The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-10-28
BUTLER EXPLAINS.

Now Ben Butler has been forced INTO
making an explanation of alleged crook
edness. When the "cockeyed son of
destiny" feels it necessary to explain
his conduct, you may be assured he
has been hit, for he is not the man to
be alarmed by groundless accusations.
The particular charge which Butler is
now trying to explain away in letter
which came over the wires on Sunday,
is that he had made bargain with the
Republicans to run as a third candidate
in the Presidential campaign in the hope
of defeating Cleveland by drawing to
himself the votes of many Democratic
worBingmen. It has been alleged that
the compact was entered into
and the terms agreed upon at
the time of Buffers visit to
the TaILapOoSd last August, Secretary
Chandler acting on the part of Blaine
and the Republican managers in the
negotiations. This charge was pre-
ferred weeks ago, and Buffers cam
paign has been conducted in such a
way as to lend confirmation to the
story. The General has rested under
the accusation until now, when he
comes out with an emphatic denial. If
it were necessary to deny at allit should
have been done when the charge was
first made. The public will look at But
ler's denial as confirmation of the truth
of what was formerly only a suspicion.
There is a motive for the acts of all
men; and what is Buffers motive in
becoming Presidential candidate on the
workingmen's ticket? 1t certainly can
not be the hope of election, for that it
assuredly out of the question; it cannot
be desire to help the workingmen, for
he has no symathy with them, being a
millionaire monopolist himself, and if
he did want to help them he wouldn't
go about the business by asking them to
throw away their only means of self
help, their votes. Butler is not phil
anthropist, nor is he noted for benevo-
lence; he doesn't throw money away
foolishly, nor is he apt to give the rail-
roads thousands of dollars to haul him
and his luxurious car about the coun-
try, when lie would be far more COM
Portable at home. Even his love of
notoriety is not SO inordinate as to turn
his head, and induce him to spend
fortune for the sake of keeping himself
before the public few weeks. Ap-
parently the only motive that is actu
ating Ben Butler in this campaign is
the one that has been prominent
through all his life-to make money for
Ben Butler; and the only source whence
he can get money for trying to defeat
Cleveland is the Republican party.
The denial is not nearly so well
grounded or probable as the charge
that he has sold out to the Repubi-
cans and is a paid worker in the
interests OF Blaine.
DeepIaid and disreputable as the
scheme is, we do not believe it will sue
coed, but that the Republicans will pay
their money for nothing, as the Butler
detection will be insignificant every
where except in New York, and there it
can hardly amount to enough to give
the election to Blaine. OF one thing, how
ever, all are confident, namely: Ben.
Butler will lose no money through the
campaign; the vast sums that he is ex-
pending will not deplete his bank &C
count, whether or not they are made
up from the voluntary contributions"
exhoTted from clerks and federal
office-holders.