Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-05
r. F. DEL VALE,
of Los Angeles.
A Peculiar Canpaisn.

There are features about the present
campaign that arc not at all understood
by the unthinking. The HERALD has
very robust contempt for Gen. Benjamin
Franklin Buffers undoubted treAchery
In participating as delegate In the
Chicago National Convention and after
wards joining In movement whose Of
feet a. to himself has to us seemed sim.
ply--nil. As far as respects even the
possibility Of the election Of Butler rs
President Of tho United States his candi.
dacy Is q mere mockery. While wo have
always recognized his smartness.
cuteness." nay even "cleverness In
tho English sense, we have never lost
our hold upon our admiration for genu.
ino manlness aud directness. These
qualities Butler has In no respect. He
Is simply bold, sdroit, bad old man,
with sslfshness more thoroughly in.
rained In his composition than In the
case Of any other American politician. A
lawyer, of course there Could be no e!sv.
erer leverage to the attainment Of prac-
tice to q man OF his varied and peculiarly
demsgogic gifts than a pretense Of sympa-
thy with tho masses. by the most devious
methods, including prostitution OF his
military position at New Orleans to tho
enrichment Of his brother through Illicit
cotton speculations-a rapidly accumu-
lated riches W which he doubtless shared
while they were being piled up and the
remainder Of which he inherited through
the death OF his relative-General But
Ter has made himself manifold million
nirc. Even now his itch for money get
ting Is remorseless. He is at all times
ready to swap cheap talk with working
mon for misguided enthusiasm, but he is
to-day, in his own person, the very em-
bodiment Of that modern tendency in
American politics which is SO rapidly
making the rich richer and the poor
poorer.
But waving the rcpulsive aspects of
Butler as man and candidate, the Re-
publican press has very unwisely and
prematurely assumed that his candidacy
means disaster to the prospects Of Cleve-
land and Hendricks.
Lot us look into thi, little. Take
New York City, for instance, where
Butler will undoubtedly poll consider
able vote. This vote was dsaliected to
Cleveland and was in great danger Of
being diverted to Blaine. Buffers
energetic campaign will unquestionably
attract 1t to him, with the result of u
half vote polled for Cleveland and Hen
bricks. With the enormous majority
polled by Cleveland north Of Harlem
Bridge the best results for the Demo-
crotic party may be expected.
When we come to the Western States,
however, the full benefits to the Demo-
cratic party of Buffers candidacy are ap.
parent. Thus, in Michigan, there has
already been fusion between the Dem.
ocratic and Greenback parties on Presi-
DENTAL elections, with the result of Civ.
ing the Democrats seven and the Green
hackers six electors. =. This same fusion,
in 1882, olocted Begole, Democrat, Gov
srnor Of Michigan. Why cannot il
elect the joint Cleveland and Butler
electors this year!
In the event Of Ohio going Republican
in the October election, why cannot the
Same process be applied to that State, to
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and
Wisconsin!
There is world Of reflection to intel
ligent people in this line Of inquiry.
We do not think that such tactics will
be needed; but, supposing they should
be, what would be the resalt, should
Cleveland and Hendricks fail of an cleo.
tion in the Electoral Colleges'
Simply this: The election would bo
thrown into the House of Representa-.
tivss where the vote is cast by States, a
majority of the delegation of each State
controlling. As in the present lower
House Of Congress the Democrats CON
troll twenty.one State delegations and
the Republicans only seventeen the cleo.
tion OF Cleveland and Hendricks would
be a foregone conclusion.