Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-08

BCTLER's DEFEAT.

A good many Democratic statesmen
with presidential yearninRs drew long
sioh of genuine relief as the election re-
turns from Massachusetts, came tum-
bling in with unequivocal assurances
that in the heavy storm of Isesday,
Governor Ben. Butler had been showed
under. It is almost needless to repeat
what is already known, to-wit: mat
there have been graver fears among as
pirinQ Democratic statesmen that he
would be again elected Governor OF the
proud old commonwealth of Massachu-
setts. than any which have agitated the
souls of Republicans outside of his own
State. For il has beer. conceded In
many quarters, and had grown to be a
bupbear, especially at the South, that ii
Butler was again successful IN Massa-
ohusetts, his claims upon the Democrat
10 party for the presidential nomina-
ton would rank with those Of any
sther candidate. The possibility OF be-
ine dragooned into voting for him for
that Office, by force of Democratic dis
-cjpline has been veritable nightmare
to the solid South, not lessso than when
in 1872, the veneratsd Horace Greeley
WAS made the candidate of the chivalry
bv the action of the Baltimore CONVEX
ton in refusing to nominate candi-
date and endorsing the Lominee OF the
Cincinnati convention. They all breathe
freer today now that this danger is past
and"I told you 80" is the refrain OF many
who ON Tuesday morning were in their
Utmost heart of hearts, circulating
privately of course-"Good Lord, de-
liver u.s."
We confess also to feeling Of relief.
Not that We believe that Butler, as a
presidential candidate, would prove for
midable, for in this view of the case, we
would rather have him at the head of
an opposition ticket next year than sew
eral Democratic statesmen who could be
named, bat because his defeat in Mass
achusetts shows now-and it is time
such showing was made-that the Re-
publican party il again up and in arms,
again ready for united and energetic
action against its persistent and deter
mined opponent, Democracy. With
the defeat OF Bntlerism in Mass
aohusetts, there sinks from view
in the campaign of next year
all shadow Of probability OF Demo
cratic success in that State. He
had called to his support and utilized
every available form Of opposition
against the Republican nominees, ira
ditions and organization. He had been
in Office long enough TO WELD its power
and patronage to his own purposes and
benefit. That after such a contest as
has been for six weeks waged in that
sturdy old State he should be covered
up by from 1900 to 10000 votes, is
tantamount to saying that next year
Massachusetts stands for the Repub Ii
can President with double that major
ity. II further indicates that there, as
elsewhere, the experiment Of substitut-
ing personal warfare for contest of
principles, must eventually prove Il
failure. The rule of Butler as Governor
Of Massachusetts has not been without
good results. 1t has shown the folly of
experimenting with dangerous ele-
ments, the danger of playing with fire,
and has we judge done more to consoli-
date the Republican party in that State
than any other method which could
have been devised. II he had succeeded
this year the result achieved yesterday
would only have been postponed year
longer, and the reckoning would have
been still more disastrous to the Demo
cratic party.
On the whole, however. while the Re
publicans Of course are jubilant, We
doubt If Democrats as rule are az
downcast as they might have been had
man more satisfactory to the South
and with less Presidential ambitions
been defeated. Butler has been a thorn
in the South, and quite considerable
thistle in the thumb of old Massa shu-
sstts. His vaulting ambition for the
Presidency has overleaped itself.