New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-03
RETIEL,G HOPES.


Governor Butler has been down to Wash
incton and has assured his friends there that
be ia seriously" in the field for the Prcsi-
dency. lie wishes to have II UNDERSTOOD ''a'
there is no Joke about 1t. lie means business.
All fooling is 10 be frUwned down ~ out al
MACE. He hopes to compel the Democratic
National Convention 10 nominate nm. ihat
declaration ought tn lie evidence enough that
Inc is in earnest. No man who was not Sc
riously N candidate would make IN avUwal like
That He virtually admits thai the Democrats
do not want him ; but wEat cf thatf Ihry did
not want hin, for Governor Of Massachusetts,,
INT he made them iakc him. II is II" joke for
any party when Butler is "sriionsly" deter
mined To- become lis candi late. lie worried tie
Massachusetts Republicans for many year,,
tryirg 40 compel " them 10 nominate him Tor
Governor; apd while he did not succeed III that,
Inc did have tie satisfaction of defeating them
10 the candidate of the Democrats, which was
fine worst humiliation he conld subject them
to. His serious assault on Massachusetts, WAS,
therefore, douhy successful, aud 1t has neived
him TO the bolder experiment OF capturing the
National Democracy.
Will he succeed in itP Tho chances arc
heavily against him. If lie could make the
Democrats believe that lac could be elected
tbcy would nominate him quicker than wink.
His urinculcs, on lack OF principles, would not
trnuhle Them for n moment. But in order 10
convince tn n of his popular strength he must
pursue very din rent coarse from tie one ho
has followed since he brcamc Governor. lie
went into office ~ "rel0rmer v" he has admin
i,tered IT,, Office like II mau who sought To de-
craze rather than improve politics. He has
done nothing worthy Of communication, but
many things deserving severe condemnation.
He went into Office with great reputation for
smartnc.a which WAS yhs chieftst element of
popuIar strength. This has been badly shat
tered b. his unfortunate tilt with tho Senate
Judiciary Committee. and It has been made
known 10 the world that there are men in
Massachusetts, smarter even than Batter l.. lie
| has got the laugh on himself badly, aud that is
always AN unlucky thing for your smart candi-
date Once let the popular confidence III his
| snartness be shaken and the beginning of the
| end il in sight. Furthermore there arc really
| Int few reople in this country IN any party
| who wish 10 see the highest Office in the land
| placed in the control Of man who has no sense
of official dignity. Butler has treated the Coy
| ernorship of Massachusetts as II 1t were a
| thing TO be won and then thrown aside rs II not
worth the having. That is not the way To ac-
oulre strength as n candidate for higher office
| These are some of the obstacles to Governor
Buffers hopes, and there are others no less
| foimi lablc. He says ho expects to win 10y
seeming the delegations from Rhode Island
Maine and Newt lmpshirc, and by inducing
MIR. Tildcn to use his Influence III his favor
| That is one of tho finest collection OF broken
reeds n man ever picked out 10 an upon. II
il extremely dnu ltful if he will DC able 20 get
tine DELEGATIONS from any of the Ncw-EngIant
, st .tcs in 1854, if his popularity continues tt
| wanc as rapidly as il his during the pas
month : but even if he did got them, wha
| Good would they do HIM 7 All the State
named are surely publican. As for lildrn'
Influence, is the Governor really so "fresh
~ to fl,ttcr himself for n moment that he cal
ret tina Tia, It'd N ever been induced Il
east tIat for any Jody except lims II Al
General Hancock how 1t was with his effort
tn secure it IN 1850. The only man who vii
ever nave Tiden's influence for the Presidenc.
will he Samuel j. TIldrn. just as soon "a an.
other man is nominated he loses his int,rcs
in politics and lapsas into SAGE. Gov rnoi
Buffers prospects are not, therefore, ~ brlgh
AS they mig at be. lis candidacy Is likely Il
inc q GOOD deal more Serious for him tlai
for anybody else.