The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-12-07
PARTY UNITY,
WASHINGTON. !

PARTY UNITY.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 90.
The existing situation of affairs be-
tween the President and Senator
Conkiing are such as should be speed
lily changed. The interest in reaching
such an understanding as will give
each the moral support of the other in
furthering the general interests of
their party is manifest and mutual.
Cordial personal relations are one
thing; an accord which will admit of
consultation upon questions in which
each are interested, and in which the
important questions of party unity are
involved, is quite another thing. IL
! pc ssible, the latter should at all times
exist between the President and those
men who have a recognized leadership
in the party.
Under our system, and in honest re-
sponse to the millions of voters who
elect President, he is in honor bound
to be a party President i'm the highest
sense of that term, and, in this highest
sense, to address himself earnestly and
faithfully TO whatever makes for peace
and strength in that party. Anything
less than this is betrayal of those whose
suffrage created him President.
Those who know Mr.. Hayes. and
those who hear his earnest talk, give
themselves no concern over the loose
charge that he is abandoning his party.
Such desertion for him is as impossible
for him now as desertion on the field
of battle would once have been.
But because he is more responsible
for party unity than any other man in
it, he can with all proper regard to that
dignity which attaches to his high
Office, make such advances in the in
terest of peace as shall remove the
whole responsibility for important dif-
ferences from his shoulders. If these
are neglected, he, at least, will stand
in an unassailable position before the
country. Whatever Mr.. Conkling's
shortcomings or infirmities of temper
aInent or manner may be, whatever
eIasperating things he has said or done,
and these have been repeatedly and
severely criticised in this correspond
ence-he is a leader of unquestioned
influence in the affairs of a great State.
His Republicanism has never Deen
questioned, nor has his integrity re-
ceived stain. His ability upon the floor
of the Senate is admitted by those who
dislike bis methods as readily as by his
friends. 1t is matter of Importance
to the party that his full strength, both
at home and in the Senate, should be
Q force of which the President and his
administration could avail themselves.
Iu matters of government personal
considerations should be laid aside.
Mr.. Hayes and Mr.. Conkling, as indf-
viduals, might have personal griev-
ances; but President Hayes and Sena.
tor Conkling stand related to each
other only in their official capacities,
and it is the duty of each to so recog-
nize these official relations as to make
it possible for then to work together
in the general interest of their party
organization. The President can not,
of course, be required to lay aside the
dignity which belongs to his Office and
ask Mr.. Conkling what his pleasure is;
but the President can invite any man
Ia the nation to call upon him as Pres
dent, and that citizen will feel called
upon to respond. The present diff
Guilty is attracting national attention.
IL will not settle itself. Only evil to
the party, and to the principals there
to, can result from its Continuance,
and it becomes both the friends of the
President and the friends of Senator
Gambling to see that an earnest effort
is made to secure an understanding.
In view Of the great importance of
party unity at this time, such settle
ments as these cause all personal con-
sideraticns to sink utterly out of sight.
Before the country Senator Conk-
ling's grievance appears to be that the
President has removed two officers of
customs in New York City without con-
shifting the Senator. Bot this is only
an incident of the situation. The pri
mary and the chief cause of complaint
which the friends of Mr.. Conkling
make is that the appointment of Mr..
Evarts was on the part of the President
a striking of hands with a personal
and political enemy of Mr.. Conkling.
And further, more important than this,
the claim is that, overstepping the
bounds of propriety which belong to
the Secretary of State, he has been ac-
tive in bis interference with the affairs
of other departments than his own, and
has practically induced the President
to take up his differences with Mr..
Conkling, and taus allow Mr.. Evarts,
from the vantage ground ola Cabinet
officer, to proceed, with the aid OF the
President, through the patronage, to
overthrow Mr.. Conkling in his own
State. That there is too much founda-
ton for this charge everybody ac-
Quainted with the situation knows.
That no administration can gain
strength by espousiDg the personal
differences Of Cabinet officers is too
plain a proposition for denial. In this
respect Mr. Evarts' course isin striking
contrast with that OF Mr.. Fish. The
latter was solely the Secretary of State.
Inside of his own department he
bFooked no interference, except from
the President, and never yielded to
him when he thought him wrong. But
he confined himself strictly TO his de-
partment. He deemed attempts 20
control the patronage outside Of the
State Department as nothing short oS
insulting both to the President aud bis
associates in the Cabinet.
Mr.. Eyarts seems to be blind 10 the
marked contrast between his practice
aud that OF Mr.. Fish. Doubtless the
President has given little thought TO
the difference. II is undeniable that
this feature Of the New York compi-
cation. Is attracting general attention
from Republicans here, and that it is
almost universally condemned. Added
to this Mr.. Conkling's friends find
themselves strengthened by the CON-
mon belief among Republican Con-
gressmen that Mr.. Evarfs has 40 great
concern In the welfare OF the RepubE-
can party.
1t is not the change in the New York
odices that has driven Mr.. Conkling
into the attitude he now occupies, so
much as the fact that Mr. Eyarts is
allowed to take his personal relations
into the Cabinet, and there be re en-
forced by the President himself. This
sentiment against Mr.. Eyarts is by no
means confined to Mr.. Coukling and
his friends, but is a growing one among
ell Republicans here, and anoog many
who have no personal relations what
ever either with the Secretary ofState,
or the Senator from New YORK. The
situation is such as to demand earnest
attention. It has already drifted into
one of great difficulty. What the
the President should do, or what Is due
from Mr.. ConkIing TO the President OF
his party. may be hard to determinei
but the Republicans OF the country
have q right to demand that each shall
make an honest effort to adjust pres
ent dificulsies. Y. B., IN Cisein-
aats GGsstse.