National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-03-22
ROSCOE GQNKLIEe-TEE DUTY OF THE
kYRACUsE CONVENTION.

1t will be admitted by those who have
watched the more recent progress of politi-
cal affairs closely that the influence of
George William Curtis, the editor of Har-
per's Weekly, has frequently been PERM
ciously in favor OF the weak. kneed and
vacillating elements Of the Republican
party. Just now he is waging a war upon
Senator Conkling which savors of personal
amnesty and that persecution which is the
main Characteristic of the Detective Press.
That such journal as the Weekly should
be miSused for such purpose is TO be re-
GREETED, for the reason that it has been of
great service 10 the country and the party in
,thepast 1t was formerly entitled to raEk
among the boldest and most consistent advo-
Gates of Republican principles, and wos de-
lighted to tiDd itself in the company and to
receive the support of the most earnest ad-
herents Of Republicanism. Latterly, how
ever, and particularly since Mr.. Curtis
retirement from the Board OF Civil Service
Commissioners, IFS tone and policy have
changed. 1t finds fault with the Admins
tration on the slightest provocation, and
scolds It's followers with the virago like in
SEPARATION of soured, scandaLloving old
maid. So true is this of its habit of fault
fndiBg that it has been aptly named the
mother in-law of the party. But, as we
have said, there seems to be q personal
animus in its assaults on Senator Conkling
That gentleman's deserved and we'll. won
prominence as i possible nominee for
President seems to have added to this
animus, and in recent issue of the Weekly
he is ranked with q class of men whom
it despises. Without arguing the justice
Of this, and without denying that the as
sertion is true, we simply assert our belief
that few men, if any, have been in public
life IN this country 50 long as Mr.. Conkling
has without having at least incurred a sus-
pIcion Of wrongdoing, and he has certainly
passed through the ordell, coming out with
his skirts clean and unsinged. As a Sena-
tor who attends to the legitimate duties of
his position, never neglecting the interests
of his constituents at large or such personal
business as they may intrust 10 him, he is
an exceptional model. At the same time
his record on the leading political questions
of the hour-on the money question and
the Southern question, for examples con-
sistent and thoroughly in accord with the
tenets of the party faith. At the time
when, during the last Congress, the House
was demoralized with investigations of its
own seeking when Republicans were en-
gagged in defling their own couches when
tie Senate itself was almost off its bal
ance when, in the face of defeat at the
polls. there was cowardly struggling and
faltering even among those who were
acknowledged as leaders, and when Sum-
ner, Trumbull, Upton, Schurz and others
of like kidney were aiding the Opposition
by their insidious course, Mr.. Conkling
was all powerful in restoring confidence
and repelling the attacks OF the mongrel
combination of opponents under whose
blows the party had been partially driven
from the field. Before this, while he was
yet in the House, and during the stormy
days of reconstruction, when the Execu-
tive was pitted against the Legislative
branch, the same Independent and dign:-
fed motives inspired his course, and to-day
he stands almost without q peer as man
whose vigorous political consistency is I'M
Improbable.
The assaults upon him now are intended
to influence the action Of the New York
Republican State Convention regarding
the nomination at Cincinnati. We hope