National Republican., 1883-09-26
OLD BEN is BOLD.
Ao Saws Ho is Confident Of Recollection, and
States tho Issues Of the Campaign.
I'i0 y-'cws on the Republican and Demo-
cratic Parties Presidential Candidates,

Tho Chicago Herald Of u recent date prints
a ,u' Interview with Gov. Butler, of Nlassa-
chus' t., in which he runs on in very inter-
csting say about both the republican and
democratic parties. lie confidently predicts
lis own reelection, and states the issues he
expects to make in tho campaign, which ate
reforming and simplifying the state govern
mcnt securing the greatest benefits to the
greatest number of people breaking up rings
checking corruption, and turning rascas out
of place wherever can find them. l have
unrarthcd some am hunting for more, and,
if God spares my life and energies, will
break up every species of official wrongdoing,
CarolCssness, and extravaganza in this state
This | will do without the aid of any of the
influences which have heretofore dominated
affairs in Massachusetts. | will do IL
with tho aid of the common sense, respect
and affection of the whole people and the
force of n public sentiment that has grown
and is growing. My sympathies have ever
been with the humber classes, the bone and
snew, and inherent good sense of my fellow
citizens. | have shown that l think, in my
public career. care nothing for traditions
or memories of past glories. / do not live in
the past. The present alone concerns me.
There are wrongs to right and we cannot
right them by cloquential platitudcs My
policy is to act-secure results By actual and
intelligent effort"
" tako it, then, that the republican policy
to-day is dictated largely by memories of the
past-by respect for well remembered but
entirely unlived up TO principles" remarked
the listener.
Just so." And the general lifted foot
encalcd in q velvet embroidered slipper to an
adjacent chair, turned his face toward win
dow, and shut both his eyes "Ycs, there was
great need of the republican party in its day,
but the day IS past. 1t had Il great mission to
accomplish, and it did it,"
"And you are about one of its most active
agents, | belieye?" interccted the Herald
man,
II was, young man. | never do things By
halves. When | go into anything 20 in with
all my heart and soul. / had been u democrat
all my life, and have never been anything
else in principle. l believe in democratic
principles. When carefully upheld and not
departed from, they are the safety of tho re-
public. During the war, and during the period,
toowhen we were seeking to clinch the results
of the war, L acted with the republican party
because it was the only way to
accomplish results. We succeeded. We
saved the country, perpetuatcd the govern
ment, provided II new freedom for the col
ored race, secured them in it, and secured
them also political equality. That done, those
war democrats like myself who strove to pro.
toct the national unity could well go back to
their old allegiance. The mission of the re-
publican party is ended. 1t has nothing new
TO contend for. 1t has accomplished its life
work. 1t cannot aud ought not to survive as
q mere leverage to protect 70 600 office holders
in place and handle the national revenues"
II believe" and rs the governor warmed
up he began to lose sight of his immediate
surrounding. 81 believe he said, that, if
our people make no mistake within the next
twelve months, we will elect democratic
president. Tho people are ripe for II change.
nipl lie cd "a ii m
mt work within the republican ranks that
will hasten the downfall of that party. |
can see the work of disintegration going
steadily on, and am reminded of the similar
evidences revealed in 1856, 81, and '5S, when
tho old whig party struggled in the throes of
dissolution. History repeats itself No party
can live for more than twenty-five years
without more to feed on in the way of sound
principle and practice than the diet of tho
republican party to-day"
"Goyernor, what mistake is the democratic
party most likely TO make?"
'"Ihey may make two. They may go
wrong on the tariff and they may make
fOoi5hsnomination. So far as the tariff goes,
/ am unhcsitatinRly for tariff solely for rev.
enuc with here and there, perhaps, incidental
protection. For instance wherever we see
something that we either possess in abundance
or can produce as well as they can abroad, let
us protect ii. We might so protect salt, coal,
and other things hut such pro lection l would
have merely incidental"
"And about the nomination-which would
be wise and which unwise?'
"Oh, that | would not speak Of. There is
nobody prominent enough before the public
as vet. ] understand Mcdonald thinks he
has the prize already slowed away in his
satchel. That may be. Mcdonald is q good
man, a learned man, and would make good
president, but unless he can come into the
convention with Lis state wholly and en-
phatcally pledged to him he ought not to
come at all. We cannot afford to risk Indiana
by any quarrel between the friends of Hend-
ricks and Mcdonald, and it is pretty certain
that if either of these gentlemen is shown
preference the other will kick"
And how about Mr.. Iilden?" asked the
Herald man.
Mr.. Tilden is not q candidate in any sense
of the word, nor will he be- Nothing could
tempt him from his retirement. Ii has dis
appeared as entirely from the range Of presi-
dental possibility as Horatio Seymour. The
old ticket talk that you hear so much about
is kept up by the friends of Hendricks to Off
set the Mcdonald talk; that's all there is
about that. If Hoadly should carry Ohio, it
might bear him to the front as Il possibility,
and Dana, of the SU is making a good deal
of noise about Holman, but it's only noise,
guess. No, there isn't really anybody around
whom party sentiment has sufficiently
crystaliZed to warrant n prediction Maybe,
NltCr tnO lhll clCctlOn5, matters VIII shape
themselves differently"
"What do you think of Hoadly's chances
in Ohio, governor"
"Wcll, / cannot learn exactly how far the
democratic disscnsion extends there, or how
weak candidate lloadly really is, but my
judgment is he will be elected. | predicate
that upon hope of capturing the whole Of the
German vote. know they talk of the Ger
mans iayoring the Scott law, but that isn't in
the nature of things. Germans never yet
favored o law that intorGcres in tho slightest
degree With absolute freedom of conscience
and stomach l believe the Germans will
vote solid for the democratic ticket, as they
did last year for congressman. There is moth
ing in the Scott law TO change their opinions.
Indeed. il is more calculated to intensity their
opposition to anything that interteres with
their personal liberty"
And the republicans do not seem to be any
more settled among thomselves?p
"NO; Arthur's friends are working up his
boom, and so far they seem TO have things all
their own wHy. Well, l can only say that If
we have to have another republican admins
tration, ! would rather sec Arthur ut the head
of it than anybody else Io has mado re-
spectacle president. He has done no harm,
aud has done some good things, in a small
way. He is easy and good natured, but has
the courage of his convictions. He is gem
tloman, socially speaking, is fine manly
fellow, frank, sincere, and courageous He
likes TO hunt and fish and go sailing on
the deep, but who of us doesn't? No, Arthur
has made very good president-bottcr