation. and op-
pressive treatment of the South during
the period of reconstruction it was Ben
Butler. There was no act of oppression,
personal, social, or political, towards
those States that he did not propose,
and that he did rot insist upon
enforcing 1t required the utmost eff
TO. Is of Republican leaders to restrain
his effo IS 10 treat the whole Southern
people with a ferocity that was hardly
short of diabolism.
In 1873, having an abundant courage
for all things of evil, he invented the
famous act of Cong ess by which each
mem CT was voted from the Treasury
other scanGalous and disgraceful lepis-
latiou enacted under butler's lead re-
suite in political revolution. 1t trans
fe red the CO t ol OF the House of Rep
resentati es to the Democratic party by
a two-thirds ma, ,ority, and led to the
election sool after of Democratic ma
iorty in the Senate. In the wreck thus
accomplished Butler himself went down,
amid the applause and reioicings of ev-
cry Democrat in the United States We
do not suppose in this o. any other
country there ever was public man so
abhor ed, so accursed, so detested as
Ben Butler was by the Democrats of this
county. There was no name or epithet
so vile as to be regarded as misappropri-
ate to be applied 10 him, and in large
po.tio OF the country he is still, at
this day, regarded and publicly branded
as the embodin ent OF all that is brutal
and infamous. 1t cannot be denied that
in this unpopular estimate of the man
large proportion of the Republicans
shared, not so violently as did the
Democrats, but with hardly disguised
repugnance.
After several years ahortive efforts to
be nominated by the Republicans OF
Massachusetts for the Office of Cover
no.. after several years trading and
bargaining with the Labor party and
the Greenbackers, here, in October,
1882, he stands before the country pos
ing as the Democratic candidate for
Governor of Massachusetts. Had Bene-
diet Arnold returned to the country
after the Revolution. there would not
have been Tory in the land who would
have voted to give him any political
recognition; but, having less self
respect than the Tories of the Revolu-
ton, the Democrats of 1882 hasten to
welcome Ben Butler. and to Law at his
feet the Executive honors of the Com
monwealth of Massachusetts, and to the
Democrats who have gone to their
knees begging this man of abomina-
tons to be their leader this man. con-
senting to be their Governor, addresses
these words:
i fully concur with the declaration of prin-
RSples and measures IN the resolutions of the
convention. They seem to me to enunciate
the principles OF the Democracy of Jefferson,
Madison and jackson, under which the free
dom. prosperity.and stab lity of our infant Re
public have been assured, together with the
light gained by the experience and trials of
their theories of government during the pOliti-
cal turbulence and strife of the pres MT gener-
alton. Upon most of the declarations of your
platform have heretofore so frequently ex-
planned to the people of the Commonwealth
my views that ere is no need of elaboration
OF them here and now.
While do sometimes change relations with
those with whom act politically, am not con-
scious of ever having changed the principles
upon which I have acted, save as / have
learned to discard errors by ripper Judgment
and instructed conscience.
And the Democrats of Massachusetts,
not only gratefully thank him, but al
ready propose that in 1884 the Demo-
Gratis of the whole country shall select
him as the successor of j Jefferson, Madi-
son and Jackson.-C Chicago Tribune.