The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-09-19
Butler and .DemocracY.

Butler and Democracy.
The Charleston, S. c., Ne,ps and
Courier is alarmed lest Ben Butler be
made the Democratic candidate for
President in 1884, and declares cit is
high time for the Democrats of the
South to make their sentiments plainly
heard on the subject;" whereupon, the
Utica Observer seeks to calm the per-
porary. Among the elements of
strength within his party attributed to
Butler by the Net0s and Courier are
shrewdness, persistence, dogged deter
mination, immense riches and un-
scrupulousness. "Not sufficient" re-
spends the Utica organ, soothingly.
1" No man was ever nominated by the
Democrats for the Presidency on such
comparatively slender capital" The
Observer can hardly have forgotten
Samuel j. Tilden. What, pray, were
the qualifications that secured for him
the Democratic nomination for Presi-
dent in 1876, if they were not precise
ly those enumerated by the NetDs
and Courier as possessed by Butlerp
What other titles to public considers
ton could be set forth in behalf of
Tilden beyond those of shrewdness,
persistence, dogged determination, i'm
mense riches and unscrupulousness? In
what respect is Tilden superior to But
Ter? We know of none, and doubt
whether the Observer can name any
substantial reason for preferring the
New York trickster above the Massa-
chusetts trickster. Such difference as
exists between the two men is decided
ly in Buffers favor. For example, he
has the merit of frankness, in which
Tilden is wholly lacking. Butler is
also courageous, while Tilden is un-
deniably timid. Butler, moreover, did
at one period of his career perform
valuable service for the country; but
Tiden never even tried to be of use in
that respect. In point of ability But
Ter is surely Tilden's s equal if not his
superior. And, finally, Butler enjoys
advantages of experience which Tilden
does not.
On the whole, therefore, Butler ought
to stand better in Democratic esteem
than Tilden, and he probably would but
for the single drawback of his attitude
toward the Southern rebellion, and the
part he played in putting it down. So
far as we are informed, Tilden never
contributed anything. in either a moral
or material sense. to the Union cause
during the great civil war. The weight
of his influence, the aid of his personal
exertions and the material assistance of
his overladen purse were each withheld
in the hour of National trouble But
Ter certainly came forward individually,
doing what he could to promote the
Federal cause, and his friends assert
that he gave literally from his private
means for the same end. He has never
been forgiven by Southern Democrats
for what he did then. And the Obseruer
admits that the chief obstacle to his
nomination by the Democratic National
Convention next year arises from the hos
tility with which he is regarded in the
South. Says the Observer: "Were the
Democracy in sad need of leaders, Ben
Butler might be selected out of sheer
But we have dozens of
available men-men who have always
been consistent Democrats, and who
are as able, enterprising and honest as
he is, take him at his best. Besides,
the South is almost unanimously op-
posed to his nomination. And he whom
the South is solidly arrayed against can
not, under the two-thirds' rule, be
chosen as the next Democratic candi-
date. Therefore, let the NesDs and
Courier calm itself. Butler will not be
And here we have an ex-
hibition of the same trucking spirit
that has always characterized Northern
Democracy whenever a Southern preju-
dice was involved. Butler will not
he is not " available" Why is that?
Because 1.-the South is solidiy arrayed
against him. Why againP Let the
Nescs and Courier answer this time. He
labors under "the disadvantage of his
shameful public record and his odious
The " shameful public
record" does not, in the estimation of
the Net0s and Courier, appear on the
minutes of the Democratic National
Convention held at Charleston, in 1860,
which show that he voted one hundred
or two hundred times, more or less, to
JEFF Davis for President, and
his "odious personality" dates from
some other occasion, for in 1860 Butler
was prime fayorite among Southern
Democrats.
The offense given by Butler to Demo
cratic sensibilities in the South is con-
fined to the fact that he, being Demo-
crat, presumed to combat Southern
took up arms to defeat it, and
on several occasions, as at New Orleans,
while in command there, maintained
the dignity of the Nation and the honor
Of its flag, even to the extent of humili-
ating rebel pride and rebuking the ar
rogance of its representatives. ire
spectiye of social conditions So he is
TO be ostracised by Southern Democracy
for ever, and the OtserUer acquiesces |
with the customary servility of Northern |
Democracy to demands coming from its |
ancient masters. Republicans viii not |
object to the conclusion, however much !
they may condemn the Democratic |
reason for it. Their dislike of Butler is |
based upon the close resemblance he |
bears to Tilden, though they have rea-
son to respect the former more than
the latter, owing to certain manly traits |
possessed by him in which the ciphering |
sage of Gramercy Park is wholly de- |
icient. Troy Times.