The Portland daily press., 1883-11-05
Massachusetts.

Tomorrow the great contest which mas
been waged in Massachusetts, for the past
two months will come to an end 1t is for
tunate that there is limit fixed to such eX-
citing political campaigns and that, however
mems passions are wrought up, there comes
a day when they vote and decide the issue
for the time being There will be tremen-
dous strain of anxiety until tomorrow night.
Then the peaceful battle of ballots will have
been fought out, and it will be known who
has lost and who has won. There will be
rejoicing on one hand and disappointment on
the other, but it is not conceivable that there
will be any resistance to the popular decree
ascertained in due form. Governor Butler
has intimAted dire things in certain contin-
gencies, he has Dragged and clustered as his
wont is, and he is not wise man; but he
will submit If the election goes against him.
OF all the elections which are to be held
tomorrow this in Massachusetts, is the only
one which has attracted much attention, or
in which there is great interest beyond the
borders of the State. Those in New York,
in Pennsylvania and in Virginia will have a
certain significance, but compared with that
In the old Bay State they are not of prime
importance. There it is to be decided
whether a political soldier of fortune,
throughout whose career can be plainly fol-
lowed the thread of his selfish motive, a clew
to all lis devi. US and, in any other aspect,
Inconsistent courses, has succeeded in or
ganizing from the unprincipled elements of
all parties in The staid old Commonwealth
personal following numerous enough tc
constitute majority. If he has, we may
expect that the next national campaign will
be waged on substantially the same issues
he has raised in Massachusetts, and that the
ignorant and the vicious, the unprincipled,
and the wrong principled, the communists
and the discontinued of every name, the be-
levers in currency without basis of value,
and an administration which shall be strong
er than the law and not scruple to
TO make the pubic treasury pay its political
debts, will be combined in support of can
didate who never served any cause unprofit-
ably to himself, and never attached himself
to any which he did not degrade while he
sided with it and betray when he could no
longer use it.
Many things conspire to increase the un-
certainties of the Massachusetts election. 1t
breaks up party lines in a strange way and
10 degree that cannot be accurately esti-
mated in advance of the voting. Last year
in a total vote of 256, 900, in round numbers,
Butler received $4,000 and Bishop 10000.
about 1900 votes being cast for "Prohibi-
ZIONIST" Bishops vote was $4,000
less than was cast for Garfield
In 1880, and Buffers was about o.
600 more than was cast for Hancock, the
cast at the Presidential election. If we sup
pose that 10000 Republicans and 5000 Dem
ocrats did not vote last year Buffers vote
must have been made up of about 106, DOC
Democrats and $4,000 Republicans. The
vote tomorrow is expected to be as large or
larger than the vote in the Presidential year.
OF the men who voted for Bishop last year
not enough will vote for Butler this year to
have an appreciable influence on the result.
OF the 10000 Republicans, probably an UNI
derestimate, who did not vote last year, few
will vote for Butler this year. Robinson will
get nine-tenths of them. If we may credit
the apparent signs of the times at least one
half of the Republicans who voted for Butler
last year will not do it again 1t is probably
reasonable then to expect Robinson to re-
ceive,
The vote cast for Bishop. .......,..... 100 ,0oC
Nine-tanths of last years Republican stay
one-half the Republicans who went astray.. 14,0O(
These together make $4,000, which is
$1,000 less than Garfield had, but majority
Of about % 1000 in vote as large as that OF
1880. This estimate gives Butler every
Democratic vote cast for Hancock $1,000
more than were east for Tilden) 10000 Re-
publican votes. and 1000 more from some
where. Mr.. Lodge, the chairman of the Re-
publican Committee, estimates Mr.. Robin.
sons majority al 10000.