Omaha daily bee., 1884-06-24
GEN. BUTLER's VIEWS.
What He Thinks ofthe Position OF the
Republican Party.

New York Times, 18th.
"Are you willing to give your views of
the political situation, General2" asked a
reporter of Benjamin +. Butler at the
~Fifth.avenue hotel yesterday.
~ do not know that they will DO of
interest to anybody" was the answer,
shut know no reason why l should con-
ceal them"
Reporter-What do you think of the
nomination of Mr., Blaine2
Gen. Butler-1 gave my views on this
subject the day after his nomination. 1t
is the strongest nomination that could
have been made, as it has turned out.
Reporter-But there seems to be q
great number of boilers.
Gen. Butler-More apparent than real.
L can remember when Mr.. Webster said
of Taylor's nomination by the Wing
Party, "It's a nomination not fit to be
made" which was true; but the popular
enthusiasm carried him through, and
the boilers were whipped in before elect
ion. In Massachusetts, 10000 Republi-
cans left the party in 1873 and 1879 and
voted Independently. But they were
not the so-called independents of to-day.
Their action was a protest against the
rule of the Republican Party, which was
then substantially under the control of
the men who now bolt Mr.. Blaine's
nomination, and James Freeman Clarke
and Charles Francis Adams, and their
coworkers, now having %repudiated the
regular nominations of the party, in
most contingencies will return to Mr..
Blaine, certainly rather than vote for
anybody that those men should support
by what party soever nominated.
Reporter-But is not New York the
battle-ground?
Gen. Butler-Yes, and the neighbor-
ing states ofw Connecticut and Meier
sey. In New York this curious political
condition arose. In 1882 q 10000 to TO-
900 Republicans voted for the Democrat
ic candidate for Governor, and 80 many
Republicans staid at home that he was
elected by the enormous majority of 1872.
600; but with all that majority he re-
ceived only some $50 more votes than
did Hancock in 1880. But what was the
Republican vote, either actively voting
or remaining silent2 1t was a protest
against it's nominee, Mr.. Folger, by the
Republicans devoted to Mr. Garfield and
Mr.. Blaine, and but few of them are the
men who bolt Mr.. Blaine's nomination.
That vote, of course, will now go back to
Blaine. So it would seem to be unwise
for the Democracy to count on that vote
for carrying the State of New York.
That that vote is not to be depended
upon by the Democratic Governor who
was so triumphantly elected is seen by
the fact that the very next year, when
the Governor caused his friend to be
nominated as Secretary of State, the
leading officer on the ticket-Mr. May
nard-he was defeated by some 10000
votes, while the rest of the Democratic
ticket was elected, making a change in
one year (f anybody could be 30 silly as
to believe that the 1872, 900 majority of
the previous year was to be relied upon
as Democratic votes) of 225, 600 votes.
Reporter-Who do you think can car.
ry the state of New York;
Gen. Butler-Pardon me. 1t would
neither be profitable or proper for me to
make prophescies. 1t would neither be
interesting nor valuable. But, if you de-
sire, / will state a few facts. The Gov
ernor felt it his duty as a matter OF ad-
ministration to veto the bill which en-
acted fve-cent fares ON the elevated rail
roads That involved a very largeamount
of money to be taken from the middling
and laboring classes, who principally use
that railroad, every year, as you will see,
when the statistics show that $1,000. 900
people are carried yearly on these roads,
the veto securing to the railroads 10 cents
fare instead of five cents each, making q
sun of 81, 800, 900 yearly. Ii the veto
had stopped there, perhaps it might have
shown that this was necessary to be done
although it gave an impetus to the anti
monopolists which they never before had
but the ground OF which the
cratic, and that was that there was no
constitutional power in n legislature 10
regulate and abridge privileges granted
by a former legislature to a public agency,
however oppressive these privileges had
become. Again, it has been unfortun ate
for the democracy that the legislature has
passed a bill with the approval of the gov
ernor taking from the aldermen chosen
by the people the power of rejecting or
confirming the appointment of city Off
GERS, and that confined to the city of
New York alone, apparently as a punish
ment applied to that city because it gave
democratic majorities. The constitution
of the United States and of every state
in the union, framed by our demo-
cratic fathers, have placed the control
OF the appointment of officers in the
hands of a part Of the legislative body,
and the same rule has been applied sub
stantially in all cities. The officers of the
city Of New York have more important
duties and have larger emoluments than