New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-23
BUTLER'S BLUNDERS.

BUILERS BLCNDEHo'
II is tbe common impression that General
Butler is " smart man. 1t is for this that ne
Is chiefly admired by those classes in the COM
munitv who do not think 1t necessary that
smart man should be decent man at the same
time. Yet tho fact is that during his present
speech-making tour of Massachusetts he has
scarcely allowed a night to pass in which he ala
not make some statement exhibiting either
eross ignorance of the affairs of the State OF
which he was Chief Executive or still grOsser
recklessness. or in which he did not offend some
distinct class withoutsaying anything that could
hiring him general strength. 1t is not an exag-
oeration to say that the chief occupation OF Mr.
Robinson, the Republican candidate, is to con-
tradict in his speeches the false or Dluhdering
statements which General Butler has made in
his.
The unfortunate feature-for Butler-Of most
of the bunders is that they are made at the ex-
nense of the good name of the State, or OF the
local pride of its citizens; and mistakes or thaI
kind are apt TO be soon resented. The average
citizen likes to take pride i'll his State. Inc
neonIe of Massachusetts are no doubt as ready
to hear revelations of fraud and wrOng-dOlng
in high places as any other people, and as ready
70 nnnish il bnt General Buffers attempt to
nrove tbings at Tewksbury a great deal worse
than they really were has evidently made them
very angry. And his entire campaign has been
on the Tewksbury line He has been trying to
convince the people of Massachusetts, that they
are badly governed that they are burdencd
with taxation that their trade ana commerce
are depressed by the corruption and cxtr"Ia-
0once of their rulers that, in short they ought
to he ashamed of themselves and each other,
and are much to be piticd. If we can judge
from the excitement in the newspapers, TINS
ncculiar STYLE of campaigning has aroused an
intense feeling against General Butler. which
will do more than all else toward his defeat.
IN his anxiety to make the picture as dark rs
possib!c and, possibly, III his contempt Tor the
intelligence of yecrs he has been LED INTO his
many blundcrs. Space prevents the ennmcia-
ton of more than few. lie diSparagcd Boston
TO Boston the other day by saying that 1t has
only two trans ocean lines of steamers 1t has
ten. He saws il costs over $4,000, 900 year to
T1n the state Government; it really costs
little over 100000. Speaking of the debt
of 500. 500. 900, he said good part of the
money had gone into the lloOSac Tunnel; "the
rest has gone into eXtravagant public build
ings" The facts are that Sl1,OOO,OOO went |
into the tunnel, and only Sj,sOO.OOO into pub
lie buildings, leaving Sl1 100000 unaccountcd
for bv General Butler. He declared that the |
" enormous debt and cyOrbitant rates of tax |
alton had a tendency =" to drive all business,
into " other States where taxes are lover The !
fact is that the Massachusetts rate Is only ) !
cents on 500, while in the ncighborng States |
il ranges from - cents in Rhode Island TO 10 |
cents in Maine and New-Iork. He declared !
that the State had borrowed most of It's sinking |
fund and the statement was promptly shown |
10 bc false He gave one account oil ms reasons |
for removing the warden of Concord prison, in /
a speech to the conyict-, and an account directly
contradicting it in public speech. He told the |
Cape Cod people that he had helped along the |
ship canal by not taking steps against the com
pany for failing to deposit the required amount |
before the time limit expired. The papers /
promptly showed that the time limit had not /
expired even then. ON dozens of points in his |
political career hc has been guilty of charac- |
tcristic misrcprcscntations and on State matters /
lac made numerous other blunders, which can /
not be explained without going too much into |
detail.
None of these things however, caused the |
Indignation aroused by his attack on Colonel /
Goldman. brave soldier, rs coward This |
was his revenge for Colonel Codman's scathing .
speech in the Republican Convention, and even .
here he blundcrcd. He attacked Colonel Cod /
mans regiment with him. got the number /
wrong. and not only made two regiment, angry, .
but irritated the ninety days volunteers ns u .
class In fact the personalities in which he
has induced have been often disgusting He |
attacked the character of young Tcwksbury
matron In an outrageous way, leading Mr.. Rob- |
inson to defend her Indignantly. His language |
i'm describing alleged scenes at Tcwksbury has .
sometimes been unfit for publication lie found .
in public office a man who for more than forty /
years had lived an exemplary life. When a
very Young man he had stolen an oycicoat, and .
after n brief imprisonment was pardoncd.
Butler mcrcilcssly rakcd mp the forgotten story,
drove him from office and cxultcd in his shame.
II is in his potter moments that General Butler
does nothing worse than to call member of the
Legislature by name "a poodle and II dirty
dog" and speaks of the Board Of Education as
: composed of four old women, two who wear
bonncts, and two who wear hats" Denis
Kcarnry never made more disgraceful cam
paign, and the returns will probably show that
is not liked in Massachusetts,.
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