The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-19

the committee in favor of the petition
as il originally stood, except that It
provides for an equestrian or military"
statue, so that he can stand on foot IL
judged best. The matter is left in the
hands of the governor and council TO
have the statue made and erected.
When these committees had reported
the resolution, it was referred to the
committee on ways and means, as II in
volved an expenditure of state money,
and there is no money now. But the
opponents of Butler have just begun TO
bestir themselves, feebly and few, how
ever, and they will have to make
much warmer contest if they expect to
carry the day against such men as But
Ter used to have around him. Among
the opponents are Colonel Henry Lee
and several other Lees, Charles c. Jack
son and others of that type in Massa-
chusetts. But they are Of sort which
arouses opposition, and for some pur-
poses it would be for the advantage of a
measure to have them in opposition.
The press has been almost entirely silent
a few papers have made the point that,
in view Of the recent death Of eX-Gov-
ernor George D. Robinson, and in view
of what his defeat of Butler stood for,
it is not a suitable time to be erecting
statue to the defeated candidate.
The Transcript this afternoon has for
the first time found its editorial voice,
and says:
If we must have an equestrian statue
of General Butler, the horse should be
represented as rearing up" and snort
ing. Should an inscription be desired
describing General Buffers military
career, perhaps the following from Cen
eral Grants dispatch to President Linz
coin of Jan. 6, 1865, would do: 81 wrote
letter to the secretary of war, which
was mailed yesterday, asking TO have
General Butler removed from command.
Learning that the secretary left Wash
ington yesterday, 1 telegraph you, ask
ing that proper action be taken in this
matter"
But there is everywhere a shrinking
from making the open charge against
Butler that he was morally unworthy
10 be Governor of Massachusetts or to
receive the honor of a statue at the
hands Of the state. The attitude OF
Mr. Sanborn and of the transcript illus
trate this Surely they would do it if
it were necessary, for they have both
the courage and the material for such
an attack, but it seems to be the desire
10 have everything smooth, and con-
Buffers character in all it's phases hear
with no realization of what it means
the proposition to honor him by the
erection of a bronze statue. On the
very committee which reported the re-
solve is veteran who carried the colors
when Butler rode along the line, and
who, from inward resentment against
the general disobeyed so evidently the
coloneTs order to salute that he had to
be told sharply to drop those colors"
at once. Yet he, with all his dislike OF
Butler, joins in the unanimous report
in favor Of statue.
The opposition is gradually getting
its voice as it realizes the danger that
the legislature may vote for the statue
and 1t is probable that the recollections
Of 1888 and previous years will be found
still so potent that the effort for a
statue will be defeated. Some men
think that they must keep silent be-
cause Butler is dead. but there is no
danger but that he will have plenty OF
spokesman, and the man who attacks
the memory of Butler will be sure to
have many hard things said of him.
So there need be no fear Of tenderness
on that score. 1t will make any one
one very unpopular in some quarters 70
oppose this movement, and plenty of
moral courage, in any event, will be re-
quired TO stand up and say what sort
of man Butler was. Within two days
a warm Republican said, what is GER
tainly the belief of thousands of Rec
publicans in the state, that Butler did
more to debauch politics than any other
man of his time yet the man who
should dare 10 say that openly now
would be attacked as presuminS to say
something evil Of a. man who is dead
and cannot defend himself. The obli-
CATION to live so that defence is not
needed after death does not seem to be
thought OF.