Benjamin Butler ends career as Governor of Massachusetts with flying colors

Butler on his last day..."made the mistake of accusing his predecessor of pardoning a convict whom he had himself pardoned"

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THE NATION - January 10th 1884

Transcribed below.

"Butler ended his career as Governor of Massachusetts at noon on New Year’s Day. He crowded the last few days of his term as full as possible with Butler antics, and was evidently determined to go out of office with flying colors. Having made the mistake of accusing his predecessor of pardoning a convict whom he had himself pardoned, he got out of the blunder, in a thoroughly Butler-ish manner, by saying that there were so many Republican officials, and so many Sunday- school teachers, deacons, and ministers in the State prison that he could not help getting them mixed up. Then he appointed to preach the customary election sermon a clergyman who he knew would commend his administration, and rode with great military pomp to the church to listen to it. Then be left a copy of the Bible in the Executive Chamber, inscribing in it that he found no Bible there when he came into office, that he supposed “each Governor took his away with him,” that this one had been given to him by a friend, and that he would leave it for the use of his successors."

Between 1883 to 1884, Benjamin Butler was Governor of Massachusetts. Butler appointed the first Irish-American judge, and the first African-American Judge - George Lewis Ruffin. He also selected the first female to executive office, Clara Barton, to lead the Mass. Reformatory for Women. (From the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain)