Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-06
BLUFF BEN'S BOLD GAME.
THE FRUSTRATION OF A POPU-
LAR CHOICE HIS OBJECT.

Democrats and Republicans to be Fused
With, So to Throw the Election into
the House and Give Him a Chance to
Make a Bargain of His Own Liking
WASHINGTON, Sept. 5.-The Star this
evening publishes the following political
gossip:
| News comes from the West that Gen.
Butler has called halt in the matter of
| fusion with the Democrats. He is afraid
of giving Cleveland a majority of the
electoral college if fusion with the Demo-
Gratis goes much further. Buffers ambi-
tiOuS scheme is to split up the electoral
vote so as TO deprive either Blaine or
Cleveland of a majority. In such an
event he has hopes that he might make
some sort of a trade that would put
him on vantage ground. 1t is probable
that he has not as yet any definite plan as
TO what he would do in case of neither
candidate having a majority in the cleo
toral college, but he holds that the electors
| are not bound to vote for any designated
man for President, that they can exercise
their discretion if they choose to, and in
the event of a deadlock in the college the
idea is that both parties would be willing
to make bargains to secure the Presi-
dency. If Butler has mapped out any
people he has not communicated it to his
lieutenants.
EFFECTS OF HIS FUSION.
HIS followers have fused with the
Democrats in Michigan and Iowa, and
propositions Of fusion between the same
parties in Illinois and Wisconsin have
been made. A Butler man of some prom
inence in this city told a reporter to-day
that the chief object of the Generals trip
pCt n infn hn Of
fusion. He saw that the fusion in Iowa
and Michigan was bound to help
Cleveland, if it has any ef-
feet at all, and that the
same result would necessarily attend
fusion in Wisconsin and Illinois. All
these are counted as Republican States,
and any electoral votes the Democrats
could get from them would be so much
clear gain. Fusion success in these States
might elect Cleveland even with the loss
OF New York, and that is what prompted
Butler to put a check to further union
OF his friends with Democrats.
AN OFFSET.
In order to offset the Democratic fusions
Butler wants to unite with the Republi-
cans in Ohio, Missouri and Tennessee.
Success i'll these States would aid his
purpose of preventing an election by the
people. In Illinois the leaders OF his
saying that the Democrats were willing
to fuse but that they (the Greenback
leaders would be governed by whatever
Butler directed. He told them to wait
awhile, that if fusion with the Democrats
should become defirable it could be eff
fected within the next several weeks
without losing anything. Butler does
not want to help Cleveland. 1t is
probable that he would much prefer
n RlOInN pf ha ftnrn 10
is trying to beat them bOth, and for that
purpose IS endeayOring to hold his Fal-
statfian forces in hand. There is good
deal of newspaper talko of late to the effect
that Gen. Butler is falling physically,
and there is no doubt that he begins
to experience the weakness Of age.
Several months ago, and but few
the National Democratic Committee,
Gen. Butler came to Washington. The
Star sent a reporter to interview him.
The reporter was invited to enter
the Generals private office and was
very pleasantly received. Gen. Butler
sat in an easy cushioned chair fixed on
springs so that the occupant could main
tain either half reclining position or sit
upright at desk. In the first portion of
tue conversation lie was leaning back
in the chair TO the full
extent Of the backward action OF
the springs. A messenger entered with
receipt for coal or something else that re-
quIred his signature, and it was with ap-
parent effort and discomfort that he took
an upright position. He began by putting
both hands behind him in the arms of the
chair for support, as if suffering with
weak spine. Little by little, and with
grunts that eyinced pain--indeed they
might be called groans be swung him
self forward. His movement was like a
person suffering with acute rheumatism,
and it seemed that every effort caused
him pain.