Year: 1878

come for the moment the central figure III
American politics. He will continue to
occupy this conspicuous position at least
until next Tuesday, when the Massaohu-
sets democrats are to hold their State Con-
yention at Worcester. General Butler Is
aiming to capture that body and secure It's
nomination, and his chances are sufhcient
to inspire anxiety and alarm III Doth
the regular parties. The republican


party would be the greater sufferer
by such an arrangement. since the
democrats could not elect their regular
candidate in any event ; while the republic
cans will have the chances in their favor II
the opposition vote is divided between But
Ter and a popular democratic candidate.
The situation in Massachusetts does not
quite resemble that in Maine. In Maine 1t
requires IN absolute majority Of the votes
to elect Governor but in Massachusetts
the candidate receiving the highest number
is elected, even though it be not majority
If the law Of Maine were like that of Alassa-
chusetts Governor Connor would have been
reelected by handsome plurality, but
since clear majority was requisite there
was no election by the people, and the
chances are against him in the Legislature.
But in Massachusetts, the running Of three
candidates would favor the republican
hopes by dividing and weakening the oppo-
sition. 1t is therefore matter Of greater
interest to the republican party of Massa-
chusetts than to the democratic party OF
! that State that the latter should run regu-
| lar candidate, since if Butler gets the demo-
| cratic nomination he will probably be
| elected.


| Within the last three or four days DEM
ocratic caucuses have been held in large
number Of cities and towns for choosing
| delegates to the State Convention, and so
many of these have instructed their dele
! gates to vote for Butler as to cause great
CONSERVATION among the old line demo-
cratic leaders. So thoroughly have their


fears been aroused that the Democratic Ex-


ecutive Committee have held meeting in


Boston and issued a mandate against the
admission Of Butler delegates to the Wor-


cester Convention. The Executive Com
mittee declare that ''no person known by


his acts or declared opinions to be in favor
OF nominating through the Democratic
! Convention as candidate tor Governor or
for any State officer n person who is not a
| recognized member OF the democratic party
is entitled to sit or vote in the Democratic
! State Convention"


| This significant proceeding is an official
| confession that Butler is likely to capture
tie Democratic State Convention, unless
delegates known to favor him are excluded.
But what authority has small committee
| in Boston to dictate to the democratic con-
stituencies what kind of men they shall
send to the State Convention as delegates?
small intermixture OF Butler delegates
could not control the Convention, because
the majority could easily vote them down.
The Butler enthusiasm must be running
| like wildfre in the democratic organiza-
| ton to call for so extreme measure as de-
! nying the right of local constituencies to
send delegates Of their own choice. The
midable and threatening proportions when
this. public confession is made that the
Convention must be quanntincd against
the Butler infection us carefully rs our
Northern ports are quarantined against the
yellow fever.


The Boston Post, the able leading organ
of the Massachusetts democrats, is wild and
frantic in its protests against the adoption
of Butler by the Worcester Convention. 1t
scolds and threatens and demonstrates as if
the party were on the brink of dissolution.
1t denounces the election Of Butler dele
gates by democratic caucus as the act Of
traitors and renegades. "The bare sugges-
tion," says the Post. "of the employment
of democratc caucus for the betrayal and
overthrow Of the democratic party is q mon
strosity in political morals. 1t is an utter
impossibility in the maintenance of any
party organization" LIT would be just as
proper tor q democratic primary meeting to
Talbot or Long, as to vote for Butler"
"Ihe democratic party of Massachusetts,
could not more effectually disband than by
exchanging its old standard for the flying
trooper colors Of Butler" The danger
must be formidable when the leading organ
OF the party thinks it necessary to put forth
such frantic warnings and vehement de-
nunciations. The series of interviews we
publish to-day shows how deeply rooted
are the fears on one side and the determine.
ton on the other.


But is it possible to head off the Butler
movement for capturing the Worcester Con-
vention by undertaking to exclude the
Butler delegates? They cannot be refused
seats without DISTINGUISHING the local con-
stituencies that sent them. Is it desirable
to hold rump convention? Would the
ticket of rump convention bind the party
What should prevent the excluded Butler
delegates from organizing another demo-
cratic convention in Worcester and claiming