The Portland daily press., 1875-10-26
Our New York Letter.
Senator Conkling and the New York Can.
vass-Democratic Professions of Re-
form. The Fight against Tammany.
NEW YORK. Oct. 25, i


the 18th and another in New York on d.
There is always music in the air. whe he
Senator gets on his feet. 1t is easy to me sure
the effect he produces by noting the perturba-
tion that follows in the opposing camp. The
Democratic and Independent (D.organs chafe
under his trenchant structures, and strive with
all their might to parry them. The under
taking evinces more of ambition than of dis
cretion. Mrs. Partington's mop stood no
chance in an encounter with the Atlantic.
His critics resemble each other in feebleness
but their methods of attack are widely dis
similar. Some are fippant, others depreca-
tory, and greater number still perhaps, de-
nunciatory. The Governors special mouth
piece INDUCES in that jaunty style which it
habitualy affects, with the evident notion that
it is whitening, and disposes of the speech in
an oracular paragraph from the pen of its
funny contributor. Its slighted rival in the
competition for the questionable honor of
grinding out tunes from the Tammany organ
launches forth several columns of invectives,
little incoherent possibly, but replete with
the most ponderous polysylables The journ-
alists who are not absolutely under the con-
troll of the Democratic organization, for the
moment, and who facetiously describe them.
selves as independent" are deeply grieved
because the Senator did not soar above all
subunary things into the empyrean of philos-
ophy and abstruse speculation.
OF that ephemeral and equivocal greatness
which has its source in the patronizing lauda-
tions OF the press, Mr.. Conkling shares no
part. He never was favorite of the news
paper men, perhaps because he never took the
slightest pains to propitiate them. For every
word of praise he ever got from them he has
received an hundred of detraction or wilfHl
misrepresentation. And, very likely, the fact
that be has got along SO prosperously without
their countenance or assistance has tended to
make them more implacabe than ever toward
him. Everything he does or omits to do, is
equally the subject of carping comment. If
he attends state convention he is represented
as an imperious dictator. If he stays away his
absence is interpreted as a tacit admission
that he is an incubus upon his party. If he is
silent during political canvass it is alleged
that consciousness of popular disfavor is the
cause. If he lends his voice to the debate it is
ct once averred that his course is inspired by
apprehension that disaster is impending.
And yet in spite of this persistent berating,
any public man of his generation From the
time he entered the Senate, eight years ago,
at the age Of 81, until now, he has been grow
ing stronger all the while in popular regard
and confidence. The Republicans of New
York honor hun above all other men, They
feel pride in his intellectual superiority as
well as in his manly independence and perfect
integrity. There is nothing irksome about
''the one man power" when such leader
welds it. If his friends have any fault to
find with him, it is that he is disinclned to
accept the absolute authority which the party
would be glad to confer upon him. So far
from ever having sought control of the organi-
zation, the position was always distasteful to
him. 1t was forced upon him by exigencies
and importanites which he could not disre-
gard 1t imposes upon him duties altogether
too arduous for a man whose professional ser
vices are in unremtting requisition. But
abdication is quite out of the question. The
party would not listen to it for an instant.
They will have no other commander in chief
as long as he remains in public life, And it
is very certain they will never find an abler,
better or more unselfsh one.
In his Albany speech he traced the paternity
of the canal frauds to Democratic canal boards
and contractors. He did not seek to detract
from the credit due to Governor Tilden for his
war upon them, but merely to emphasize the
proposition that the people could not expect to
correct the abuses growing out of official mall
feasance, by perpetuating the ascendency of q
party which had nurtured the parasites who
had grown rich by long-contnued and IN.
challenged series of spoliations of the treasury
The New York speech began with a comment
ary upon one of a flood of circulars, which the
Democrats have been scattering over the state
made up in great part of speeches delivered by
Gov. Tilden at agricultural fairs and other nom
partisan gatherin gs 1t unfolded like an ac-
Gordon, and the Senator illustrated its capaci-
ties of expansion and contraction by opening
and shutting the leaves, to the great amuse-
ment of the immense audience. He quoted
from it passages like this: "WE reduced the
taxes lust year from It to mills; next year
WE will put them down to Al and even mills;
afterwards they can be reduced still lower"
And then he showed that this reduction was
brought about entirely by the frugal administra-
ton of the Republican Governor, JOHN A. DIX,
who had restored the sinking fund rihed by his
Democratic predecessors. He also made clear
| the fact that the Republican party, coming into
power January /. 1872 and continuing till the
first of January, 1875, diminished the state debt
| 1906, 900. He quoted an extract from q
| speech made by Gov. Dix year ago, in which
he detailed the reforms effected in the financial
condition of the state, by the restoration of the
deficit in the sinking fund of which S11 ,000,0 900
| had been purloined under Democratic rule.
! "Perhaps," remarked the speaker, 'ff you
| compare Gov. Dix's speeches in 1874 with Gov.
| Tlden's in 1875, you will concl ude that Gov.
| DIX plagiarized from Gov. Tilden's speeches Q
| year before they were delivered"
Referring to the commission engaged in the
| investigation of the fraudulent canal contracts
| he said:
SIT has called attention to matters which /,
| and better men than l, have been laboring by
i the hour for years to gain audience aud atten-
ton to. L am glad of it. This commission
| was recommended by Gov. Tildeu The Repub-
lican party promptly responded, promptly
| voted it, and promptly armed him with plenary
| and unprecedented powers"
About the important question of transporta-
tion, so worthy of the thoughtful considera-
| ton of statesmen, he made these Apostle OBJ
| servatons:
"The Erie Canal has brought wealth to New
York city, and has done much to build up its
| opuence and power. The traffic of this canal
is three-fold great as that of the river Rhine
| flowing as it does through seven soyereignties
| in the heart of Europe. New York has been
| and will continue to be the emporium and re-
| ceptacle of this colossal trade. Meanwhile
| hear me, see TO it that you do not let it slip
i away. The sea end of this canal is blocked by
lack OF elevators and terminal facilities Bal
| timore, Montreal, and other cities are drawing
| off what belongs to us. Freights are being
handled there more cheaply. This matter,
both in and out of politics, deserves the atten-
| ton of the men who manage the affairs of
| Manhattan Island. Closely interviewer with it
is the preservation of the canals, for they alone
counteract and compete with the railroads
and prevent them from lputting up the tolls
OF transportation. 1.-THE Erie Canal, running
with the Erie Railroad parallel on the south
and the Central on the north is for seven
| months IN the year perpetual monitor,
| perpetual governor, perpetual indemniner
of New York and the commerce OF the coun-
| try, and prevents freights from being put up
by the railroads, so as to baDish freights which
ought to come to this city. Never so:much as
| now ought this to be watched. waterway
| for bulky freight is the cheapest method of
| Transportation. You may say what you will
aNA2