The Portland daily press., 1884-05-21
Bay State Politics.
Indications of Serious Trouble An the
Democratic Camp-Butler said 10 Have
Lost His Grip on Maguire and Cunnin
The Decentralization Of C0nsorting
with Political HarlOts.
Special COrrQspOnaencsOf the Press)


on very important element Of the party. I
mean the 'short-hairs" or "Muldoons," as
some call them; in other words, the young
Irishmen who control the Boston Democracy.
The boss of the party in Boston is the Hon.
Patrick Mcguire, who was chairman OF the
city committee for a number Of yeare, and
who is at present the solitary Democratic
member of Governor Robinson's Council. Mr..
Mcguire rules the city Democracy with a rod
Of iron. Mr.. Michael M. Cunnif, the chair
man Of the city committee, is Mr.. Maguire's
able first lieutenant. Mr.. Maguife gives the
orders and Mr.. Cunniff and his subordinat@
see that the orders are carried out.
The trouble which now exists in the Demo
cratic camp originated just after the last State
election. For some weeks prior to that time
the more enthusiastic Of the young city lead
ers had been loudly claiming that Governor
Butler would carry Boston by 1900 majority.
The noisy mouthed McDavitt, and q few
others Of those closA to Butler, placed the
figures as high as 10000. The election was
held, and instead OF 1900 or 10000 majority
Gen. Butler got only about 5000. The Demo-
cratic vote was the heaviest ever cast, but il
was an utteT impossibifity for Butler to get
much over 5000 majority in the face Of Re
publican opposition the most determined and
the best organized and equipped that the party
mad ever had in Boston. But the crest-fallen
chieftain was sorely disappointed and yery
ugly. He had allowed himself TO be deceived
by the loose talk OF cranks and enthusiasts,
and the melting away Of the expected enor-
nous majority in Boston meant Republican
victory in the State. Somebody must be blamed
and 80 Butler charged it all to the party
managers In Boston. He asserted that Matt
kiley, well known local leader and a mem
Der OF the city committee, and who had furn-
ished the Democratic ballots from his printing
othce, had purposely arranged to have his
presses disabled on the night before election in
order that there might be delay in printing the
ballots, and he went further and openly
charged that Kiley had been in league with
the Republicans and had conspired with them
to bring about his (Butler's) defeat. Not only
this, but the General freely asserted a belief
that the Democratic managers in the city had
sold MIN out for gain or for some selfish con.
slderatlon. These were serious charges, bat
they were never substantiated ana probably
never will be. They were made by q disap-
pointed and sour old man who believed when
he made them, and who still believes, that
20,OOO majority in Boston meant his election as
President Of the United States one year later
Naturally the charges were hurled back at
Butler and naturally those at whom they were
aimed have not forgotten or forgiven. When
new Democratic city committee was elected,
made by the friends of Butler, to capture that
organization, and to oust Mr.. Ounnif, who se-
cretly loses no opportunity now to do Butler
an injury and even openly attacks him at
times. The attempt was failure and Cum
niH was reelected, Mcguire, who, also, has
lost faith in Butler, still remaining the
power behind the throne. In the Conventions
to choose delegates to Chicago, these city boss
es have again shown their strength and their
ability to cope with Butler and his cohorts. The
most digaqfr0ua ddfaaf for told
the third congressional district where
Fred erick o. Prince was elected
by vote Of nearly to l over "Bin"
Simmons, the trusted friend of Butler,
and the special representative of his interests
Mr.. Prince did not care to be a delegate, but
at the urgent request Of some of his friends
consented to stand. The scheme was conceiy-
ed, engineered and made successful by Ma
guire, CunniH and Kiley. This trio Of wire
pullers met Simmons and his crowd of work
ers, and fought them in every precinct in the
district. The issue was plain and E:nple-
elect Simmons, the Butler man, or elect
Prince, the man OF all men whom Butler de-
tests Prince, as before said, was elected, and
Mcguire himself was chosen as his colleague.
The convention was so strongly anti. Butler
that an attempt to instruct the delegates for
the latter would have been Overwhelmingly
voted down. In fact, no Butler man has
deemed it prudent to ask any one Of the Bos-s
ton districts to instruct its delegates for the ex
Governor, and in most of the country districts
where resolutions to instruct have been intro
duced they have been rejected. Buffers best
friends concede that he always blunders at the
critical time. When he charged the Boston
bosses with selling him out he made one Of
the worst blunders he has ever made. With
out the solid support of the "Muldoons' his
political roadway will be hard one to travel
be has already discovered this truth, and he
will yet see more light. 1t is now scarcely pos
sible that Butler will get the solid Massachu-
setts vote at the National Convention. In
case he declines the anti-Monopoly and Green
back nominations before the assembling Of the
Democratic convention, he may possibly get
the united vote Of the Democratic delegation
on the first ballot. He cannot get such a vote
on the second ballot under any circumstances
III he does not decline the side-show nomina-
uons Deiore the democratic convention meets,
he will not get over two-thirds of the Msssa-
chusetts vote, even on the first ballot.
And to the mind of any intelligent observer IL
is clear that Butler does not intend to decline
any nomination for the Presidency. He will
accept those of the auti-monopolists and
Greenbackers, but not until after the Demo
Gratis have held their convention. He expects
to make great showing OF strength at Chica-
90 and to frighten the Democrats into nomin-
adng him. But he does not care a fig for the
Democracy with Butler left out, and in case
he shall be, he will take the stump and make
red hot canvass on his own hook. He will
divide the Irish-American vote everywhere
and take two-thirds of the Democratic vote In
Michigan, Wisconsin, illinois, Minnesota,
Iowa and California. In some Of the Southern
States he win run even with any man, save
Tilden, whom the Democrats can nominate,
and Tilden will not be q candidate. "The old
rascal means mischief" said leading Boston
Democrat to friend the other day. That he
does the Democrats will soon discover.
The Democrats show the result Of their
co-habitation with Ben. Butler in the per-
sonnel Of their delegation to the national con-
yeniion. The delegates, at-large are Butler,
McCafferty, Delaney and Abbott, the latter
being the only representative Democrat OF any
national reputation in the lot, and whatever
influence he may have had in the national
councils Of his party he has lost by his sub
serviency to Butler. McCaterty is a two
hundred and fifty pound Irishman, bright and
amiable, and most devoted follower Of But
ler BE is an associate justice Of the Boston
municipal court to which position he was ap-
pointed by Butler. He was always q warm ad-
mirer of Butler, and would probably follow
presidential candidate for President, no
matter who might be the Demo-
cratic nominee. Delaney is the mayor
OF Holyoke, young Irish-American,
popular in his locality even to some
extent ouside his cwn party. He does not
wear Buffers collar and is reported to be hos
tile to the old mans Presidential aspirations
He was made delegate-at-large as q result Of
the fine work OF Pat Mcguire and Mike Cum
niff, Of Boston, who ran him in over the pros
does not compare at all iavorably with that
sent by the regular Democrats four years ago.
McCafferty does not shine by the side OF Leys
erett Saltonstall, nor does Delaney alongside of
Edward Avery, nor Ben. Butler il yoked up
with Reuben Noble, the sturdy white oak of
Westfeld, in whose veins courseth the pufe
Jeffersonian blood. When one comes to look
over the names of district delegates there is a
significant absence Of those Of good men and
true. "Billy" Carroll and "Tom" Denny,
better known for their muscular than their
mental development, represent the wealthy
fourth district. Two young Butler bloods are
to go to Chicago from the ffth district having
defeated Hon. Charles Levi Woodbury., 4. A.
Alger, Esq, and other representative and
honorable men in the party. The twelfth dis
trict, by casting seventeen more votes than
it had delegates, has chosen Eddie McA,
Learned and liquor dealer Callahan of Spring.
field over the heads of Prof. Perry, the emin-
ent political economist, and Geo. II. Bleloch,
Esq, wealthy and highly respected man and
party worker. The second district convention
sends two Butler shouters Of no reputation ex-
cept as local wire-pullers. The eighth will
probably send DR.. Hear, of Lowell, and John
Breen, third-rate politician and local boss.
And so on There will not be over half dozen
district delegates Of even o State reputation,
and the few who will be up to the average FOR
intelligence ane political sagacity as compared
with representations in years past, will be men
l. Ill n H. 4 n