The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-09
THE ATTITUDE oF BUTLER.

stultiied position. At the time Butler is
sued his letter in response to the indianapolis
nomination, the journal pointed to the sig
nifcant fact that in no place did he unequivo-
cally accept it and agree to lead that
party in the present campaign. His
purpose, evident enough to anybody not
willing to be deceived, was simply to use
the Greenback party and the labor organiza-
tions as cat's-paw to secure to him the Chi
cago chestnut The Journal adverted to this
palpable fact at the time Butler was nom
mated in this city. That he was an accredited
delegate to the Democratic convention, and
that, as such, his allegiance was to that party;
that the Greenback party had named man it
could not follow in politics without com
plete surrender Of the doctrines that
serve as a foundation for that party,
was also noted. The developments
since have sustained the Journals prognosti-
cations General Butler could not be brought
to unequivocally accept the Greenback nomi-
nation; he was simply Obliged to the conven-
ton of that party for its consideration, and
would be glad to have the party's support,
But he never lost sight of the Chicago conven-
ton, and the possibility Of a nomination that
would be of value to him. With two nomi-
nations in his pocket as an intro
duction, he made his way to Chicago
| like any other Democrat, and, like
Democrat, he has steadily fought for indorse-
rnent for the presidency.
If anybody has been simple enough to think
that General Butler was sincere; if anybody
believed that he accepted the Greenback nom
nation in good faith; such delusiof will
now be effectually dissipated by the utterance
of theman at Chicago. Impossible as it may
seem, there were those who professed to be-
/ lieve that the nominee of the Green
back party could accept nominal
ton by the Democratic party and
not forego his allegiance to the former. The
help of the Greenback vote could but be ac
ceptable to the Democratic party; but
Mahomet must come to the mountain, and,
realizing this, Butler has made haste to de-
clare that he would support the nominee
about to be selected, whoever he
may be- 1t were confession Of
imDecility to expect anything else. No man
can in honor go before any convention as a
candidate without agreeing to support the
nominee. Butler was quick to acknowledge
this fundamental principle Of party
organization, and now stands where he was
obliged to stand, the indorser and supporter of
the Democratic nominee sts.S rs
SiIt may be now that the Greenback party
will be brought to realization of the fact
that it has no candidate for the presidency.
Even though Butler should, by some chance,
be nominated at Chicago, he must go before
the country, not as Greenbacker,
but as an out-and-out Democrat. By
an inexplicable faulty, or, it may
be, by the fanaticism or more than
questionable honesty of certain Of its mem
bers, an organized political party has 1stultifed
itself by comforting its highest, honors upon
an individual who accepts them with a mental
reservation that be will fling them away in
case they do not gain him what he counts on
1t ought to be plain enough now to Green
hackers, as it has been from the beginning to
men of other political beliefs, that General
Butler accepted the indianapolis nomination
as means and not as an end. The nomination
has not yet been made at Chicago, but.the man
from Massachusetts has. reached that point
where he says: '1f you nominate me, will
bring with ma the Greenback party to help
me in the 1aGk but want it understood now,
that, let the nominee be who he may, shall
unreservedly support him. In other words, I
shall let loose of my Greenback friends in case
1 do not need their votes and shall abandon
them to follow the fortunes of the Democratic
party" How any self-respecting Green
hacker can bring himself to even
think Of voting for General But
Ter under any circumstances, is more
than we San understand. It would be just as
consistent for the Republican party to nomi-
nate and vote for Thomas A. Hendricks. The
manipulators Of the Indianapolis convention
did their work well in shouting down all OPP
position to this man and in denouncing all
who threatened to bolt him because he was
not a Greenbacker. But now, if personal
honor is not dead if self-respect be not for
feited and if the principles Of the Greenback
party are worth anything to that organiza-
ton, it is difficult to see how any member of
it can be brought to support man confess
edly false to them and to it,